The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-08-24


any quantity, aud cannot be stored. Good
are Offered Tor sale in front az tents and il
tents, at very low prices for n new countrv
Only four or five vessel, have arrived from
the States that left last winter. What III,
state Of things will be when the three hun
. dred vessels arrive which have left In,
States, you can Imagine as well as |. |
costs 10 unload a vessel $50 per ton, whicl
is something oi an item. Beef was sold a
auction few days ago tor - per Dbl, at,
pork So. Il was not in first rate Order bow.
ever. Flour sells by the barrel for s..
Pork retails at zoe. per 10. but can be
bought by the barrel from the levee tol
about SID or SIS. have no doubt but
pork can be bought here in two months ior
$40 per bLl. Flour 81 or -. Beef So
and every thing else in the provision line
for about the same proportion. Beef cat
lie can be bought for Sl2 OF $50, and meat
for lsc. Loaves Of bread worth ic. or Sc.
a, home, sell here iur 2jc. Sugar lie. Il
IS the labor that makes the prices. Board
is sd per week. cannot see that the
merchants here are doing much, nearly all
who come here are provided with clothing
and almost every thing else they want.
/ There are about 5000 persons in town, and
D
/ to be done with al the goods un the way
/ here? How merchants pay such rents is Il
/ mystery; but the fact is they have large
stocks Of goods on the way and they must
/ have ground and shelter for them.
( have no doubt that many goods will be sent
/ back to the United States, and some cargos
viii be sold at auction TO pay the freight.
! have no doubt but that man with few
i
auction in San Francisco, aud ia short
time make fortune. There will he ire
mend0Us crashing here in a short time
/ Hundreds will rue the day they lett for Cal
IIornia, Town property VIII not be worth
half what it sells for NOW, in one wear
don't believe. This will never be pleas.
ant place to reside. The winds blow from
the northwest, eight months ia the wear,
and the sand in the streets is enough to put
a mans eyes out. would not live here
could | be assured OF a fortune in n few
years. 1t is the most dISagreeRble place !
ever was in. Ia the forenoon 1t is warm
aud pleasant, about noon it begins to blow
a perfect gale, and about 5 o'clock YOU
want an over-cOat, fer it is aS cold as with
us III November. | AIN told that in the win
ter the wind blows from the south, and that
II IS as warm as III the summer. Twenty
or thirty miles back in the country is warm
and pleasant. do not think that this is TO
be the great city OF the Pacific. There is
a town building Oh Shusan Bay, about thir
~ miles from here, were the largest vessels
can anchor close to the shore. II is called
Bouicin," and from oil accounts, udge
that to be the place III preference TO this,
but | cannot tell, nor any one else, all is
excitement aud men appear TO be perfectly
| crazy. II is my opinion that those who are
doing well at home had better stay there.
Like spectators at west in 1884. 5. and 6,
they may think themselves worth 100000,
and III one year not be worth one cent.
One thing is certain, that this will be no
place for a man 10 bring his family, or at
least for some years. Seine are here with
families, who live in a small tent, and sleep
on the ground, cold enough To chill them
almost TO d., ath. Many who are here aud
who own property, will write 10 the papers
urging all to come out, and describe this
place as a paradise: but when you see such
accounts, you may know that self interest
is the motive. These are my first impress.
ions. 1t will DO for man who has no par.
ticular business at home, and who wishes to
make perman residence in California,
to come as soon as he can. 1t costs a small
fortune 10 get here, especially if he is de.
tanned at Panama, and think that the
route across the Isthmus is the ouy pract-
cable route at present. / have 10 doubt
but that eventually this country will be
thickly settled, provided the dust continues
TO be found. ! am speaking of things as
I they exist at piesent-of the country | will
/ write wien ! have seen and examined it.
On board the Oregon, ] formed the &C.
quaintance of three gentlemen from SYRIA
cuse, mho were provided with tents, tools,
aud every thing that is needed in the mines;
they have all the conveniences for operat.
ing, aud as am alone, have joined them.
We pitched ouI tent as soon as we landed,
and have all our baggage together, We
live well; in fact, ! enjoy it much. We
have beef, pork, and bread. never had
better appetite, nor slept better, than on the
ground under our tent. We are packing over
our baggage, and hope to leave for the mines
IN few days. j hardly know where we
! shall Co-whethcr TO the Sacramento, or up
the San joaquin river. Many are going TO
| the Stamstuns, stream which runs into the
I San Joaquin. On the streams running into
( the San Joaquin, gold is found in placers or
| spots, and is coafser than on the Sacrament
/ to, bat is not so certain as the Sacramento,
where the dust is found wherever man
! chooses TO dig. We may 20 to the Siam
stuns, and then follow up the mountains
| The streams on the Sacramento are now
I high, and tits difficult obtaining gold. Sep.
TENDER WILDE the best time TO dig, as the
streams will then be down. Many are COM
ing from the mines discouraged, and say that
they nnotmake anything, while others are
lucky aud are in good spirits. 1t is impos-
slblc TO obtain any correct information about
the mines; it will not do for man to be.
lieve any thing that he hears in San Fran
cisco. From all accounts, that man who
goes 10 the mines aud sticks 10 them, who
works hard carly and late, can average a.
bout one ounce per day-may dig much
more, perhaps two or three ounces per day (;
aud then again he will only dig o.. or o..
II is very hard work, and requires n strong
constitution 10 obtain gold by digging. lam
here, and il has cost Inc a great deal to get
here; and do not mean 10 return until oh.
tain something, at Leaf as much as took
from home. shall never think OF this coun.
| try as n residence. il was n sacrifice for me
30 leave home. aud hope and expect tina, !