The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-01-25
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS
NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA.

Il We received the following letter through
the pcs, Office. Whether we have IN nc
quain,ance with John Smith we are no.
aware. The letter may be genuinc-wt
have no reason to question il. AT al
events. It is doubtless true picture o
wha, the great INA iori,v Of those who chi
CRATE 10 California must experience
ST.. LorIs, Dec. 2sth, 1913.
I Mr.. SANDERS :--Dcar Sir, observed by
loohing over one Of your sheets that you
have Iiile OF the gold fever in :our re-
glen. will try to give you some ncconn,
Of The way in which matters are managed
there. MS | have lately arrived from the
great mining country.
left Cincinnati in tho spring OF forty.
seven Tor Oregon; after satisfying myseli
there, left that country with company
last spring for California. We arrived in
Jrnc in what is called the valley OF the
Sacramento; found numerous persons scat
tered along the valics and over the hills.
hunting for the precious metal. Our com
panv fo.nl there was no time 10 lie lost.
provisions were scarce AMI hard t. 90 got
for any money. We prepared for work,
but found each company had made claims.
so we were obliged TO shit orr quarters.
We went u a stream called Feather river
and commenced work aud in ono week con-
cluded we had sixty dollars worth 10 the
hand all round. but by this time our pro-
visions were ont anl when we come to
buy, We found the gold went almost as las,
as VIC had go; il.
There is M, much money in circulation
,here-;he gold is the currency, Won can
Get a.mos; any price in gold for such ar,i-
Giles as they want. The manner oftradiar
in California reminds the oi the man who
sold his dog for hundred dollars and took
biz pny in puppies a, fifty dollars cach
Towards the las, of Jaly sickness CON-
menced aud deprived the most o! foreign
ers from digging. Such IA scene ! don't
want 10 see again; families. men. women
md children. exposed in the open air. moth
ing BIZ, u cloth or some brush Ia shelter
them from the scorchinr RAYS ol the sun.
Many Nonng men win LEFT good homes for
the gold mines found bu, ..iilc attention
paid them in sickness. Loving on the
bare ground. parcieG With thirst and tor
moa;ed with HES, until death rcley ed their
sriIcrinrs.
now began TO think Of home, for tic
prospects for the coming winter seemed
dark 10 me. WHAT little grain was in the
country was principally DESTROYED. fences
were generally ponr, mauy Of the cattle
that were drove in were brcachy. and ma
ny who wished 10 keep their oxen. &c.
about would turn them into grain fields.
Flonr was selling a, sixty aud seventy dol.
lars per barrel. and not good even then.
sholld advise iticnd to wal, a little
before s,ar,ingto California. |, is hard on
the constitution: ms well as to the morals.
Many young men who were well risod
arc there going To destruction "a las; rs
they can. There are all kinds Of vice
prac:.ed there.
In the latter part Of August found
small par,v coming across the mountains
with which united and left the gold re.
rous 10 those VINO think ,nore OF them than
/! do. ] am now in 81. Louis, penny less,
with broken constitution.
Mr.. Sanders, wish YOU would be so
kind as TO correct the above and publish ii.
! am told many Of my relations have lett
Hamilton county. o.. and arc supposed TO
be in Scott county, Iowa. 1t might be the
means of preventing some Of them, or prob
ah!v some we'll disposed Young man from
going from home and destroying himself.
| am unable 10 write more | send these
few lines by n gentleman who is going 10
Galena and thinks he may be in Your
place. Yours respectfully,
JOHN SMITH.