The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-12-24
.tsoIh, my own practical knowledge and Oh


Afewsmore words on the untavorable sea.
SON; ;forsAwonder to the world, and ullheard of
IL the history of California. We had quite a
fall of fain on the 10th Sept, not however do.
ing very great damage to mining operations,
but about the 18th OF the. same month we had
very heavy rains and snow Oh the mountains,
swelling the rivers, some OF them 40 OF 50 feet.
sweeping off dams, wooden and canvass acqui.
ducts, canals, &c, that had been constructed
at immense labor and expense, thus in "a few
hours blasting the hopes amd prospects ofhun-
dreds and thousands Of men, who i,ad spent the
whole season III the construction, besides thou.
sands ofdollars III cash, and in many instances
largely in debt, to1nerchants for provisions aud
mining tools-of course many, and very many
would have proved failures any how, but to be
thus cut of,, ,rat or, nearly at the close OF the
season, without means of supprt, and kept III
suspense, not knowing whether there is gold iR
the claim or not, and no means to enable them
to ly by and retain the claim, is almost more,
than human nature can bear, ard nIore Than
they do bear in some instances, for cases OF SUI
icide are not at all uMtrequent. liz some ill.,
stances, the waters having gone down, tue dams
have been rebut-some few are now takiug
out their thousands of dollars daily, willie the
large majority have proved total failures aud
the ruin of those engaged 10 them. 4, e-:-i ~
Though notwithstanding all these drawbacks
there will be more gold taken out this than has
been any previous season, but it mast be borne
in mind that the number engaged ia the mines
is treble If not guadruple that OF any previous
10 81, ,t.s,S
that CROSSED the plains this season from the
western States, and do not suppose thatI
saw the one hundredth part, for have been
on but one route, or at the end Of one route, aud
it rather detached, and there are several others.
branching Otfbefore they get id; fhnndreds Of
them landing, or coming in without one cent,
carry on their backs wnat little clothing they
have, together with their blankets-makeu
their STOCK oftilis worlds goods and these too
in many instances are persons who have lived
comfortable in the States, and were cenforta-
bly, situated, but sacrificed all, or turned it into
the means OF transporting them across the plains
in which they generally loose all, having hard
scuftie to get their own person through. Sick
and diseased from the quantity Of aik1ii that
they have been compelled to drink while cross
ing the desert, as all the,water they can getin
many places is strongly impregnsted with Il;
so much 80 that it kills off the stock as soon as
they drink it, and the poor emigrant is forced
to make the balance of his journey on foot,
with whatever he is able to pack oil his back,
California think one of the most pure and
healthy climates in the world Late III the
summer,'i some places the water becomes
very bad, aud consequently disease follows the
continued use of it, as in many places theyare
compelled to do, as it becomes scarce aud they
are compelled to use such as they eau get.
The agricultural resources OF California, |
consider very limited, though, small grain Of IA
very early growth may be raised in some por.
tons OF the' country; but other crops that are
planted in the spring and require nearly the
whole season to mature, ecannot be raised at
all except on the margin of rivers and other wa.
ter courses where they can turn the water on
the land so as to irr,gate that portion cultivated,
as no summer crop can be produced without
irrigation, for in the dry season thereis not even
drop of dew at night In. favorable locations
where they have cultivated and irrigated their
crops correctly, they have raised some of the
finest vegetables / have ever seen in any coun.
try, and of every variety. Some portions OF the
country is finely tilnbersd, generally pretty high
up in the mountains is the finest timber. l
have seen any quantity of pine, spruce, and fir
trees, from to 10 feet in diameter, looming
up as straight us an arrow, and not limb or
knot for $50 feet. am told that on the Sierra.
Nevada mountains and in Oregon the timber is
much larger The markets of California, es-
pecially the provision market, is and must ne.
cessarily always be, at times, very fluctuating,
for do not think that the agricultural portion
oft can produce asufficienoy to supply the de-
mand, consequently must be dependent in
greater or less degree on foreign markets for
these supplies. ',1'''
The Society Of California is very much mix:
ed, with all classes, nations, and as a natural
consequence, great number no better than
they should be. Gambling takes the lead Of
every thing, and the most professed and notori-
GUS blackegs, are the first men of the country;
they fill all the public Offices, and seem to have
the entire sway in all public matters, at least it
is the case in this county, and have good
reasona to believe that Ell Dorado is no worse
in that respect than any other count y in Cali.
forria ! in fact am credibly informed that it is
notoriously the case throughout the country
Judges Clerks SherH's. Lawyers and all,
regularly attend the faro bank and montee tables
openly, without shame or restraint for here
there is no such thing as restraint on any thing
Men who were respectable members of society,