Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1850-03-21
From the Des Moines Courier.
MIR Blake slee'S Letter.

From the Des Moines Courier.
| Mr. Blakeslee's Letter.
BY the politeness of Mr. P. Barnett, Of
this place, we have been permitted to pub
lish the following letter, recently received
from gentleman, who emigrated from
this place to California last spring Mr.
Blakeslee is Congregational Minister,-
stood very high in this community, and is
entitled TO entire credit.
MONTEREY, Dec. 18th, lS49.
In accordance with your request, and
my own promise, write you hastily,
sketching general view Of things in this
region, as they appear to one on first ar
irving in land so entirely different from
any portion ofthe States, east Of the Rocky
Mountains. Time may much alter my
opinion, yet at the present, | must say,
after securing all possible information by
inquiry, in conversation with those of more
extensive acquaintance with, and longer
residence in California, and by making
careful examination into the agricultural,
! and other resources Of this country, during
different tours, in all. of some six or seven
hundred miles through this State, that per-
haps no portion Of our Union is in any
! respect, superior to this new State of CAL
| iiornia, il allowances are made for the very
recent settlement of the country under
circumstances SO peculiar. But it is ex-
ceeding!y difficult to present a true view
OF the real condition and stale of things
here, to one east Of the mountains, for all
seems to be SO differently constituted and
arranged here, from what they are there,
THAT one accustomed 10 what is there seen,
cannot well conceive of the state Of things
as seen here.
The generally rich reward of labor in
the mines, gives value at present to
every thing Of any importance, from five
TO fifty, or sevehty-five, and even hum
dred times greater than in the States east
Of The mountains. But the general value
of things here is about ten times greater
than there. .s
The gold mines are probably equally
as rich as described in the various publ
cations which you read, always bearing in
mind the fact, that only accounts Of the
fep successful ones will ever find place
in the columns of q newspaper. Thousands
stimulated by the hope OF being equally
successful with those of whose success
they read, have rushed hitler, and into the
mines; and then been exceedingly disap-
pointed at not finding their extravagant
and unustifa5le hopes realized, and left
chagrined, when perhaps they could easily
clear ten, tw elve, or fifteen dollars day.
This, am informed, most any man of
spirit and energy, accustomed to common
manual labor in the States, can depend
making in the mines. The labor is indeed
somewhat hard,yet from having been from
early life actively engaged in the different
kinds of work upon the farm, think
may speak with good-deal of confidence,
when say that among the many miners,
l have seen no one who appeared to be
toiling harder than common laborers in
Ohio, engaged in farming work, especially
ii in digging wells.
The heat is indeed very severe in the |
summer, but then the miner does not work |
In the middle Of the day, or at least he |
ought not. His living is usually poor. but
this is his own fault, for if he will be sat
isfied with making five to thirty, perhaps
fifty dollars a day, above expenses, and
will be at the expence of from one and a
half to five dollars for good food, he may
secure as good provisions as he Will gem
orally find at respectable taverns in the
States, excepting eggs and milk. 1t
generally the spirit Of avarice which in
duces him to restrict himself to the coarse
food, and then to complain at his hard fare.
SO the selfish, avaricious man is never
satisfied with the gifts of a bountilul Prov.
the blame of the wrongs
he suffers upon Him who surrounds him
with all good.
Sickness in the mines, and elsewhere
IN this country, is not as common, am
considering numbers las in Iowa,
and not any where near as severe. Ply
siciians are indeed legion, but generally, |
think, the ,cerest quacks never
having thought, tefore coming here, of
giving simple dose OF rhuharb, have for
months done an extensive business in the
quack line in the piacers. Yet a good
attending wellto his duties, viii
generally secure, after little, all the ride
he can possibly desire. Sixteen dollars
visit is about the lowest charges.
The agricultural resources of the coun-
try are very great, yielding probably now,
and will for years, much more in proper
ton to the labor expended than the mines.
But the system of agriculture differs from
that in the States, as our winter here is
not one Of snow, which very seldom falls,
but winter Of drought, from, perhaps
June 10 November, and the time Of sowing
and manner of cultivation must vary ac-
cordingly. Very much Of the plain coun-
try can be easily and extensively irrigated,
producing the very richest crops in the
world-Egypt, perhaps, not excepted
But generally as good crops can be raised
as any where in the States without irriea-
ton.
As to scenery, l have never before seen
any so bold, grand, romantic, beautiful
The whole country is thrown into noun
tain ranges with wide Intervening valleys
running parallel with the ocean coast.
whose submits rise above the clouds, |
green to the highest point, except when
covered with snow, or parched in the
Nur,tr,