Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-04-11
Report ora California.

The Report Of Hon. T. BUTLER KING, on Cal
ifornia has been made to the President, and by
him communicated to Congress The Journal Of
Commerce has digest of the topics upon which
it treats which are, the population of the country
its agricultural resources-extent and produc-
ton of the mineral region-the commerce and
navigation OF California-the legislation necessa-
ry for the territory and, especially, in regard to
the disposition of the gold bearing lands belong
ing TO the United States.
The population ofthe country is now about one
hundred and twenty thousand. An accession to
the population by immigration, during the year
beginning at the next dry season--on the first of
May-is estimated at two hundred thousand.
The agricultural capacities the State vast
ly greater than has been heretofore represented.
There is a vast extent of pasture lands, unsur-
passed anywhere in the world, in veIdure and
richness. The wild oats grow spontaneous all
over the plains, yielding an annual crop at the
rate Of forty bushels per Any number of
cattle and sheep may be raised. Two hundred
thousand head Of cattle must be brought into the
country during the next two years. The cattle
were formerly killed for their hides which was the
chief article of export; and they were worth but
four dollars a head but now they were worth
twenty or thirty dollars head. California is es-
pecially adapted to wool growing gentleman
was about TO import ten thousand sheep from Mex
ico with view to GO into that business. The
future value of the vineyards is representatives,
Eery great.
As 10 the commerce Of the country, he esti-
mates the value of imports needed in California
from the Atlantic States, for the next year, at four
millions Of dollars in -four, six millions in lumber,
and two millions in other articles. As to the
,ice Of lumber the prices is now SIS per thousand,
and cannot be lower, because ii is below the cost
of labor necessary for cutting and saving lumber
in California It can be carried to California for
$24 thousand, and supposing it to cost $40 here,
Il will continue to pay.
The gold region is described as extending FIVE
or six hundred miles from the South to the North,
and from forty to sixty miles in width from the
East to West. 1t rises gradually in an inclined
plain, from the Sacramento Valley, to the eleya-
ton of four thousand feet at what are called the
Foot Hills. Between these hills and the Sierra
Nevada, number of streams have their source,
and take their course through the Foot Hills,
westward. Mr.. King examined twelve OF these
rivers, and found them all very rich in gold. The
territory on the North is very rich in gold, aud the
conclusion is inevitable from all the facts that the
whole quartz plain, containing three thousand
square miles, is full Of gold bedded in the quartz
and some of which, disintegrated from the quartz
by the torrents, may be found in dust and Jumps
in the beds of the streams.
The whole number of foreigners in the region,
who are gold hunters is fifteen thousand. There
have beeu but seven thousand American gold hun
ters The Chians and Sonoro people came in
crowds, and have carried off twenty FIVE millions
The Americans have procured fifteen millions
The Chilians expert diggers.
The amount of gold already procured is forty
millions But forty millions more will be pro-
cured during the coming dry season-say from
May till November
The regular mining operations in the solid
quartz rock will soon begin, and can be cOntln
ued during the wet as well as the dry season. !