The North-Carolina standard., 1850-01-16

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| A CALIFORNIAN WHO WILL Do.
The following. says the New York Tribune, is the
greater part of private letter from Yorker in Cali
fornla to his friend in this City. He has not seen
quite 50 many alligators as Mr.. Stephen H. Branch
and a few more Of the same sort, but he gives as
good an idea Of life and prospects in California as
we have found in any one letter. He is evidently
one OF the kind of men that nobody need be ashamed
to learn from:
forna arrived here in June, and went Immediate
y to the mines. worked there five weeks, and
Cleared, over all my expenses, $500. Then, partly
through the expected arrival of my goods and partly
through fear that my t'hole,'' or lead, would give
out sold out my '.whole - machine and ALL for two
for San Francisco. But learning at Sacramento City
that the Robert Browne had not arrived, set my
wits to work to ascertain how could spend the in
tervening time most pro6tably.
NY first operation way buying lot 90 by l6O
teet tor which paid $500, and sold soon after for
Mr.. I. c. o. of New York, who was in the same
predlcament as myself, not knowing what to do next,
as business was then quite dull in the city (Sacra
mento.) suggested to him that thought haying
appeared the most reasonable for lucrative occupa-
ton, as terms were pouring in from the Plains, and
ASSu SSoiS0s
ses about making preparations for haying. Then
commenced search for scythes. All we could find
Were two old ones, nearly worn out, and without
handles. These we bought at SIG each, and soon
after came across company, just arrived, who had
one dozen new ones sythe and handles, yet did not
bought one for $40, and could have sold it in 80
minutes for $75. We cut two crooked sticks for
the old ones hired man for $40 day, and started out
to prairie about six miles from the city, where
about 100 acres of beautiful grass.
We there worked about ten days in the hottest sun
that ever shone. From II to we could not work,
and even after that it would blister the back of
hands, In that time cut and cooked about 60 tons
OF nay. The next job was to get 1t to the CITY. O..
and myself invested $3.50 each, in oxen and wagons,
made our hay rggngs, and commenced carting. We
drew in, stacked and fenced about 90 TONS and went
ne team had loaded and started, and the other two
loaded, when, the Prairie being fire. and the wind
blowing hard, our loads took fire, and in fifteen min
hes nay and wagons were in ashes, and one yoke of
cattle so badly burnt to be unfit for use. The hay
was not of much account but the wagons cost $500.
And that was not ALL for three days after the stack at
the city took fire and also burnt up. We now had
40 tuns on the prairie, that escaped the fire. We
then sold four yoke of oxen, got another wagon and
succeeded in drawing the balance, and stacking it
near the city, where retailing at eight cents
pound (Sl6O tun) and keeping horses and mules
at 81 SO a day.
We have now two good teams, six yoke of oxen
and two wagons, which we are running from Sacra-
mento to the Mines with freight, and which average
US $50 day. They now trip Of six days,
and will bring as in 5000 in dust. Teaming is de-
cidedly the best business done here and if it was not
so late, should tom three or four wagonsmor
We intend in the Spring, to at least ten teams.
Had it not been for my goods. should probably have
been shaking, or digging now. But l am convinced
that mining is the poorest business done here, and the
hardest work that any white man ever engaged in.
From all my experience and observation, candidly
believe, that the ,pA Average foe dollars day.
was extremely lucky, for numbers of our party have
worked hard and not cent better off than the day
they landed 1t is all luck-a perfect lottery-and
have not heard of single instance where man has
been very Fortunate that he continued long, Thou
sand come here with sanguine expectations. but are
wofny disappointed. and return disguised with the
country. Many lives are lost, and many more con-
stitutions ruined. Browning and Fayler of party,
(Richardson's,) died on the way through Mexico. A
Mr.. Capron, formerly with Lea e. Brewster, N. Y,
recently died at Sacramento. o. and myself
have both been sick, and do not like to expose
ourselves to the heat of the sun. the heavy dew at
night. we hire two men to drive our teams. One we
pay $50 day, the other $3.50 month.
had an attack of fever caused by overwork. and
rode over to the Hospital, miles, to Suffers Fort,
Washington the only comfortable place there for a
sick man. was there five days, had good care and
attention, and for which paid Sis. am able now
to keep horse to ride, that my labor is comPara-
lively easy and therefore do not anticipate any Sc
rious results from my sickness.
Horses are worth 500 to $500; Mules ditto.
There are but few good horses here, and those are
from the States. The Mexican horse is an inferior
animal, both in size and build. Oxen, 5000 we
have six yoke, worth 81 200. Wagons, 500 to $780,
There are many cattle coming from the plains, but
they are too poor to this Fall, and many will die
before Spring.
Sacramento is hot dusty, filthy place, and if the
wind blew there as at Sanfrancisco, it would be inn
possible to live. Bot it has increased astonishngy.
1t has now three-story house called the City Hotel
several Zinc-stores, number of wooden ones, and
tents, gambling -houses and clearinghouse of all de-
scriptions and sizes. Gamblers are doing the most
extensive business here. 1t is almost ncredible but
really believe that every third house in Sacrament
to, San Francisco, and every other place of any note
Is gambng-hous and as you pass along the street
at night every seems filled. They operate greatly
in keeping up the rents, for it is not uncommon for
them to pay 800 day rent.
San Francisco is really quite city. They have
already theater, circus, number of large hotels and
extensive stores. and dock 800 feet in length The
buildings all the side of mountain, overlook
ing the Bay, the streets running up and down. =
came, should now be ready for the return steamer
with my fortune. Lots at Sacramento which could
then have bought for $500 to $780, have since sold for
$4,000 to $4,000.
There are now three steamboats, navigating the
Sacramento. The " Mint" about the size Of clam
shell, the I" McKim,' and the Is Senator" The last
worth both Of the Others if it does not draw too much
water. = Ss's#
Seven thousand teams have already arrived here,