The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1850-10-17
From ne Baltimore SUM-.
IiEnpNIA CnRRESPOND DEN CE.


CALIFORNIA CORRESPOND ENCE.
The Dark Side of ne hictnu- LIE "a Me Mines
~ Xorics Of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS % Cayo'"s"
E,Ys, Iaficnf,-.4 Prediction far Tie Fatur-
Overland Ep,igranf,--D eaituie Condition, &c
Th. following extracts IRON letter from
vonnp Bal,imorean, who has been year IN the
mines 10 his fineds in this city, wilt be read With
interest. Ii gives a peep Al the dark side o. Tue
n;cin,e n is written With an air oil tandor that
will carry with il much influence:
YANKEE JIM's Day DlcoiScs,
August Cd, 1850.
II seems that you have got the gold lever, the
worst kind, and wish me either to kill or cure
Well in nv way. will prescribe, and you can
take the dose or not.
There has been and still Is great deal o. go'a
in this country, but don't think for moment iha'
man can pick IN hispile here, Just Tor The wish
ing--for he can't cone IT, il depends on mans
luck, as much a. his exertiohs. There are now
thousands Of men more here than will ever gel
paid for coming. aud tho sands still on the road.
thought the country full 10 overlooking some
time ago, but still they come. There are thou
sand per day now arriving by the overland route.
They come into the country strapped, and have
no place 10 strike lick, for all the dgsings are
claimed that can be worAe o. that have hot pfsll
worked. In fact il will keep thsnP hovlsk to
make ing frou, now until winter, and then
see no other nelp for them but 10 give up the
ghost and die, unless they find some friends That
have little to spare and " III share with them
G Cd help them say. There are three times as
many here as will ever get able 10 pay their pas
sage home.
The people in the states listen too much 10 The
reports OF merch and spectators. You must
know that il is 10 their interests 10 keep up the
exci,cment i, is the way Tor them 10 get their
fortunes. liza man, more by good luck than any
thing else, happens 10 blunder on few thousands,
he lets il get out in San Francisco, and the mer-
chants gel hold oft, and then they make capital
of that mans luck, and the people in the States
70 crazy AT once. But yon must recoliect that Il
is only one man out Of hundred that makes de-
cent wages, and but one on, OF thousand that
gets paid for coming here. lspeak OF the mines.
make money here BY stealing, gambling, trading,
tavern keeping, &c bat the miners have to pay
all, and by the time they are done paving they
have nothing left for themselves. In fact it will
be mighty few that will make much hereafter.
The country is crowded, and all business is
moDopoIized, except minins, and that is worse.
or soon will be, for il will on all be dug out,
or so near it that il viii take as hard work Tor a
man 10 make living here as in any State Of the
Union; and dogs life /, will be al that. My
candid opinion of the matter is that all who have
home in the States, or any prospect Of getting
one had better be satisfied and stay at il, and APP
Irecaie the good things OF life.
The letter that yon saw from me was written
last spring, before ! conld form correct idea oil
the mines, for had not visited many Of the dig
gngs; but now | am satisfied that know some
thing OF them. About the middle OF March
started out 10 the mountains, where expected 10
find new diegings that would prove extensive and
rich, but alter irampipg for three months was
convinced that the gold was not inexhanstible as
at first thought They may come and tell as
many tales about the mines "a they please, but
wait and il will speak for itself in short time
There may be great deal oil money dug here,
bu, look AT the thousands 10 dig il, and look al
the expense man is Al 10 lire. You must recoi-
ect that the mines the only recourse here; oil
must depend on them; for as 10 this country being
good for anything else, il is all mistake. Col
Fremont may say what he plcases, but | know
something about agricultural pursuits, and as
sure Won that far short, in general way, is this
of being an agricultural country.
II is no use for me 70 write 10 you in regard 10
next year, for believe the country will all be
turned topsytuivy this ttii. al least so that man
can't more than make living, and that dogs
life. We ATE now al work aud don't make on
an average more than ten dolrs a day, and have
spent $500 travelling ronnd 10 find such dggngs.
These are my sentiments, opinions and judgment,
il have any either OF The three.
Yon may think this strange news 10 come from
The El Dorado Of the world but strange as il il,
il is nevertheless true. Jist wait short twelve
month, and the doleful tale will he told. Yon
will see more penniless m,n 1ocking home, bye
and bye, than you can shake stick at though
thousands will never get home Tor want OF means,
and some few will come home with fortunes,
though more oil them will get j, by traffic than
any other way.
have been in nearly all the mines, and find
them everywhere crowded TO the extreme, and
still they come.
Yours, SC. d. J. l..