Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-03-18
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.

We take pleasure in laying the following let
ter before our readers. II is from son of Mr..
ALEXANDER WALKER of this county, and was
addressed to an uncle of the writer, Maj. JAMES
WALKER, who consented TO its publication. 1t
is but proper to state that the letter was written
for the private eye of particular friends and was
not designed for the public prints, and it is ex-
pected that all due allowance will be made for
the writer. Of one thing the reader may be as
sured.-the statements made in this communi-
cation are true.
WOODS DIGGING, MIDDLE CALIFORNIA, !
January 18th, 1850.
DEAR UNcLE.-If were in your presence |
would not have Brass enough TO excuse myself
for not writing sooner, therefore shall not at
tempt il now have been here three and IA half
months two of which has been spent in the
mines and have received but TWO letters from
home and they were almost half a year old, one
from father and the other from Frank. / am
happy 10 inform you that my health has been
good The climate here, with the exception OF
the rain. (which is abuldant) is certainly the fl
nest ever saw January is said to be the wet
test month. and will give you hint of its prog.
ress-if this day holds out without lain it will
it is Sunday think, probably, tniay Business
here is dull on account Of the rain. The mines
in this neighborhood are pretty well worked out,
but il is said there are others very rich further
up in the mountains where expect to go in the
Spring, vet shall not attempt it until think the
weather will permit The great obstacle is IN
getting provisions up in the mountains, which is
almost impossible. l have done a very poor
business since have been here. The Company
to which belonged was too large and uplucky
| in getting to the mines, while some showed a
disposition not TO do their duty so we have bro
! ken up into small parties. Some men do not
make more than their board and some not that
much, whilst others will accidentally strike upon
hole and take out small fortune in few
days. heard of a man taking out lump last
week, a few miles from this place, weighing Is
lbs, besides quantity of dust. But these are
rare cases and the accounts find their way to
the States in short order, whilst the accounts OF
those who are doing but little are kept back.
This is done by spectators who wish to keep
up a rush of emigration to this country. Any
man who will work here, as he should, can
make SIS a day, and half ounce is fair pay
for days labor: As for the general news OF
the country expect you can inform me much
better than you, as we live here in sort OF
wilderness, having but little or no news. l like
this country very we'll, but am getting tired OF
the kind OF life yet suppose shall have to bear
with it for time. If could get into some OF
those rich holes would not mind the priva-
tons. l would like, occasionally, to get hold OF
a paper from the States for hear nothing here
but gold digging
/ Provisions are still very high, though likely
to get lower soon. | sold a bag of Flour yeser-
day for 500 which was low price. We have
provisions enough to last us until good weather,
when prices will fall, think. Gold is found
here in eulches, creeks and such places, most "a
bundaully, and in all sorts of shapes. So tar as
my Judgment goes in the matter, it is very evil
dent that this country has been at one time a
volcanic country, as the mountains in this
neighborhood show it very plain---some OF them
are burnt into a perfect cinder and are capable
of producing nothing but dry bush. On these
mountains there is a quantity of what is called
quartz rock, which is thought to have retained
the gold, and that it was melted from them dur
ing the volcanic eruption and think this is a
very correct view, as the gold Is only found
where there is this quartz rock, Another proof
Of the gold having been melted is, the variety
of shapes in which it is found. have seen
pieces not much thicker than paper and as broad
as your thumb nail, though the greater portion
is found in scales from the size of wheat grain
to that of the bran and smaller The larger
lumps seem to have been melted and formed in
creviices in rock or clay which gives them their
peculiar shape but notwithstanding the varl-
ETY. of shapes and the quantity that is herel Is
still very hard TO get. once considered dlgglne
Potatoes pretty hard work, but it is nothing 10
compare with digging forgold. In some places
we have TO 90 from 10 to 10 feet deep for it, and
in other places not more than foot. 1t is ire
quentIy the case that those deep holes are sunk
and nothing gol from them, That goes tough. J
There is as much in luck as in any Thing else.
intend to run my luck in the mines for some
twelve months and if | cannot do anything !
shall then try something else; farming, prcba-
bly, but if the mines do me justice shall con-
tinue i'll them. send you few small speci-
mems Of gold to look at and show to the neigh
bors. Give George Bourland specimen.
| have not seen a face that knew since left
Oh Virginia, except those that came out on the
ship with me- 1t is true, have good many
acquainances some very fine fellows; yet |
should like TO meet with some old acquaintance,
Tom Fletcher, for instance /; but il is impossible
to find any in California. | sent to San Fran
cisco the other day for letters and shall be dis
appointed it | do not get them. sent by man
who makes business of carrying letters. He
draws an article or order on the Postmaster
which the people sign. His charge is 81 per
letter. II any are there for me think shall
get them one, of course, will be from you. l
should like to get all the particulars from home,
and would willingly give SEQ TOR one week
old. n
The Mr. Bargers are here, and are both we'll.
Your aHeclionate nephew,