Daily Richmond times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1849-1850, 1850-01-17
CALIFORNIA.
BAYARD TAYLOR'S LETTERS
Correspondence ofthe Ne,o York T,jbrpe

than OF this place. | left here for the Sacrsmnnt,
country on me "a ult and returned the 2lthyet il
tlat interval Inc city was so changed that [ no lonpe
recognized the streets The small one-storv ,yooder
buildings which replaced the tents standinG when fire
lanoea IN August had been moved to the suburbs anc
spacious ree and tour story houses built up in the
stead The vacant spaces had been filled up: fronts
orck began to make their appearance; large hotels and
restaurants, showy furnished stared at me in
TONED places the throng in the streets seemed doubled
ana all the hurry, confusion and noise of great city
was so well initiated that landing from the Senator
on clear moonllt evening" could see little difference
| between Clarks Point and Pier No l. MONTGOMERY ct
and the lower part OF Broadway, Ports mouth square
a1d the Park year ago, there might have been 500
inhabitants in San Francisco. There are now at a low
calculation, upward of 10000.
| The Senator, now running regularly between this
place and Sacramento city, is the first boat suited for
the purpose. The toy steamboats,, drawing eighteen
inches OF water which have been sent ont for The
navigation OF California totally useless The strong
tides and currents render heavy steam power necessa
ry, while the depth OF the Sacramento readily admits
vessels OF large draught The Senator coming gold
Tor her owners. She carries about $50 passengers daily
at S3O the meals, scanty provided are 81 Her nett
profits are at least 100000 monthly. The McKim
runs also to Sacramento, but is slower boat and not
SO well patronMed. Both of these vessels touch at Be-
nlca. A large steamer called the Capt. Suffer makes
regular trips from here to Stockton The Sacramento.
small boat, has commenced running to the Pueblo
San Jose There is also tri-weeky stage to the same
| per mile. VIVA"
The rains have rendered the streets in the lower part
| IS
Two ieet deep and mules are constantly being stuck,
with their loads When the rain was worst there was
no resource but to wade High topped boots brought,
| and still bring six ounces Even now afieF -
| week OF dry weather, Montgomery, Clay and Sacra-
mento streets are pools of soft mud and every other
man you see wears his pantaoons inside his boots The
and ank sidewalks raised sleepers are laid down in
several streets. The rainy season. these
excepted delightful The climate here is more mild
and pleasant than IN August the air in the intervals of
| vie Italy. wv
Prices are higher than ever, and there is no probab
" OF Their falling, before Spring at least, Provisions OF
all kinds, am informed, are more expensive than they
were at this time last year. Notwithstanding the supplies
constantly coming in from Chill Mexico and the Sand
wlch Islands. There no variation in the cost of y-
ing except that lodgings may be had cheaper rate
Houses are fltted upnow ship fashion, with staterooms
each OF which contains four berhs In this way an Or
binary room will lodge twenty thirty persons The
cost oil lodgingn this style is Sc per week BOARDING.
OF plain kind may be had $4 and l6 per week but
at most OF the eating It's $50 and $25 see no
PROBABILITY OF much reduction in prices for year to
come me, In view OF the enormous expense Of living,
IN the samples way there should be immediate provision
made by the General Government for the proper re-
Enumeration and support ofthe army, navy, and all the
civil offices. ~
Laborers wages have slightly decreased since last
wrote The carpenters have had strike here as we'll
as IN Sacramento City, and gained their point Walters
get $3.50 per month Many persons have come down
from the mines, seeking employment for the winter |
have no doubt there will OF want and destituon
here, as everywhere Several suicides have been com
mitted, through disappointment and dependency.
fhyslclans who are connected with the hospitals here
inform that they have frequent cases of macv undar
their charge some caused by the sudden accumulation
OF gold, and others by the lack OF it. Poor human ma
ture
The amount of business transacted here wonLi &c
tonlsh our New York merchants. The commerce ofthe
place, entirely exclusive of the vessels from the Atlantic
Is already very important. During the month lust
closed there were seoeny departuest from this port two
OF which only were for Atlantic ports The commerce
OF the Pacific, reaching to Australia India and China
is already concentrating to this metropolis of Western
America '''
The gambling houses still continue to do flourshino
business They are more densey packed of nights
than ever, Notwithstanding Rowes Circus offers much
more rational place OF amusement The princinaI
buildings around Portsmouth-square are occunied hv
monte faro, roulette, rougeet-nor and vngt un Ia
bes, and whatever other internal form the passion for
gaming may take. The sums lost and won would al
most exceed belief could they be exactly known. As
Ine CITY grows however, and places OF innocent recrea
on become more frequent this class Of society will ra
pidly diminish.
MessrS. Dunbar and Gibbs have lately opened an Gx
change and News Room in Washington street, which,
IN addition to the advantages offers to business men
VIII oppose couneracting influence to the niquitous
| establishments across the way They have room 60
feet by ~, handsomely furnished and we'll supplied with
papers from all parts of the United States it is grail
lying to learn that their enterprise is abundantly en-
couraged.
Mr. Eames, Commissioner to the Sandwich Islands
still here, having lately concluded treaty with Dr.
Judd before the latter dlgnary who the virtual ruler
OF the lsands sailed for New York 1t is understood
that Mr. Eames has since resigned his commission and
will undertake the editorship Of the Pac5fc News.
Mr. Moore, the interchangeable Postmaster, is kept at
york day and night by the rapidly accommodating bust
ness OF the office, The Panama took from here about
$4,000 letters and the Unicorn will take about IL O0O-
From sunrise until after dark there hrong
at the Office windows and the queues formed when the
mail Is trst opened, reached down the hill into Ports
mouth square.
In the pacers at present there is good deal Of work
About 10000 persons will winter in the mines the
| greater portion OF them upon the Rio Americana the
Stanslaus and the Marposa. The yield of gold seems
to be on the increase and from all appearances there
VII be large quantity dug during the winter. The
North Fork and the Stanislaus have been unusually
rich, and the companies OF miners who have gone to the
UNEMPLOYED rivers South OF the Marposa, are confident
OF good luck Nearly 5000 emigrants who crossed the
Sierra Nevada by Lawson's Pass and the Bear Creek
route have stopped the upper waters of the Feather
and Yuba rivers, and will there winter The supplies
scanty, and unless the past few days of dry weather
have again rendered the roads passabe there will be
suffering for lack OF food Deer very abundant how
| ever miner, late from the Rio Americana informs
me that Of 300 log cabins which he passed on his
way to Sacramento there scarcely one but had
deer hanging BY the door.
DISCOVERIES OF veins OF gold in the quartz rock are
now made III various quarters and tests OF its richness
snow the quantity oil gold to average so pound
OF rock Some specimens yielded SO for every pound
Nothing is now wanting to make the gold inexhausble
talns and Tor ages TO come the shalt will be sunk and
the grmed miner toll below, buried deep in solid and
perpetual night, unsealing their radiant stores
The emigration by the Northern route is all on this
side of the Sierra Nevada, except the few who intend
wnterng at the Great Salt Lake While in Sacramento
CITY saw Maj. Rncker, who had command Of the re-
lief sent out by order OF Gen Smith. His party was d.
vded into two portions, Of which took the Northern
route, toward Lawsons Pass, while the other crossing
the Sierra Nevada the head Of Bear Creek proceed
ed to the sink of Humboldts river, where many emf
halted unable n he lattar
pany, after assisting the emigration returned by the
Carson river route, further South, in the of all the
teams by the two Southern routes.
The route by Lawson's Pass according to Major
RS description, is longer more toiIsome and more dan
gerous than either of the others After going as far as
Pitts river in heupper valley the Sacramento he re-
turned, leaving Mr.. John H. Peoples in charge of the
aid the emgrants. The latter urged to hurry.
account OF the lateness of the season. and mountain
passes on Deer Creek, Every persuasion was tried,
but in vain they slow, so lazy and so 10th to
Lea the snlaest artcle hehnd that thair