Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-12-14
THE REACTION IN CALIFORNIA.

We publish below a statement which presents gloomy
picture of the condition Of affairs 10 the whom land Of god
was drawn up and signed by the passengers Of the Aaba-
ma returning from California and handed TO by Col
MILLS, formerly OF Texas, with pressing request that we
should give place in columns Col Mills is OBJ
serving and sagacious gentleman He has spen. several
months in the mining districts Of California and vouches for
the correctness of the facts contained in the communication
The Colonel assured that he had never witnessed such
scenes Of suffering presented by the mining districts
at this time Twenty thousand miners have been engaged
all The summer in the Southern mines, in dsmmng and
urn the rivers Stanislaus Tewaas Mercedes and other
streams the beds Of which have all proved of the pre-
cous dust They have exhausted all their meansn this
profitable labor and deeply in debt to the merchants
The raining season, which commences in November will
force them back, penness and destitute, the towns, where
they must be fed and supported during the winter sent
back to the States either Of which appears almost impossible
COL Mills fears that this desperate situation Of the miners
will give rise to and disorders Of the alarming
character.
The great object Of California emigant Is longer
make foune but to enough pay his passage back
to the States This is sometimes the labor Of months
party of emgrants- of eight persons-appied
Col Mills when he passed through Panama, for means
prosecute their voyage to California. Col Mills advanced
eight hundred dollars them, condition that they should
follow him and work for him until they would reimburse him.
They agreed his TERMS aboed faithfully and perseveng
y during five months, and could repay him only hundred
and thirty dollars of the advanced by him. The
Colonel related many other instances Of disappointment and
unewarded TOLL which occurred under his own observation
Out of seventeen personal friends who llbored in the
dggngs with him, only three had collected enough Of the
dust to dsay their expenses back their homeshe others
had not only lost all the money which they brought with
them, but had gone in debt.
Thus is the golden mirage Of California vanishing
STEAMER ALABAMA, NOVEMBER 27, 1850.
We, the undersigned, passengers in the steamship Ala
bama, direct from California Of the many false and
exaggerated in circulation regards produce
veness Of the mines, deem duty give facts which
under immediate observation for the consideration
Of those who contemplate visiting that State for the purpose
Of mining In thus voluntarily laying before the public
experience and observationsn California, wish distinct
understood that statements can be relied upon strict
true, and that actuated by motive desire
those who may be induced TO leave present comoa
BILE homes for the desperate chance Of making fortune by
gold digging,
We viewed with regret the many false statements
circulated in newspapers based information derived from
the press in California, the conductors Of which engaged
in the transportation business the Atlantic and Pacific
The bankers merchants and traders whose business
actions extend throughout the entire length and breadth Of
the gold REGION assist in small degree in misleading the
public regard to the faerng prospects of those engaged
mining They have induced thousands and tens Of thou
sands to seek fortunes in California great sacrifices who
would have tried the experiment they had been in
formed Of the real condition and prospects Of those engaged
in working the mines.
We believe that thousands have been Induced engae to
CALIFORNIA; during the past account of the exaggea
ted report made by the Government agent (Mr Kng,) and
by the statements made by the Delegates Congress
aon to the gold bearing quartz They stated tina. quartz
rock existed unlimited extent and worth from to
three dollars per pound These statements coming TO the
miners through the published abroad struck them
with profound establishment Now, there is miner
in five hundred who has found in all his researches pound
Of quartz rock worth fifty cents per pound and the under
sgned who have been deeply interested in the natter hay
ing carried machinery the mines at great expense work
the quartz, know that be found there worth the
present price for labor to work it.
1t has been estimated that about hundred thousand
Americans in California at the commencement Of the
present year. The emigration this year put down sixty
thousand the palms. thousand land, through
Texas and Mexico. and fifty thousand the lhmus
making two hundred and twenty thousand. Surprising
twenty thousand have returned home during the present year.
and this is said to be liberal caculaton) hundred
thousand Americans remain the country. If asked what
the condition and prospects Of this large number Of Amer
can citizens would say ssmost deporabe' The forty
fifty thousand who have been engaged in dammlng and
turning rivers durag the summer, been almost
sally disappointed Having lost the labor of three summers
and the means they had previously procured thousands Of
them are reduced to want, and involved in debt for sub
sistence, &c.
Those who engaged in the dry dggngs depots &C.
have also been unsuccessful during the past
1t was the general opinion Of the miners last mentioned
that not more than eighty ninety in every hundrd had
realized money enough to enable them to their fam
ies and that not than in twenty had realized
dollar clear Of expenses during the season.
All hopes " making fortunes in California lost sight of
in ninety nis out Of hundred and the almost
sal feeling is to get home. And it is truly hearending
witness the general dependency which exists among the
miners, ard hearted and brave shed at
their hopeless condition
We have deemed it our duty-a duty felt due the
American peopehus honestly present for their consdera
ton the foregoing facts leaving all act according their
own judgments in the matter.
Signed By ninetyaine persons