The North-Carolina standard., 1850-01-30
RALEIGH NORTH

JAR Y 30, 1850
INTERESTING LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA
We copy from the New York Tribune the follow
ing letter, written by Bayard Taylor for that Paper
.st4z SAN FRANclsco, Dec. l, lS49.
The world never witnessed more wonderful growth
than that Of this place. left here for the Sacraren
to country on the Sd ult, and returned the 24th
yet in that interval the city changed shat no
longer recognized the streets. The SMALL one-story
wooden bnidings which replaced the tents standing
when first landed in August, had been moved to the
suburbs, and spacious three and four story honses
built up in their stead. The vacant spaces had been
filled up; fronts Of brick began to make their appear
ance; argehotes and restaurants, showiy furnished,
stared at me in unaccustomed places; the throng in
the streets seemed doubled and all the hurry conu
sion and noise of great city SO well initiated,
that on landing from the Senator clear moonlit
evening, could see little difference between Clarks
Point and Pier No. /, Montgomery ST., and the lower
part of Broadway, and the Park
year ago, there might have been 500 inhabitants in
San Francisco. There now, at low calculation
upwards of q, 600. -.5 49,. e
The Senator, now running regularly between this
place and Sacramento City, is the first boat suited
for the purpose The toy steamboats,, drawing egh-
the inland navigation of California, totally use
less. The strong tides and currents render heavy
steam-Rpwer necessary, while the depth of the Sac
ramen6 readily admits vessels Of large draught The
Senator is coming gold for her owners. She carries
about $50 passengers daily, at the meals, scant
ly provided, are 50. Her net profits at least
$1OO, 900 monthly. The McKim runs also to Sacra-
mento but is slower boat, and not well patron
lied. Both of these vessels touch at Benicia. A
large steamer called the Capt. Suffer- makes regular
trips from here to Stockton. The Sacramento, al
| small boat, has commenced running 10 the Pueblo
San Jose. There is also tri-weekly stage to the
same place-fare $39 something more than half-a-
dollar per mile. j
The rains have rendered the streets in the lower
part of this city next to impossible. The mre is in
places two feet deep-the mnles constantly being
stuck, with their loads When the rain was worst,
! there was no resource but I'd wade. High topped
boots brought, and still bring, six ounces Even
now, after a week ofdry weather, Montgomery. Clay
and Sacramento streets are pools of soft mud, and
every other man you wears his pantaloons inside
his boots. The merchants are beginning to remedy
this state of things, and plank sidewalks, raised ON
seepers laic down in several streets. The rainy
season, these disadvantages excepted is delightful
The climate here is more mild and pleasan: than In
August the air. in the intervals of the rains is the
clearest ever saw, and the sunsets outvie Italy.
Prices higher than ever, and there is proba-
bility of their falling, before Spring. at least Pro-
visions of all kinds, am informed, more expen-
sive than they at this time last year, notwith-
standing the supplies constantly coming in from
| Chilli, Mexico and the Sandwich Islands. There is
variation in the cost of living except that lodg-
ings may be had at cheaper rate. Houses are tit
ed up now, ship-fashion, with sate-rooms, each of
which contains four berths. In this way an ordna-
ry room will lodge twenty or thirty persons The
cost of lodging in this style is Sc per week. Board
! ing, of plain kind may be had at $14 and 1G per
week, but at most of the eatnghouses it is $40 to
$25. see probability of much reduction in prices,
for year to come. In view of the enormous ex-
pense of living the simplest way, there should
be immediate provision made by the General Govern
ment for the proper remuneration and support Of the
Army, Navy, and all the civil Offices.
i Laborers' wages have slightly decreased since
last wrote. The carpenters have had strike here,
well as in Sacramento City, and gained their point
! Waters get $3.50 per month. Many persons have
come down from the mines, seeking employment for
the winter. have no doubt there will be cases OF
want and destitution here, everywhere. Several
suicides have been committed, through disappointment
and dependency. Physicians who are connected
| with the hospitals here, inform that they have
frequent cases of lunacy under their charge, some
caused by the sudden accumulation of gold and 9TH
ers by the lack of it. Poor human nature!
i The amount of business transacted here would as
tonish our New York merchants. The commerce OF
the place, entirely exclusive of the vessels from the
Atlantic, is already very important. During the
month just closed, there seventy departures from
this port, two of which only for Atlantic ports.
The of the Pacific, reaching to Aus ralia.
India and China, is already concentrating to this me-
tropolis of Western America.
y The gambling houses still continue to do -four
ishing business. They are more density packed Of
nights than ever Notwithstanding Rowes Circus Of
fers much more rational place Of amusement The
principal buildings around Portsmouth square are
occupied by monte faro, roulette, rougeet-noir and
vingtetan tables, and whatever other internal form
the passion for gaming may take The sums lost
and won would almost exceed belief, could they be
exactly known. AS the city grows. however, and
places of innocent recreation become more frequent,
this class of society will rapidly diminish.
Il Messrs. Dunbar and Gibbs have lately opened an
Exchange and News Room in Washington St.. which,
in addition to the advantages it offers to business
men, will oppose counteracting influence to the inl-
t quitous establishment across the way. They have
room 60 feet by 90, handsomely furnished and well
supplied with papers from all parts Of the United
States. 1t is gratifying to learn that their enter
f prise is abundanty encouraged. ..-e-
: MIR. Eames, Commissioner to the Sandwich Islands
8 is still here, having lately concluded treaty with
Dr. Judd, before the latter dignary lwho is the vir
tual ruler of the Islands) sailed for New York. i
is understood that Mr.. Eames has since resigned bis
commission and will undertake the editorshp of the
Pacific Ne0s. ,@...s.
: Mr.. Moore, the indefatigable Postmaster, is KEEP
at work day and night by the rapidly accumulatine
. busine of the Office. The Panama took from heft
abour 900 letters and the Unicorn will take abou
900. From sunrise until after dark there is con
II slant throng at the Office windows, and the queue
: the hill into Portsmouth square.
81 In the placers at present there is good deal o
work. About 40 900 pereons will winter the Mines
the greater portion Of them upon the Rio Americana
e the Stanislaus and the Mariposa. The yield of go
to be the increase, and from all appearance
there will be alarge quantity dug during the Winter
The dggings on Feather River the uba Bear Creek
: the North Fork and the Stanislaus have been unusu
ally rich, and the companies of miners who hav
gone to the unexpofed rivers south of the Mariposa