Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1850-08-15


I have been IN California nine rnon,h.. -
having many lrieadS who aIe readers q yuur
paper, and with all Of when q - sm,s.asshla
tOG me 60 Correspond, I have cpnclnded 70
waite you - fully a. esns my impressions in
re- ard 10 the Country. l may not Re able 10
tell anything new, bug ampng my personal
haeHis ana acqnaintances, my statements will
ucaied newspaper reports.
arrived here the lst of October, last, after
voyage from Panama ct one hundred and
sixty-six d-ys, and from New Orleans 81 TIVE
hundred and sixty. When l reached here I
found but the germ Of town, with consider
able appearance Os business and pInsperiiys--
This place Is in rather singular position Tar .
city il Is buIlt aBnCng the Quasi hills. with
very small strip Of low land a their base, sEf>
ticIrnt pes haIle for about three STREETS running
parallel with the waller Tor considerable dis
lance before they are stopped On each side BY
the hills.
From the edge Of The water there il large
scope Of mud fats towards the bay. and which
aie only covered with water al high tide
WhaTves are run out over these hals 10 low
water mark. and several buildings are erected
On them by driving in splles, aud the lots
nearest 10 store are in pI"gress Of filing up.
Nv opinion 10 that IN the course Of time. and
not vrIy distant, all Of the main business Of
the city whl be carried On where only these
mud fats how exist.
Since arrived here the buildings in the
tOwR have more Than quadEupied, nOiwiihs
standing that we have had three Vety large
fiIes each time consuming the most valuable
psri OF the town, and creating lasses in the
aggregate to the amount VI sig OF eight mill
lions Of dollars. Bni ne misfortune however
! great seems 10 damp the energies ii cur cHI-
gems ana property holders, hardly 10 the
oil M afi ~
i before 1t 10 put in a stale Of preparation for
another building. Apd this will not be won
dered at when it is known that about three
months tent will usually pay the entire cOst
| Of the building. although this Is mainly
| owing 10 nigh wages anu high pIofiis, yet
partially il IS 10 be attributed 10 the cheap
ness IF lumber aud wooden houses With which
Tor the last four months the make. he. hes been
| So gIutted aDd oseIs,Ucked as to prevent :heir
bringing much over halt the coat vi freight
and charges fhe population proper Ot The
| GIty - al This time between fifteen and twenty
Thousand, while ! am informed that The tax
assessments OR real estate alone reaches the
| enuli ANGUS sum OF Two hundred and fifty mil
lions vi dollars. Ths owners at lots derive
their titles tr"m grants aud safes made by the
Mpuicipal authoIitIes Il The ciiy. The lard
| was pubic, and by the treaty Vi peace with
| Mexico became the prOpert! pi the United
states. According 10 the best Legal opinions
mere, there was no right or authority in the
CITY officers 10 p,aKe these grants III sales. and
they merely assumed the power TO meet the
necessities Vt the Case Notwithstanding This
defect Ol titles property here - lEeely lrans-
ferred from one 10 another without htsi,aiion,
and al prices beyond those ~ New York city.
The people Confidently expect aud i.ape that
Congress Will csni IN all these Titles and
| Thereby quiet them toleyer. There are vaTls
| Jus uiher places ot Importance Tor trade u
thIs Territory, such a. Sacramento, Stockton,
Marysyilie and others Of less note, IN all Ct
winch the titles y, obahly test upon lhe same
! nasls. The value Uf all cannot he less than
i've hundred millions Of dollars. amt although
LoAgress may he disposed I" act libe'aliy To-
Warus the plnMeers vi this distant p0siIon OF
the Confectionery, il Ishardly To lie expected
mat such a large amount Vi the public pErp>
! eril WIll be IransterIe ed 10 tie hands u udl-
| glduals wthunt any consideration Whaie"rT.
0iiuing Ia tins country. except ~ a few ln-
| stances u hail-hazaro. u the east prthiabie
IT ali occupations. There are greAl numbers
| IN tie mliles Who barely gel q subsistence.
and great many cannot do that, Ihese who
arr moderately successful have g'nu luck add>
Lea Ia seye,e and unIemltting labor, such as
as wouid bleak Down the physical endurance
oi the majority al our people. There are
some slaves m, the mines. ami they stand me
work without any AZ parent difficulty. and gee
Ineraily double the success Ot the whites IN
| same vicinity.
i have beef, enough in the interior 10 form
| some judgment 81 the Agricultural capacities
| oil the conairy. That the lands are almost
uniye rsaliy rich viii hot be Disputed bit the
want of rain ter eigh; months ut the yeaE>
and the TO, al absence ii timber tor fencing and
luel, would seem TO Iehdeg il unfit tor agrical.
ture according 10 our qoits'ns al hoEe> These
difficulties might be overcome. Those no
/ understand the arl vi irrigation. aud have
ca,ltai enough to undertake il, and also.O ex-
| pend labor in liye.iencing and d,'chlngs. would
doubtless succesl iH making fine crors-but
as long a. iabOI is 40 high no cteP vail ever
| pay tor raising II even ~ith.vt the txrenoi.
lure Of capital. And Il lsbo: should tall IN
| IN price 10 the standard OF the Eastern States,
| 1t Will even thea be doubtful iG grain can be,
ptofilably raised, as we have Oregon On one
SIDE aud Chilli On the oiheEs in which laiicF
coun,ry the standard ppce OF line fisur 10
about two dollaEa per hundred IL ~ unqnes'
! lionably true that By proper sysiem u iTsi-
CATION the more profi able cropa OF the S"uth~
such as collon. tobacco and sugar can ne pro-
| duced here, aud have no Doubt Win more
sucC ess tnan al the Suu.h. but am sal'snsoit
will reuSire the same kind 81 LABOR 10 eHect
i, as is used By the Soa,hei" p.anteE =. ness
,,esn enn,,s,, =, The South to discover that an
absolute control of laser .ntoNxnoo' 'ne ~"D.Ss
year il the only efficient mcae /" MAJ . tn,s
gather Southern crsr, and cosseqn'.. : ."as
free labor however cheap viii never Onei a."
inducement to an agricultural cap 'taiist To
make the experiment Of an investment OF
money. such a. would be required 70 adopt a
proper plan If irrigation. d.ching and fencing
AZ slave labor however cannot be brnughc
here on account of the CONSTITUTIONAL proh'bi.-
.,on, never ex,ec, to see this an agricultural
country 10 any considerable extent.
Having NOW scribblsd upon suen .opie: IS
conceived would most interest the friends
about YOU, L will only add that tor one whs.-
has n"ihing 10 lose, and who has energy, i'm
dus,ry and endurance. this county offers
promising prospect and such ought to GENE If
they caa gel here
Again. ,yonha men who hare no iamilesa and
no business. And hes. small capital, can find