Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1850-10-29
California Letter.
LETTER FROM A. 8. WEIGH.
sTOcToN, CALIFORNIA, }
Juue 3Oth, 1850. {

Juue 3Oth, 1850. !,
DEAR W. - bsve an opportunity TO seed
you auoIhei epistie, and lev MINUTES to
wrlfe II. have winten YOU several letters
since left the States, hut have not as yet
received one wOid ~ reply; indeed, for noIe
Ihan year have not Ubtained single item
OF in'enIgeuce from any one Ia tue States,
| though nave liequeutiy seut u San Fran
c'sco per express Tor that purpose.
Ny last (which il | collect was q long
leItei,j gavo you an account oil INV arrival at
Williams Rancho. IA Lower California. Ii
wa, wn:'eu abou, tie middle of February.
aud soon alter, | starred win a patty oi sew
eu, To explore, ~ desert winch extends
some two huudtei rules beyond the Sierra
Nevada, Ior gold, OF which ldlle had been
discovered by Que OF Tire emlgrsnts who
came Ia on lhe old Spanish trail from Santa
Fe. In ihiee weeks we open vein OF quartz
CONTAINING The precious "uIe," but II did not
prove sufficiently flch tO warrant continued
operations, especially as there was no water
UT grass ~ The vIciuly We took back,
however, a lew ounces. | obtained some
beautiful specimens OF gold IN the natrix,
whIch, # live 10 tetGru east, | shall present
10 the University.
On our return from beyond the Sierra
Baxter aud win three others started North
Tor Tie Manposa diggings-some four hnn-
dred miles distant, Dy The way OF Tulsre
Valley. High flvels, aud a tew explorations
pn the road CAUSED 50 much delay, that we
did no, reach Mauposa untl the first of June.
We had lost nolllng however, by delay
Fhe gold rvers, whicu are kept high by
snums melting oh lie mountains, are not sut
ticleuus low fUI successful operations until
The lst ut August, aud the proper season for
digging Is dunng the iUuT subsequent months
Finding that men weie averaging no more
Than .sj 10 ; per day, with hard work, on
any OF The uvels, We Kept journeying north
uUtll we arrived al this place, where have
siuce remained cuSn nuil0 negotio. To-m0r-
row | shall stait alone with provisions and
Tools luT The Mercer RtVer-some 90 miles
south, where, If find good location, shall
iemaiu th'ougll The season, aud employ per
hdps i've or three Spaniafds. ] have paid
some aIteuliou to The Spanish language aud
can Converse Ia II without much difficulty.
So much "a brIel for my 'iabors' aud now
my dear fellow, what shall say lor my setfs
II we're seated face TO face wIIh YOU hoU
could talk; but the narrow limits Of a hasiy
ed but lOuelN. For whole year have been
without the comforts OF lfe--without con-
genial society, aud "IIhout Tie means of i'm
pioVenrnl. Under such circumstances man
always degenerates; but have as yet con-
iracted none ol lie vide, ,pteadIng habits OF
California. ] UeIlber sweat, diIgk, nor play
Monte vet, thousands VINO held respec-
able jIOsIIIon IN the States nave sunk TO the
Vwest degfeddiiOn by these vices. | give
yUu ttue picture OF the American position
II society m California. when Say that gam
,lers, s"luJlerS aud prostitutes fiUm It's aris
Uc'scy. WIN this tact before you, the rest
.an easily he imagined. Stockton contains
bout tlve thousand Inhabitants, and has OBJ
ained most Ot It's grOwtD this spring. Yes
eIddy, ~hlch ~as Sunday, tue gambling
Iouses, Of which ,heiea,e three were crowd
ii To overilowIog, aud fortuuas were rapidly
hanging Id, d., HIgh soovc each of lhoss
chuuIs oi Inlainy floats flag, with the stars
nd stripes. Al Que end of tue town horse
ace was tbickly attended, while the Circue
vas ia full ult at the other. | found little
ompaUy OF tily :nen aud Two Or three w
nen at church, listening ~ The preaching Of
he Gospel, aud gladly joined them, Ihus re-
ewing the associations ui Olber and better
avs.
| have uot yet made my 'p'le,' but hope to
u two or thee thousand this summer. and
much next wloier. teaching Euglish to
Ie SpanIards, shall perhaps employ one or
80 ms season to dig lor me. The mines
! general, a,e great hsmbug. Perhaps
ne man 80 lieo ls succsrsiul; MS success
rms the c,lte,Ioo by which the 'diggings'
e Judged lu the States. A lev will return
ch, bu, many with barely sufficient TO take
rem home. Ii YOU wee here, | should
udy the Mexican laws OF cooveysncing,
ID we would set up IN South California
llb the certainty OF success. As ii 10, |
Ink shall ictutn homo next spring.
Nouis. &c,
A. ). WEIGH.