Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-03-26
MoouEy1LE, 20 ssr1Es No&TH SssT
or SurTrR's FoRT,
prcrEaen %. 1919.

I Z
prcEEBER %, 1919.
. Fs,Esn K;,.! .-aThe re occurrence Of the Ea:sr
which now beeins 70 arpea4 tnteTminabie. anoFds
me an Opportunity Of rsteemioE nay Promise 10
you. Sealed in sang and coral"ftaot7 ie S419stS'
ms knee sersing as l.sl ~ ss,, Is c-
cupied by some e tss srcss vim
some arc enE3saxrs Ill-le y Fs1EsI1S
wrapping paper, hut hgw preserved with pesei,.S
tniefext and earei The rest nov Eednee
TO Que person sitting on his ihTceiegSed Atool IN
the chimney cVrner. his elbows on n!s kneS I. ane
his doleful trOnlispece ProPped on his HANDS tshS
that his chicken heart is bEVUdirS oyer the SScet
home +" he has len behind such IS tie eonuinon
generally of the when besiesed Py Lhe Fain--
which here, IS a regular succession oi-f1ln nait
and snow continuing in some 4S hours, and IN
many cases fortnight and three weeks 'Tlthoct
moments cessation, the element coming DOWN ~
solid columns There is no gsihs on; J"oIs, tna
the soil OF this country being of very light nature,
becomes COMP leIely saturated with water 70 tne
depth of l, and feet that one can scarce walk
it, and renders the fats and low GROUNDS OF e
valley impas sable 10 mules men trUlc the dep:l
of the nine. At ibis present dropping II has been
raining days without iniermissiCp, and such
rain, Oh, Noah! II rain, Snow and han can proper
ly be CALLED RAIN for generally have all three n
4 day First comes a heavy, roaring body Of rain
columns, charging down for 4 or hours, then sue
ceeds dense shower OF snow lakes cro~cinS ana
hiding the heavens and earth with Is IecEy screen
for few hours more; this Is then driven GH tY a
sort Of smart and short cavalry charge Oi h2II,
which in turn is dispersed by the heavy renewal oil
rain, the result OF which Is innnmerahie streams
and pools of in every direction saturated and
miry ground, rendering hunting and even shuEI
walk impossible Mining operations Of course
cease and suspended til Il clears up, which Is
the case for few days. We then TeSuuc our
work. which Is much Inpeded even days after the
cessation OF rain on account OF the unuanaScabic
streams that food the working places yet Gy per-
severance and hard work in cold and muddy water.
accessionS are made to the Treasury. Most gcneI-
ally though gold is lest Il an gathered At this
season. Above, you will see oUr location IS to~r
honored with my name Il contains leg CABINS,
peTched upon as many little knobs or kbOlls, the
most distant not being over 300 yards off, our mess
consisting of ii persons was the first TO build we
have for next door neighboTs mess from the Viz
ginia Company also; of whom, perhaps, Sh0wn TO
you are Mr.. Aisuuirh of Charlestown, and Walter
Burwell of SmiIhfeld. Our other tOwnsmen are,
Yankees. MiSsourians, and two families from Eng
land. Tie whole population Of this Town ale
peaceable and polite in behaviour, and character
appear to BE OF the MOST orderly and respectable
class. Not having copy OF the last census, am
unable TO give the number of souls il contains
The situation Is about 65 or 20 miles North West
of Suffers Fort, Weber Creek, tributary Of
the river AmeTicanos, ia a narrow valley running
east and west whose sides are two very PTeciPtous
and steep hills, almost mountains. From the top OF
cithero these ridges, tine view of the sierra Ne
vAua lnsiTrs snowy mantle can be seen. In clear
sunset the prospect IS magnificent. These noun
tainS remarkably bold and picturesque IN their
outlines and being entirely covered with deep snow
in the evening glow With peculiar beauty. Some
ranges assume SILVER DTlROI0eSS, bOuG peaks a
delicate blue and large and lofty line OF ranges
and peaks At a certain time in the evening, looks
like immense masses of molten and Furnished metal
nearly resembling the color of gold. Altogether,
the scene is rich in grandeur, rnagnjfrencs and
beauty; often inducing me to resort to the hill top
20 enjoy so fine treat of mountain scenery. re-
gret the neglect TO bring my coors that might have
enabled me preserve some of the striking features
of these noted and lofty piles uf forests, rocks and
snow.
Our mining operations are limited very much on
account of the rain. Indeed, many of the miners
the commencement of the rainy season, leave and
winter the Sandwich Islands and other places,
turning again in the spring. We have dog out, or
the term is here, 'gntted oRc raVine. which
yielded a little upwards OF S lbs. but have NO
doubt twice that amount was lost account of the
water which even after day two of clear wcaIh-
er, bursts up and drives us out of ouT working
places, carrying into other basins and cTeVIceS
whatever gold we may have reached. This is gen.
orally total loss Our location is not the mos; IA
Torable spot for doing large business hut in its
lection We were influenced principally by precau-
tons against sickness, and il IS well we SO deter
mined because much sickness, and deStituion IN
consequence, have visited and afflicted emigrants in
other places We are comparatively free from
such dangers, being up in the mountainous region.
In the spring we intend resortinS richer fields
and make a bold strike for Gold dust.
My health is very good, eraure hard work pret
ty well, and feed on salt pork and heavy bread like
cornaorant. When we left 81. Joseph's, Missouri,
our razors were all packed up, nor have they been
used since, SO you may have some idea what
hairy-faced looking setthe California gold deSers
are. II becomes necessary sometimes to open a
canal through the massy and matted bunch OF hair
that envelopes the mouth which is done with scfs-
sors Our household affairs and arrangements are
not conducted orderly and neatly they are at
home, yet we fare tolerably well, having banker
ing only for something in the shape Of vegetables
Our cooks Cbeing the whole acting as such In
turn) are not all experienced in the duties OF that
department consequently we are often heard growE-
ing over our observed dishes, like animals N a
menasere and from failure in the strict regards
TO cleanliness In others we oilen part1ke OF our
meals with hesitatinS suspicion that wholesomely
Restraints appetite disposed 10 be inIuriousT vc-
raciouS We manage, however, 10 eat sufficiently
through these smutty Obstacles for the proper sus-
| tenanee nature requires invariably demonstrating
with these same cooks AZ the same time who IN turn
asserts the uneleanlinets exists oHly our imaSi
nations. The climate IS very uniform IN its TEN
! perature but much warmer than Is that OF the At
iantic shore in the same latiiude, and of tha
| Immediately east of Ihe Sierra Nevada; We eX
perenced this fact arriving at the latter, when
became unpleasantly warm, the heat becoming moFt
intense as we descended the western slope and aP
| preached the Sacramento valley and Sacramento
city One peculiarly of the climate Is. our morn
ings and evenings are invariably cold. the theTmom
e;sT being bcIow zero The middle fthc day it rise
to 80. 90 and 96 degrees In the summer months J
nnst be exceedingly hot. Wild game Of nearly al
varieties and descriptions are 70 be foand here u
great abundance. QusdruPeds, Bipeds Fowl ant
Fish, sForLing ample field for the qualification o
the sportsman, and the pleasures Of the table 10 th
epcnre Yet like al home, little time can be spar
ed to the Indulgence on ana PtSas
uTes by those who wish to make their pih and {
speedy return hOme-ef l1LoHL Gsl No. l. In reIz
tion to the country, Geographically, MineraloSi
caIly, and Geologically. &c, am not qualified B;
education 10 speak; aud If were. It has been al
/ ready described By scientific travellers. who hav'
done the thing more completely than could the wri
ter of The above three ''jawbreakers," if he had
ll conrse of The educaii1 IN of Oxford crammed ant
j hacked In 1s his WIedge-box." This much car
/ testify as fact Col. Fremont and others Eav'
COMMITTED errors in their works on California. i
is true, that the sell is adapted for the growth
ing rhe culture of It practicable, lat least in t
section of the valley and the contamination 50 uD
certain, that the enterprise has been inTarisbly
4 handoued by all who have as yet attempted it,
Eyen Capt Suffer himself has given It up, wheI
The greatest inducements that ever invited enter
nrise 10 energetic action before him, viz-'
iooded emigration the results Of which to nm per