Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1850-04-03

wild cattle. elk, deer, &c. feeding on il
But in the latter part OF summer and fall
il is dried up by the sun. and the absence
Of rain for several months in succession
In the winter or rainy season much of i
is under water. At this time much Of the
valley is covered with water. On the 9th
instant the water broke over the banks O
the American and Sacramento rivers and
completely inundated our town. The
water has been from 6 TO 10 feet deep IL
the streets and about 4 feet deep in our
house. Boats are running all over the
city. \ great majority Of the houses are
but one story high, and the inhabitants o.
all these had 10 retreat on board the ship
ping in the river, to Suffers Fort. or tc
Squatter's Island. which is small spol
of dry ground on the east Of the city
There has been a great destruction q
horses, mules and oxen by drowning
and Of merchandise by floating oil. and
otherwise in ured bv the water Abou,
20 Of US have been close prisoners foI
near two weeks in an upper room, where
We have 10 do our cooking, eating, sleep
ing. and exercising We have 10 spend
our time in eating. to which some add
drinking, sleeping, and some in singing
some in playing cards, checkers, &c.,
some telling yarns, and few in readin.
but our stock Of reading matter was very
short until we received your papers, which
camo at a very fortunate time. ! have
not been out in the city but once since
the flood. then took a short trip through
:he city in our boat. (Almost every house
has boat noored at the door.) find a
number of houses have been noated from
their foundations. and among these is the
Methodist church. 1t is frame house OF
something like 40 by 80 feet | suppose
the reason was the want of ballast
This city is supposed TO contain about
10000 inhabitants, many of which are
transient, being here only for the winter,
and ofnearly all the nations of the earth,
and of every grade Of character. Soci-
ETY. is not very refined, which | attribute
in part to the almost entire absence Of fe-
males. There are a few ladies here and
but few, and very few children. have
not had the pleasure Of speaking to a la
dy forn near months There are great
many gamblers here, who do large bus
mess. They keep it up day and night.
and Sundays, skinning great many OF
the miners who are weak enough to be
taken in by them, out of all their earn
ings for the season, in one night, lcavin 2
them minus Of all means of living for the
winter. Drinking and swearing IS more
universal than any place have ever seen.
There is considerable amount Of sick
ness here this winter The diseases that
are most proverbial are diarrhona, pnue-
monia. and typhoid fever. The deaths
are said to average near 20 per day.
fear the cholera the coming season. If
you could have taken walk around the
suburbs Of our city before the flood, and
seen the amount of filth. dead animals
&c. and seen the manner in which many
of the inhabitants are exposed in the frail
shanties and huts, and the want of atten
ton that the sick have to endure; you
would not be surprised at the number OF
deaths The Odd Fellows and Masons
have united and established hospital at
Suffers Fort 10 take care Of the needy
brethren of each order, that may be sick
and TO afford accommodations to others
that are able to pay. at a reasonable COM
pensation. say about SO per day. There
is supposed 10 be 5000 graves between
Independence and the Sierra Nevad a
mountains.
l am greatly disappointed in the coun-
try, but not in the gold. That is no hum
bug. 1t is scattered all over the country,
that is, along the streams, and in the ra-
vines among the mountains. Gold is
plenty here. but every one that comes
here will not get rich. 1t requires unit
ring industry and hard labor to obtain it.
Some fortunate ones obtain it in large
amounts in a short time. but such cases
are rare. Much the larger number will
not average over s3 or $40 per day
About one ounce per day may be con
sidered successful mining.
Prices are not much different now from
wha, they were when Mr.. Stidham wrote.
Flour is / 8 to 20 dollars per 100 weight.
Pork about 40 dollars per barrel. Lard
rs cents. Butter S1,25 to $3.50. Po-
tatoes from 20 to 40 cents per ID. Onions
s1,o5 to 81. 80 per lb.
Lumber is now worth about $3.50 per
1000 feet.-it sold some two months since