Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1850-01-17


20 Letters twsre received at the Chsrlssowh Post I
Once % Tuesday las.
III, WaAvER CRgEx, CALrrSRsnA. u
NovEMHERI !, lS49s
Il DEas Ba.s.si-- knowing thar i liue from me will
Be acceptable Eeommeuce ihls early In the8monih
letter lcF tbe ReceInber mail I.t- IN
\ ! havefbssn here neaFly 6ve weeks, ana hare
made bNt fitile progress in digging COLA We have
been engaged isf the most parIn eFeetipg our dwell
ing for mi Rinier, and new have as comfortable
cabin al IN % b. met with in twenty miles ride In
deed THERE Is no one that have seen which would
exchange for. The roof Of aar-building is worth
S6o0-beiRg made ofinch plank which is worth s
per foott but we had a whip sawlot oar own we
erected p saw; mill and got ont our own lunIber4-
Our floQE Is laid with The same material. and we
have rhimneY that would take The shine off of
some teIler;ents Of oden time, which l hare seen.
II would have been annsing'to seeme with axeiin
hand, chipping down some Of The majestic pines OF
the fore9t, sntit was not much spalf to md as my
blistered haeds fully aiesled. hidbk some lime for
us 10 build cur house and haul three loads Of proy
sians ff(In lSaeIamento City. which tretaraed cur
mining ofsratiens greatly Two Of US were en-
gagged 7aearag tSo weeks in throwing up Pie dirt
IRON dry rayne, in order TO wash il when The rain
should fah suppose we threw hp two hundred
bushels which viii aveIage4us about IS cents per
bushel ope OF me greatest difficulties with was
the scartity,of water for although quartered along
q x.
reality The bed OF The creek is the best point for
digging bul tor miles mp and down. itHhas been dug
up and Masiisd. | suppose however, that NE have
gathered peary, lin The aggregate } two hundred
dollars, Two persons generally w9rktogeher, and
we woried Regularly forfye iagsat mining (six Of
us AL tod, we made Only a iittle over 100 and
mighty hard work at that. On tbe first day Two of
the mess made S33-two made Sb-and two ST.
Second Fay Ehey ranged S32-SSE++S 80. SO You
perceive th1 tits all luck CHANGE Cd something Of
"a t1zr,a4I tl,EA- ,Tl-
no Two Ima5j ever $5per day. 1.-The flying clouds
induced " III qait mining and "a to eur house and
we did 70 att IN the lth OF ume ibr IL commenced
rai1ingi OH Hollow Eye night. Hnd has continued
with slight InieFmissions up 70 thif time. think,
howeveF that we shall have tdw more weeks Of
sunshine, bsorc the rainy season. pGes onhn earn
est--but this is mere conjecture One thing is GER
tain we shall live comfortably this Writer, andmake
enopghIte pay expenses, betweea rams watch We
can dol and Then start ou early ip the .spring for
SOME spat more richly studded With the precious
metal. There IS gold 70 be had il California, but
rnny ,Heslfse the fellow in Irving$ Ahambra who,
all his life lred n&xt door TO fdrtdne bqt never
CHANGED ID get under the same ro5f. We live about
one ami Ia half miles from WeYeriown land The
same distanee from Gaows or Hangtowh having
some four III five thousand inhabitants. The last
town ddr DIES its name from three executions which
took place 81 January last. Two FFenchmen and
Span iarl resolved 10 rob an Italian They enter
ed his hatiaon at midnight, and whilst theEF French
men sehr1hsd for gold, the Spanard stoodHover the
Ilaliank bed ready 10 infict the fatal blow should
the sledpins victim awake. The Italian, However
was tod wary and though wide awake, was TO all
appearances dumb and mononless asa statue. AZ
ter the hoy had eeAsecured. the trip departed but
the Italian Mad an armed party On their tack, and
soon tlIeywere taken, tried found guilty and exc
culed The Frenchinen confessed TO number OF
pifacieR 10 .which they had besn engaged, but the
SpahidFd WAS morose and dull true lo theinstincts
Of his hatusE. But i wont do fpr me 10 indulge in
yarns Nc ihiS sort II had, 7hoWever ia most beuefi-
cial cfRcti CDR country bpaSt OF better com,
munitf ~ sa eXttrnals are Concerned than Cali,
formal iheil is unknown ana have moi heard of
single tnufler. I.yisiled, HaHgtown few Sun
days since - bear strmo-E firere il preaching in
each town every Sabbath)--tht first house came
10, iwaksaa Auction establishments and the loud and
quick voice 81 TIE youth who btltiated, evidenced
that he NasRiP 10 his ewes in b rs trade. Passing a
long dbwn the street. found Respectable crowd al
tho otfT end 81 town engaged in religious exerci-
ses. AGNa- qtifet and order u meath theShades of
saelsaa qlIi(ntsb at least half aldozeh nations
Chilian, Sandwfth ISLANDER, Mexican Irisbman@
German Frenchnani Chinese4f Sc A Methodist
ofiicaeA and his remarks meIk listened m win 70
spect AMI ATTENDING Ffdfy hefe was an Offering n 4
TO the PM fhE9ne, III efraqe 10 the one great AM
A returned, / inFoluntarily Fextlaimed, an Auc
ton atone end Of town, forthe gay and thoightless-
a largesSanbling house 10 Observation-Disclosures Ibid
not sefany gambling going on--and religious wor-
ship a tise ether end4 Strangs medley.
t4s IF NovEMBrR H.
YoG perceive thai take nv Letter by Fits and
starts, bnt you know that miners havnft time in
clear Wst1:f, 10 convey their IDEAS on paper. Yes
tefdaW Elisha Loyk started forr Home, which sup
pose hk,has reached BY this time, pnicss His Illness
terminated fatally whilst on the Route via the 18TH
MUS Elisha has been in hadhkatt fori month
past aF'a wapld doubtless hayedEd Had BE remain
ed particularly as be was lawin Splits. There is
no preFaiIibg disease, unless i'll be dilTrh{ha and
have nov sfFtrPd one day notlpst one by sickness
since have. been in California We have had on.
~ enelo fwn days sunshine SINCE Hollow Eve so
that iarp ball inclined TO heAeve that he rainy
season hns'fet IN, though thiSmorning the sun is
out in AM ;ts brilIiancy and Hazngt spldhdor and
The air Is as warm and refreshing as al Spring morn
ing in The States, Negetation Seems 10 be starting
up astiny blades Of grass are peepfng up, on The
paTched AlS and inthe deep raFihes There seems
to be NO faEhereihat is season dtit of season in
Cliotha fr The trees still their fresh green
foliage, 81 pieasingto the eye and refreshing 10 the
senses Yesterday. | met an#ola sentemati who has
only been i'm two wceks-he reports that there was
deep shpw on The Sierra when he crossed II believe
that all Wha leAthe States in lhe spring Rre now
On Fnday,5two Of Us went 10 work, and after
toilingtall day, We ohlymade about ST.. On Satur-
day, thrice Of Us started to go "a point had before
been tdiabont six miles OIL The DAY was cloudy,
and atfr going three four miles in the right d.
rectioa as-Wc thought, We halted at a tavne where
We worked Tor thHee hours and made some $50 ~
The sut scafne ont and we found that va had LOST
our course, so we started for camp and never we're
three PERSONS more completely bewilaered First,
we rayeTsed one cotfse-@nd then another, until g.
nalfy INSTEAD Of finding OURSELVES several miles be-
low camp we came out above WevertDwn two
miles above onrcamp The difficulty originated in
our cruising The Sacramento City road Which we
took Tor small by-road as The rain had altered its
appearance vastly. Pbat was however the best
days WORK Ihaye made here, being little over SIG.
The largest piece We picked uP was worth ST.
There are many stories told about large pieces of
gold, &r. which appear incredible 10 th,tse in The
States bug they are nevertheless true The public
should ferneT1ter, however that where aiyehousand
people are at work, as, IS the case in Hanatown il
would he singular indeed if some one did not make
luckE$trike each dav. For Instance. know
man who took out, one day last week pound and
half asd tnen on another day Si96 Well, fel-
low notiten feet of did not make enough he whole
week togpay his board have seen some beautiful
Jumps AZ gold but then ii is only some few who are
lucky enough 70 gather them. Il have seen some
half dozen who have made 50 0D0 apiece and NOT
been here longer than myself and have seen five
hundrediwhd have scarcely made expenses The 4
rush of water produced BY The heavy rainshas COM
PEELED lfOse who haYebeen doing well III The beds
Of creekk 70 abandon their holes and seek for gold
IN the deep r2yinesr many Of ihase are good and
have no Soubtlvng wages will Ia made bv all this
winter. Iou can have but q faint idea cf the cost
OF living Just here. Icosts each OF III So Ter day
j We cpAnt the falioas allowed psoldiers. Flour
Is WORTH ~ cts. per pound and will bring 81 by
spring. Pork and beef the same Onions 81 so
per pound Potatoes 5 i per pound, andEaII vege-
tables thai can be had il like proportion Dried
fruit 81 per pound think, however that VIE shall
be able tp kin enough fresh meat this winter 10 |
serve us hs there Is an abundance Of dix and deer
With reghrd 10 other members ofIour former Com
pany, ALL know is this: John James and Henry |
III