Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-07-15
letter from California.
SACRAMENTO CRY, Alta California, !
NAV 81. 1850. {

a WAY Il, 4ooo.
3 Dear Stecenson,--F long time have kept
silent not a line has passed from me to the
Estates not even TO you or to the s'Vindicator
'shave communicated one syllable up to this pc.
I5riod. If ever thought of at all, doubtless, YOU
AIor worms" and should be classed among those
swho 2eere-not who ere. AT last, after some
;snine months resjdence-no existence, flor have
Anot really lived or been fairly alive since here,
II have determined to let you hear from me- As
10 what relates to me, personally, shall be brief
als possible. Long since, you heard of our arr.
oval at this city, in September last-and of the
/ general ''burst up'' we had, and that every
/ oman was OH his own hook In company with
isome whom supposed to be friends, | Started
u or the head waes of the Sacramento, leaving q
good offer behind. Our party had not proceed
led far before we found out that we had too much
ssload for our ox-team, and that we could not DOS
asibly reach our destination in due season fol-
Operations, consequently we hurried off and
4 5trnck for Yrba river, and got to work with tol
,s5rable success, almost Immediately. But an
atoo fast--for some OR days of the latter part
a5f our journey across the plains, we had no anea
aand very little flour, but on arriving at Johnson's
arancho, SO miles from this, we We're able to pro.
9cufe fresh Beef, and the result was ate so much
q it, diarrhea followed, and from that dav tc
4 his, have not enjoyed ten days, consecutively
a,f good health. Now, for our Yuba party.
B twas hauled up there in wagon, suffering from
I In attack of remittent fever very soon, | par
a.ially recovered and went to work. About the
list of November was completely "noored,' ;;
any physician consolng me by asserting that !
chad dlarrhGa, scurvy and remttent fever. In
dthls condition | continued until some time in
JDecember, when, finding that some of nv
Afri,, lie ,f,a T IA r
alme on their hands, called for settlement.
ahose whom could not look upon but with feel
sngs of contempt, l reached this city in an o.
gpen boat on the Gath December, and have been
ahere sick and On expense nearly ever since
aboard $25 pr week. Doctors bills over that
proportion.
| Early this Spring went to the mines with
TWO others, prepared to work quicksilver ma
achmes, but found the water entirely too high
aBeing in feeble health, exposure to the sun and
aworking in the water soon "keecd me oyer.'
iand found that I had a return of the chills and
aever, which gave me such particular fits last
awinter. returned carly this month to this city
~ have III a great degree recovered my strength
4 have had a hard time of it. Once | was down
Yin flesh to 1913 lbs, and had hardly life enough
No last over night in word, have not orly
sseen the selephanto in worse shape than ever
Che presented himself, either in Mexico or cross.
5ng the plains, but have seen the ':deviln him
sself since my arrival in this land of promise.s.
1 shall say nothing as to our trip oW& the
apains, further, than we had some bad times and
ahard fare, and we also had some hieh times
aPermlt me here TO remark, that every man who
3crossed the plains laughs at Benton's railroad
scheme as one OF the most magnificent hum-
5bugs OF the day. I kept journal of our trip.
aand should we ever meet, it may be, that we
awill read it over.
have net as yet met with any person imme-
j lately from about home. Last Fall saw a
sNlr. johnson, son-in-law of Samuel Hunter dec,
ssl9also, MIR. Steuart of Pendeton, both of whom
aemigrated from Missouri to this place. saw
a,ll OF Dorman's party, except himself and Whit
aIock. They We're lucky. also heard of a MIR.
aFate and a Mr.. Vanlear from our section--they
swere on the Iuba. | have since heard that
dNir Tate died last winter. Mr.. Boydkin, of
aBath county, died here during the winter, and a
MIR. Taylor, of Rockbridge, died in the mines
4 lie was a brother of Mr.. Alex. Taylor, of your
Splace. saw a MIR. Paris few days ago-he is
a son of Mr.. George Paris.
California is q great country; | mean its pop
Auation-they beat all creation at every thing
digging gold, building cities, spending money or
9anything else you please to name. Cities and
towns spring up, as if by magic. Less than a
Syear ago, this city was composed of few tents,
aand lots sold at from $40 to 500; now it is
handsomely built, streets regularly laid off, some
saseood brick and a large number of frame houses
abuilt in magnificent style, and lots are valued al
atrom $1,000 to $4,000. This, too, is the secret
Not so many California fortunes-the first ouners
aor rather possessors, claim under Suffer; they
dcertainly, 'bamboozledo him out of his claim
Nit he ever had any and then sold out lots at ar
Sjenormous price. Some men owned thousand
ssclty ots-not few have thus pocketed from
Az 100, 600 to half million of dollars.
am inclined to the belief that this will ere
a'ong be populous and powerful State-the cole
slseems almost ineXhaustible, and after while
sIathe mining operations will be carried on with
Amachinery, and in such way as to render mines
aprofabe then, which will not day with The
SSaacommon rocker and pan. Already great ma
my improvements have been introduced which
sawlll pay well. Many persons have turned theil
Nattentlon 10 agriculture and established ranches
Non the good lands near the mines. Many acre:
Edoi land are now being cultivated, and near this
saclty there are several fine gardens growing every
ssavarety of vegetables. AS to prices, you have
sahem IN the market reports. | will add a few
s5tems Turnips 25 cents each, Radishes So pc
sssiozen, Green Peas Tin the hulD about SIS pc
sapeck' and every thing in proportion. Beet 2;
gents per h. Pork 40 cents, Mutton 62t per h.
milk 30 cents per quart, The best board We
4 now get at $l5 per week.
q When | lef. home promised some friend
Esd a | would write to them and give them tn,
IA prospects," will give it to you thus, so tina
saany who may feel interested can look over m,
s5v!ews. In the first place, let me say that | be
saaieve the gold mines to be inexhausible-t tina
@they can be worked for many years with profit
saand Will pay the laborer more than he can ge
DIT any other part of the world, for his toll Be
.ssasldes the mines, but dependent upon them, mer
1achandizing, trading and specializing have 1ht
ssbest and most profitable field of operation eve
aofered, while at the same time, the induce
ssneuts to engage i'll agricultural pursuits are O
3lhe very strongest kind. In word, | thinl
SaCaifornia is the best place for making money
alylng as you please, doing pretty much as 20,
s5!ke, and seeing more of all people, of all ma
j!IIons than any other place on the globe. Blu
o. 7