Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1850-05-21

we auihor'iles to suppress the practice -
+ You can frequently see graves not lhre
leet deep, with the cotlinS, and sometime
the corpses, exposed, and not one gray,
IN one hundred has an epitaph, or even tn,
name of the occupant
u is a singular fact that men who now gC
TO California, lose all compassion for one
another. Even those who have beer
friends and companions all the way from
The Sates-friends for life-even bro
thers, have been known to desert one an.
other when in the very jaws of death.
Among the men who were in my en-,
ploy, three Of them deserted their com
panions who had been friends all The way
across the Plains, one of whom died with
a fever in hut on his bed on the damp
ground. He expired when alone, and
was found with distorted features, his
mouth and eyes wide open--his friend at
work not eighty rods from his hut. An
other one was taken to the hospital the
other was left at miserable hotel with
an old gun and ten dollars in money
What was their fate never learned
The same feeling pervades throughout
California, as generally obtains on a field
Of barlle-every man for himself!
will mention one circumstance, out of
many which | could narrate, which par
ticularly touched my sympathy. An aged
man Of fifty years, who frequenrly visited
me in my log cabin, told mr The history
Of the circumstances which induced him
to come to California he said he was
from Western New York--that four years
ago his two brothers,in-law, merchants,
obtained his name to bank paper TO The a
mount of $4,000; they failed, and he had
to mortgage his farm, worth $4,000 To
raise the money TO pay the notes; the
mortgage was due in May. l949. and he,
by agreement, got the payment extended
until May, 1880; he started for California
with wealthy old friend and nelghhor :
they tented and messed together all the
way across the plains; he has been able
10 work ten DAYS and earned $50, the bal
ance of the time he has been sick. His
old friend had met with heavy losses in
lumber, was taken sick, and removed
down the river, leaving him destitute and
not one dollar in his pocket. 1t was
heart-rendering to hear the bitterness o
grief, as he talked much about his wife
and daughter, who were both or a death
bed when he left, sick with consumption;
but their great anxiety was to obtain mon
ey 10 save the farm, and they persuaded
him TO go.
Oh cursed gold of California! what a
weapon thou art i'll the hand of the adver-
sary of human happiness! Men that Will
resort to such means as are often used.
such as spiling gold dust on the bank OF
the river near the Sacrament City, and
then make a great bluster in washing l.
with pans, for the the purpose of making
an excitement and causing II to be publish
ed as rich veins Of gold, to deceive ihe
people, will resort to any other means u"
their power to fill their own golfers, and
are more depraved, if possible, than the
pirates on the high seas.
know not how the Hon Daniel Web
ster obtained his information hat there Is
vast amount Of gold discovered so near
San Francisco and Sacramento cities, ana
the rich and inexhausublc mines discover
ed by the Mormons; but this much GO
know, the nearest mines that have been
worked to anv extent are on the Mormon
Island, twenty-eight miles from Sacra-
mento City. AS to their being glneNhanS-
nble. il is true, but as for their richness II
| it is quite another thing. believe most
Of the rich beds have been exhausted and
the inexhaustible portion is the common
soil Of the country where II Will yIcia
! from twenty-five to one hundred ana nifty
cents per ton Of earth
The views of the editors of California
that the extraordinary high water VIII
have tendency to expose other rich
veins may be correct, butt a man my of
permitted 10 Judge by the appearances oi
the mines before the flood, lie VIII say
every nook and corner has already been
worked many times over, for one thous'
and swine, could Motif placed in ten a
ere piece, and roofing for some precious
nut or roo, dsfigure the smooth surface
more in six months than have the goId
diCoers ev.rv portion Of California where
gold has been discovered.
L. Nj. CHAPMAN,
April 81, 1850. Of BallsIon' n y
Cu,RacTER INDICATED BY THE LAUGH
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