Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-10-11
Correspondence of the Republican.
FoRT LARAMIE, August 26, 1850.

between" and now only the few
stragglers whom chance or change pre-
vented from starting earlier, bring up the
rear, and Ruth-lke, follow the reapers
on their trail 10 The promised land. The
greater part of the Mormon emigration,
which this year is estimated at five
thousand persons, has already passed
this point, and the tail-end is closely
wagging on after the advance. Up TO
the 18th inst, the register kept here es-
hibi,s the following items: Men 39,506;
women 2,42l; children 600; horses ga
l72: 1913 mules; 36,116 oxen; 1928
cows; 2,106 sheep; 1927 wagons; deaths
en- route. 3l6. lam certainth that not more
than. four-fifths of the persons who pass
here en- route for California and Oregon
registered their names. At that rate the
number of persons would equal about
fi[ly-fiye thousand, wagons, &C., in due
proportion; and thus may we only form
ans fair or definite idea of the actual
amount Of This years pilgrimage. In
comparison with last year, very few have
returned from this poin, TO the States.-
saw to-day party of ten returned
Cslifornians, most of whom went out by
this route year ago. and are now re-
turning 10 their homes to stay there
Their account of the country is rather
unfavorable, and would satisfy any other
than human being; but our nation is
too fond Of taking peep at curiosities,
although ahe price of admission be high,
/ and every one thinks that he can do bet
ter there than his neighbor. The opiu-
ion Of these men is that the average time
! that men can work in the mines in one
! year, is not more than one hundred DAYS,
and the average amount per day OF each
man is not more than one ounce, and
( taking the debts and credits; and striking
! balance at the end of one year. if a
! person does not come out at the little
end of the horn, he is close enough TO
see through it. They further state that
in no country is every branch of business
and speculation more completely over
done than in California. Onevery road
and every patti to any mine or placer
where there is any chance of extracting
an ounce of gold. Doodle is stationed,
with wooden nutmegs, notions and clocks,
TO get his share of it.
| Sickness prevails there and at the up.
per mines. They report, when they
left, diarrtGa and intermittent feyers
prevalent, and state that many persons
were becoming sick, if not bodily, Of the
country. In the cities, particularly,
many persons are out Of employment,
and many young men who are not physi-
cally filled for any laborious employ
ment, aud who have gone there expecting
to jump in.o lucrative situations, are sad
~ disappointed, aud are now chewing
the biller cud which young men general
ly chew in cases of sad disappointment.
They also say that The most successful
branches OF domestic trade are monte
and faro, and an alcaldesh,p, for justice
there was, until recently, dispensed on
the same terms as in The United States,
i. e. costs to plaintiff or defendant, profits
to aIcalde. Things in this vicinity are
lulling into the quiescent state again, and
old Fall has sent several cool messengers
in advance 10 inform us that he is not
Gar behind. The Indians (Cheyennes
and Sioux are beginning to collect in
the vicinity, preparatory to the fall hunt
and the organization of war parties
The traders are now receiving their out
fits TO trade for pelrv the ensuing win
ter The small pox has been among one
or two bands Of the Sioux, and numbers
have died Of ii. but cholera and other,
diseases, incident TO their intercourse
with the emigran,s, has not prevailed
this season to any thing like the extent
they did last year. Capt. Stansbury,
Typographical Engineer, who went out
under orders nearly eighteen months ago,
to survey the Salt and Utah lakes, the
basin around them. &c., is about to start
on his return to the States, striking
southeast from Fort Bridgcr across to
the Arkansas, and thence home. Assis-
ted by Lieut.. Dennison, Typographical
Engineers, the surveys have been COM
pleted in manner highly creditable 10
both, and we may look for much useful
knowledge and entertaining matter TO be
embodied in the report which in due time
will 6e laid before the country. Few
persons in the East are aware of the
growing importance of that place, called