The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-12-12
CORRESPONDENCE OF TIE Err,
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA

IS IT,.
To Tie Editor of The National Era.
DEAR Sin: Since last wrote VIM r.o.. -.
quiet little spot on the Caaveras river vho,oI
was luxuriating upon wild grapes, have tr,vl
led through some three hundred miles Of mini.
region, aud have returned to San Franeisco f,r
rest
My first scjourn in the mines, after lsr, tbo
Calaveras, was at Moquelumne Hin. A hill Will
overlooks the river whose name it bears This
has been one of the richest places in the whole
placer. From the summit of the hill, rayines RIM
in every direction, and all of them have contained
a great deal of gold In one of them, a raype
about fifty yards in length, more than one hun.
dred thousand dollars have been taken out during
the past season, and that after the richest portion
of it had been wrought. Most of the ravines here
are dug to their very bottoms, aud the labors of
giants appear to have been expended upon them
The miners on the hill were doing bat very little
in the way of extracting gold, owing to the entire
absence of water, but were throwing up earth for
the purpose of washing in the winter when the
rains come. There is now located there popua-
ton Of some seven or eight hundred inhabitants,
daily increasing; and the hill, which, when first
saw it, two years ago. was mere camping place,
with some half dozen tents scattered over it, now
wears a fourishing and city-lke appearance.
On the Moquelumne river, the principal opera
tions during the past summer have been damming
the river at various points Many of these have
been successful, while others have proved entire
failures The most successful one has been the
dam of Col George F. James, at the Lower bar,
who, in company with twenty men, have taken
out, for nearly month after the completion Of
the dam, from five to ten pounds of gold per day.
Others who have labOred severely all summer,
have found nothing and have lost their whole
seasons work.
After remaining on the Moquelumne about
fortnight, | packed up my blankets and started
,ffs- tbe na-.h 1t stypek ne th2t tbRye. where
was better acquainted with the gold region, a
better field of labor would be presented. In the
southern mines, all the rich regions of territory
have been upturned, and are now crowded with
hard-working population, who are fast extracting
from the soil its golden treasures.
Passing through Jackson's creek, Dry creek
and the dggings for the Costumes river, reach
ed Viewers creek, where made my first campin
the mines two years ago after five days hard
travel What change had taken place! When
| Arst camped on the banks of the creek its "a
vines and hill sides were blooming 10 their viz
gin, golden purity. The river banks were I'M
turned and were green with grass; three log huts
and as many tents then composed the settlement
As descended the hill footsore and weary what
a sight broke upon me The little hamlet had
grown into a town of some two thousand inhabit-
ants, with permanently built log houses laid out
in streets The ravines and river banks had
been torn and ridiled and thousand seekers
were at work upon them, running through the
yellow dust. This place is on the direct emigrant
trail and large portion of the emigration have
either settled here permanently or have remained
here long enough to get a sufficient amount of
money together to travel farther The miners
were working very hard, with little success
hesitate not to say that in the mining region on
and around Viewers creek, which has been one
of the richest places in the whole placer gold dig
gers are not averaging two dollars per day.
The immense emigration Of more than fifty
thousand Woodworking men from the Western
States has already entirely changed the character
of this mining country. Every little rayine
where gold is found has become settlement and
any new place that may be discovered is immedi-
ately crowded with anxious gold seekers Let no
one suppose that the gold mines of California are
exhausted. Far from it. Years after the hand
which writes this is cold in the grave, and when
the present mining population has been scattered
from the face of the earth, gold will be extracted
in large quantities in the gold region of Califcr
MIA But the case is this the 1ldcerS Of Califor-
MIA were phenomena unparalleled in the history
Of discoveries The dreams of the searchers for
FL Dorado were found to be realities. The won
derful cave Of Aladdin had been opened, and
treasures of which the maddest enthusiast had
never dreamed were exposed to the gaze of
wondering world. The nations for while stood
amazed and soon one general rushing like the
rushing Of torrent, made its way to the golden
land
Nearly three years have passed, and popula-
tion. which has now reached nearly two hundred
thousand, have lbored manfully in the pursuit
of wealth. Millions of this golden treasure have
been extracted. Every hill, valley, plain, and
river, over territory of a thousand miles, has
been searched by eager gold hunters An inva-
liable amount of labor has been performed, and
who does not see what must have been the newt
able resut2 The richness of the gold mines is
gone. The time for making fortunes by individ-
ua labor is past The romance of the FL Dorado
has settled down into sober reality. California
is becoming like other countries, and the labor in
the mines Of California must ere long be done in
the same manner that labor in every other mining
country in the world is done--by large AMI
wealthy companies who with huge machines will
tear up the very hills to their solid foundations
and turn the courses Of whole rivers Still hard
working men-men who have been brought up
to labor-can for years live more easily and
make more money in California by individual
labor than in any other country in the world
The news of the admission Of California into
the sisterhood Of States, which reached here in
the Oregon, was the cause of general joy and ac-
clamation. | first heard it when travelling from
Weaver's creek to Sacramento city. When near
the city, man who looked like miner came
putting along toward me on mule, which he
was urging TO his utmost speed His face was
radiant with joy, and, to spread the news with
rapidity and ease, he had plac lrd fastened 10
his saddle feathers which told the tale, Caliior-
MIA is admitted Thank Col, that justice has at
last been done US that after our arduous and Sc
we're struggles, our long and patient endurance,
we have become equal with our Older sisters ssa
have entered into the great family of States win
our soil uDpouted by slave track, and that the
dashing surges Of the Pacific beat upon coast
whose people are as free as themselves.
California viii now no longer be regarded as
great goose, out of whose ample tail it was the
sole duty of each to pluck few feathers but as
home for the children of Freedom Our mex
haustble mineral wealth will now be developer.
Our broad and fertile plains AMI smiling valleys
will be now made to bloom with golden gram.
The sheltering laws Of our Government are now
stretched over US and we shall now feel sale "
live in California. -,
The admission Of the State has given suduen
tart IN
rose Immediately upon the arrival OF ,ny o"LeJ