Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-06-24
Letter aYGExa CaEEaCEf2i:e.
SAN FRANCISCO,
NAV 1st, 1850.

DEAR BRorHER-By the steamer Panama |
have Just received letter from you, which, al
though ii was written December 18th, did not
reach me as soon by two weeks, one from
father dated January 2Gth. Such occurrences
are not lliicomlnon here, and they are doubtless
the effect Of some very bad management some
" here Oh the mail route. The steamer Ten
nessee made her iltsi appearance III this harbor
on tie 18th ait. She touched at Panama and
brought 10 this port abeut GO passeneels The
steamers Panama aid Gold Huntel have also ar
rived here wl;hiu The last few days, bringing TO-
stther some 800 passengers, aud we are daily
expecting the aYllyal ut two other steamers, each
OF which, it is thooght, viii bring 3 Or AGO
more Ii. addition 10 these arrivals by every
steamer, there are as many, perhaps more, an
yals by sailing vessels
Besides tins vast Immigration that is constant
ly pouring upon Us by SEA, we are assured thai
The inuI4rallou this year by the different over
land routes will exceed that Of last year. Thus
il seems that the lush is stll for California
that cur golden hills aud streams have attracted
the attention and excited the cupidity OF the
world Already every civilized nation on the
globe has It's Representatives here and there Is,
i5elhars 10 other country Ill which Wider HELD
or greater variety OF character Is presented to
the student OF human nature.
You may naturally suppose that out OF such
mixture OF coloys, OF languages and OF character
there would arise lealousles and disturbances,
but assure You that such is not the case. Law
and order prevail here to IS great an extent as
in any other portion Of the great American COLI
iedelucy
Ii is true there has been some jealousy-some
lad feeling, existing among Anei ieans towards
foreign miners the former thinking 1t unialI
that Iol eiguels should be entitled 10 the same
mining privileges with themselves. these feel
nas however, are HOW generally allayed by an
act OF our Legislature equlrln9 foreigners to pay
40 per month ior the privilege OF Mining, until
Congress shall make some PROVISION upon The
SUBJECT.
10; having been to the mines am still una
BE 10 give you any lnIofmati"ll about them OBJ
tanned iIou personal observation. From rea-
Bile sources learn that lIttle has Teen done by
miners tile present season, th.lt operations nav
Ing been cohtined 10 the dry dlegHes lhey
have been unable to W ork III the Dedo and baio
of the llYefs i'll consequence OF the h9h water,
/ he wet di4eiugs paid mach better last year
than any otGer; and in view Of tbs fact 1hou-
sa,!ds OF miners have conteHted themselves with
merely selecting l.lef bar aid are nov awaiting
The IAN OF the v ;tlei. Ii Is though that nothing
ot c0ns0quelcc VIII be effected III the wet dig
gins until July OF August, about hitll Time the
suuW S OF the Sierra Nereda viii have melted a.
way. I he mi4ess IN The Southern oieglnes,
tlllllh, are doing better than those III the North
en-, from tile TACT thai the weather IS mllder and
he SNOW upon the hills has NOW nearly disaP-
peated Illey als thUs enatltll to Wolk III the
dry diaaflles now TO advantage, and 1rom the
sane cause obey wall be enabled 10 work III the
wet di4giues earlier Than hose in the North.
Ii is the general impression that twice as
much gold Viii he taken ollt oi the mines this
YEA a. was taken ont last year. lie number
81 miners viii be much ger and the tacilIties
tol obtaining the precious Dust greater tllan last
Provisions are mu, h cheaper in The mines
than they have ever been. They can now be
bought from the traders at a very lriliiug ad-
vance over and above the cost and height.
Most OF the money that has been made IN
California iol the last SLY months, has, am sat
islied, been made, 10y tladlue and speculation.
Many fortunes have been suddenly realized
by speculation i'll Town lois by persons " hose Ii
/ he people, are how, hoMeyer; beginning 10
look at ihngs differently and to act With more
discretion. lie mania OF speculation has now
well ui4h subsidized aud things have begun to set
tie dow IL into /, moe natural condition. Real
estates and rents uIe still high III 1ills aud
other cities Throughout the State, Tut they
have laen vciy much, perhaps 100 per cent;
within the last three months. | AIN now paying
$500 per month ioi ii house IA Ly 40, N as
GOOD place iol business 4 house II 20, Tor
Inch paid the same during the winter. he
present pIices OF real estate and rents, viii,
think, remain, with little vullalol the same
Tor some tlrae TO come.
Since March business Of ;ill kinds has been
dull in this city. Laborer's wages have fallen
from ten 10 i've dollars per day and mechanics
wages have fallen IN the same ratio. Merchants
are NOW compelled to sell goods al a very mod
crate profit Many articles OF MERCHANDISE do
not now command as much as they Woud VI the
Eastern cities bu most OF the staple articles are
selling or very small advance Oh cost and Char
res. When an article is scarce ii commands an
t xlravaoaut price, as for instance, Brown sugar
is now worth soc. Coffee 2sc, Butter IS, Pola-
Toes 25 per h., lnolasses, 80 10 ~ per gal
and EGGS - per doz
Fol the last six months San Francisco has been
one OF the most lluotuatiu9 markets that | have
ever seen, but now every thing seems to be tend
ING towards more settled and permanent stan
dard There is yeta hue field here for capital
lists as YOU may lNler from the tact that money
may now be loaned upon good security al III per
ceut per month; bat The poor man who lahds
here al this time, there seems 10 be but one al
tentative and thai is 10 so to the MINES. lie
may obtain employment here without much dit
ticuity at tGur or live dollars per day. put II VIII
take one halt of that 10 pay his board and he
soon funds that he is not getung along much
faster ;uaIi he aid at home. Except to The man
of capital then. would say that there is no other
ndutemen, ion any one 10 come here, Than that
offered 10y the mints. :.
OF mining have spoken at some length III
former letters, il is not, therefore, Mecess that
should NOW say much II Is the hardest KIND
of labor and success depends very much upon
GOOD lack. Some have succeeded beyond Then
most sauonine expectations, While others have
heen most wotully disappointed. think that
stated in some previous letter that the average
earnings OF all the miners during the last season
might be put down at one ounce per day to each
man. / had frvque uty heard that amount spo-
ken OF but am now satisfied that II was an ON e.
estimate. am now OF the opinion that halt
ounce would be nearer the average. II Is ire
oueutlV the case that miner !abors hard ioi
tounthpr AZ jtboDt lpuch more than