Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-09-09
Letter from California.
SAN FRANCISCO, !
CALIFORNIA, July 18th. 1850. (

erring to reply, for might have written by the
steamer which left here the LIST of this mouth.
The facilities of communication between this |
and the old States have, of late, been much i'm
proved Instead ofmonthly communication, as
heretofore, we now have it semi-monlhly. This
Is an improvement which we Calitornians, who
are cut of from all the endearing ties OF friends.
relatives and hone; know how to appreciate.
am certain that our friends and relatives
would write ottener if they knew with what
anxiety lhei! communications are expected; with
what pleasure perused.
You might realize this anxiety of which I
speak, were you permitted TO be at the general
delivery Of our Post Office about twenty-four
hours after the arrival of mail steamer, TO be-
hold tor moment the long lines of anxious men
waiting their turns at the different places of de-
livery, and 10 observe the different expressions
ot]oy and disappointment caused by the recep-
ton or failure to receive those letters for which
they so anxiously looked.
1t has been two months since wrote you last.
perhaps it has been two months and a half: al
any rate know that have been too negligent
about writing, and will endeavor to atone for
this negligence, to some extent at least, by Wri-
ting oftener in future.
Nothing OF interest has occurred here since
the date Of my last letor. Business of all kinds
here and III the mines still remains rather dull
and Improbable. The business community in
this city are just recovering from the shock they
sustained on the 18th ult., by one OF the most
terrible conaagrations that has ever occurred
here or that have ever SEEM 1t is the third
very destructive fire that has occurred since the
Gath December. 1t originated from carelessness
and lasted about three hours, threatening for a.
bout two-,hirds of lEat time, 10 destroy the
whole city. .r
Nearly five entire blocks, thickly set with
wooden buildings and comprising one of the
fairest and most valuable portions of the city
was in that short time, laid in ashes. | sent
you paper on he 1st inst, from which you
may learn all the particulars OF this fire-and
when you take into consideration that the citi-
zens of this place had just begun to recover
from the effects OF fire that occurred few
weeks before, almost equally destructive, you
might naturally enough come 10 the conclusion
that this last blow would have crippled the re-
sources and Frustrated the energy of the suffer
ers. This would have been the case in almost
amy country but this. Such is not the case here,
San francisco has risen like Phoenix from its
ashes. About one month ago, the most impor-
tallt part OF the city was heap of smoudering
ruins; and sadness and gloom were depicted on
every countenance. At least three toulths of
the entire space has been replaced with build
Jugs and business resumed generally by the
same men Oh the SAME spot. Many Of the
buildings too, would, in size and appearance,
compare tavorably with those in many Of your
Atlantic cities. Thus you may form some idea
OF the elasticity of San Francisco the energy
aud indomitable enterprise OF its inhabitants.
A stranger arriving here two or three weeks
hence, would, doubtless, be puzzled to find
spot left vacant by any of these destructive fires.
AS one OF the editors said short time since,
nothing short OF all earthquake can cope with
the energy and enterprise OF our citizens" This
last fire has taught the people good lesson
Hitherto there was no efficient fire department.
no permanent reservoirs Of water Now all these
evils are remedied and we may indulge the hope
that no more such destructive fires Iced be fear
ed
When wrote last expected, ere now, to
have taken trip to the mines. In that case |
Nigh have been able to make this letter inter-
estlng. The news from the mines, generally
speaking, Is not very encouraging. Some few
are doing well, while the mass are doing COM
paratlvely nothing. The rivers are still too high,
and those who have claims on the different bars
are merely holding on for the present in antici-
patton OF making raise after the water falls. |
The immigration seems to increase every week.
That portion of it which took the overland route
is now beginning to make its appearance and it
is thought that before the whole Of it can get
through much suffering will have been expert
enced.
The route by the way of Cape Horn l think
has nearly become all obsolete idea. Every SEN
slble man who comes TO this country hereafter
will 18th the present facilities, assuredly take
the 1sthmus route, and every sensible man who
is doing well at home, forfeits his claim to dis
cretion, in my humble estimation, if he come
here at all, by any route.
There are, perhaps, more homesick, discour-
aged and dlsconsoate men in California, than in
any other country on the globe. But they are,
those who have never been thrown
upon their own resources before, and who, un-
aided by friends, do nothing anywhere.
The man TO do well here is he who car do
anything or put up with any hard usage. If he
should not succeed at one thing he must try an
other, and strike the word fail out of his vocab-
ulaIy altogether. AS to the comforts and luxu-
ries Of life-the pleasures arising from social and
domestic intercourse are to be, for the
most part, toreborne, for the present. The slim
illus to keep man alive, and the only induce
ment any one has 10 stay here is to accumulate
a certain quantum of that which is necessary to
responsibility where you live.
We have recently Lad quite number of mur-
ders and robberies in the Southern mines II is
said Il do not know with how much tru,h) that
most OF these were perpe,rated by Sydney con-
Vsc's ana mexican deSpefadoes, who, not being
allowed to work in the mines on equal terms
with Americans, have become desperate, and
resolved TO have money some way or other
There are, doubtless, a great many desperate
characters here, and fear that ere long it will
be unsafe for man 10 travel in the mining dis
trict without carrying with him HColt's' Com
mon Law and ssBowie's' Practice. The Indi-
ans, too, are becoming quite troublesome. They
seem 10 possess an innate and incorrigibe pro-
pensity to steal. The Americans have thought
it possible TO correct this evil propensity by
shooting them when caught in the act. This has
led to retaliation on the part of the Indian, and
the Indian never dscriminates between the in
nocent and the guilty.
There has recently been good deal of excite
ment here ia reference to a certain Gold Lake.
about which the big humps were found in album
dance. lsuppose you have seen some of these
accounts IN the newspapers. You may attach
but little faith to such reports.
There will douhtlacr h. ,,,,xo ..,-.