The North-Carolinian., 1850-08-24

ren mountains aud hills. and entirely unit
for cultivation, but the immense wales on
the water courses, from ten to forty and
fifty miles wide, for richness, beauty, and
| fertility, he remarks. have no equal in the
States. In the valley Of the Sacramento.
high up toward the mountains. he remarks.
you may find 10000 acres at time, SO
| level that you may see deer or sheep on
any part of it. and so situated that small
| amount of labor would turn the mountain
streams over it. and irrig gate the whole.
at this season, these vast tracts are cover
ed with oats and clover, and other excel
lent grasses, up to a mans shoulders, and
| on which a million head of cattle light
| fatten. He states to me. that in their
| excursions among the Indians near the
mountains, they found many places where
| the yield of gold must, they think, be richer
than any digg gings yet worked.
| But little has been done as yet in the
mines, from the fact that the waters are too
high. 1t has been supposed that She min
ing commenced as soon as the wet season
was over, but it is not the case. The
SHOWS on the mountains are now twenty
to forty feet deep, and until they melt
away. and cease to supply the streams with
water, the river bars cannot be worked.
Great quantities of the ground which has
been worked over, will, ere long. yield a
second crop, more abundant than the first,
as it will be worked scientifically, by which
quantities of gold will be obtained which
has been passed over. Ijudge that three
fourths of those who 90 to the mines, find
the labor vastly harder than anticipated.
and great numbers find it SO hard that they
quit it, and go at almost anything else in
preference.
will give you some few items relative
to the city, which may interest you.
I had been led to suppose, before came
here, that there must, ere long, be tre-
mendous revulson in the real estate mar
ket, and am not prepared to say that it
may not be so, but find that transactions
in landed property are much more tor cash
than supposed. Indeed. almost every
thing is for cash and, unlike the States,
it is not enough for man to pay when he
gets an article, but he must present the
dust in one fist, while he takes his deed Or
receipted bill for merchandise, in the other.
l know Of great number OF land transac
tions since came here, aud l lind them
almost entirely fo: cash. 1t is true that
town lots in the outskirts, or away out Of
the settled part OF the city, or barren
sand-hils, which make pretty pictures, on
paper. have decline in price. but on the
other hand, lots in the business part of the
city, anG especially in the Bay, from
those out to where the water is fourteen
feet deep, have greatly advanced in price,
for it is now generally conceded that the
largest portion of the business will be done
in the Bay and the improvements in
wharves and buildings on this property
are truly surprising. Lots which were sold
by the city in January, have been re-so!d
since at five to twenty times the amount
of first sale. A friend Of mine who bought
some of them. sold one last week a so 500.
which cost him $500, and can get $4,000
for another which cost $500, and was yes
terday offered $4,000 cash for one which
cost $3.50. These lots are all 1872 by
45 feet 1Oa inches. Several wharves are
built out by the city, and by private COM
panies, and fronting on these, lots sell at
enormous rates. One, some 500 yards
from the land, sold since came here 80
by 60 feet) at (S1O,0OO One last week,
SO by 20 feet. sold for 8 1000, and others
are held still higher. Large warehouses
are built on these, strong piles, well
driven. BY the way, these pile drivers
are doing grand business with their steam
power, at from $40 to s25 each, tor drIv-
ing them. Carpenters are now getting
from % to sic perday. Good masons and
carpenters get reaully DiS W . ~ Pe' o"-
You have heard Of the high rents asked
here, and there is no mistake about the
enormous rates paid. Houses for gambl-
ing, rent higher than for any other pur-
pose but for any business, the high rents
are enough to seriously alarm any new
conner. | have seen stores roughly en-
closed. and not fitted up at all lnsde-say
II by So to Is by 40, rent over, and often.
at $3.50 to 500 per month. saw, last
week. a store III BY so, rent Tor $500 Per
month one. Is by 40. 5000; one. IA by
so, 5000; one. 2 by so, for gambling. at
$1,000 per month, and to secure II, the
party paid two months rent in advanc-
e, and secured it for the third month.
| The rates paid for ground rent. would seem
incredible. On the business streets. lots
60 feet deep. are leased to build on, at
| about SIS per front foot per month, and
some at $50. In all cases, rents, both OF
buildings and lots, are paid In advance.
| A man was pointed out to me last week.
"a Chilian.) who came here a few weeks
ago. and bought three lots, for which he
paid SOL 900 cash. and within week. he
| leased them out. without particle OF i'm
provement on them, for $4,000. Now.
| am we'll aware, one would readily con.
| clude that man must break to pay sucl
rents, but it is nevertheless true, that mer
do pay them. and make money, too, very
rapidly.
| find there are comparatively few men
who can, when they get here, screw VI
fser, IS