The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-05-18
Correspondence Of lhs Calpdonisu
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.
sAoHAAEsro CRY, q CALrronsA, }
March ~ IagU 1

down into the valley Of The saortmento.
promised 10 give you some account Of the
character Of the country, on my arrival in
California. This | will nov proceed 10 do
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
The Valley IL some three hundrcn miles IN
lenglh and from forty Ia ri lhiy- n4ilea uida---a
The valley Ia nearly level aud has little or no
timber immediately within II except along the
banks Of the Sacramento River sud its uibul
Iafies, The soil noi aud f,riic Some 90
the handsolnest sites for farms that have ~.
~ seen, ore to be found dong the banks Of
W,sc rivers A. the foot ~ the mountain
nngcs on the border ofthc valley, there is an
abundance Of timber, principally Pine, OAK
and Cedar. There ~ an abundance oC ETA
Aalelape, Deer md Bear IN thu mountains --
Herds of wild cattle may be- seen N NH p1rs
of The valley The Snctamuntn chti,s about
thc same .Nolumc of water as the Connecticut
10 two ptiHeipal tributaries, the Amsrcan y
Feather nyers, resemble the rasaumpsie.-- .--
Villages are ALREADY spungng up along on
the banks ot thco Rivers, which utr roon to
hrcomc Cius Steamboats, nrc daily passing
up aud down between San Francsco and thr
one hundred and anYentg- -lnilrA-----
CLIMATE
There are two seasons mC net aHd dry
The rainy EcrHuu coumrurru -uhuut tl,r-G G5st
of D'ccmbcr and continues with short intor.
snls " fair weather, until the first or March
The rrrta'nd"F of tho vear, the aky D. clraf
md tho weather dr., ard beautiful Not
alkc of snow falls in the vNllcy during the
whole year. Hut the Pcaks of the sirr, Ne.
yadu wear their snowy Caps nearly the year
round regard the Climate Of California ~
.tcsitcdly htohhy Most ofthc sickness is &c.
c1lcurd by exposure or imptudcncc ~ living
MINES
on this subject Il " hardly nccrssary' for
mr. n write That G;old ,s f.aea ,n- Callrar.
MIA in large quantities, no one pretcnds 10
doubt The entire range of mountains called
the "sicrra Nevada ,js moro or less imprcg.
mated with Gold. II must require years and
years 10 exhaust them, Thr general opinion
Of miners is, that the Gold was thrown up
from the bowels Of the carlk.S! some former
periad, By vnlcanic action. and len on the
surfaoc. The action of water has since col.
lectcd IL into the beds Of Rivers and Ravines
where il is now found IN The greatest bhun.
dance. To get the Gold, men 60 into the
beds Of Sircoms'nnd dip up the sand in pans
and other kinds ofmaohncry and separate thc
gold from 1t by process called "Washing,
The Gold found here is in small PARTICLES va.
rying in size from that Of naS seed In n bean
The coarse Gold or "Lumps" is ,Gnund in the
sides Of the mountains by digging down fow
inches with n Pick or shovel. The "Lumps'
are Of all sizes have seen one found by
young man from Chi,cndcn County, Vermont,
wtrJch weighed fourteen pounds aud scycn
ounces. lie sold it in this city, for $4,000. "A
miners success depends altogether upon
-ehanco. Some days he willdig Sl0.O0-nnd
some days $4,000 or S2On00, No one digs
where he cannot average $1,000 per day
Mining Is hard WORK ana attrudrd with ruuuyt
ntivntions
PRICES OF LABOR y LIVING.
Wages vary from 81 90 TO $1,000 per day
Ond found. These prices can be had at any
kind of, work, Physicians generally charge
"One Ounce" for n single call, Flour is worth
$4,000 per barrcl,-Pork, $500 per barrel,
Potatoes, % cts. per pound Onions, 10 cts
per pound.
Some kinds of Provision arc as cheap here,
as in the States
Butter and Checse-S 90 per pound.
CHARACTER OF BUSINESS
The tiborai way Of doing business in Cali.
fernia surprises mil new comcrs.
"Sovcreigns" pass-for 5.oo-'Fivc Franc"
pieces for Dollnrs-"Dimcs" for York Shill.
ings, &c
A Cent thing unscen and unknowR.-
Every kind ofbusiness seems to be success.
tul. a man can make money at any thing -
No credit is given bernusp none il asked --
There arc-ho teggHys in California and fsio
thieves. because men are not driven to that
extremity.
Never have ! seen business onrred on with
such degree Of force md energy M here -
Money, they say, "matcs' the nnrt go''--nnd
money mere is the CHEAPEST Of all commodi.
firs.-
INDUCEMENTS TO SETTLERS.
From what know, my opinion s that no
Country in the known wofid offers so great
advantages for acquiring wealth ns CALIFORNIA
Never before was such field open to man
hr-t44uUTfry is now and has within itsctf all
The requisites, of future greatness. Its rich
and fertile valIeys,its golden ribbed moulfiains
Its large and nnvigablc Rivers -- the spacious J