Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-01-21
EXPERIENCE In CALIFORNIA.

me New I Ork tribune puDllSneS the follow
ing letter from an intelligent and active business
man who left that city about year since for
California, and regards it as giving very cor
rect & matter Of fact idea Of life business prospects,
&c, in California. The writer is very evidently
a man Of much good sense some energy, and
one of that kind of men that nobody need be
ashamed to learn from.
y * x Now, about my own experience in
California | arrived here in June, and went inn
mediately to the mines worked there five
weeks, and cleared, over al my expenses 5000
Then, partly through the expected arrival Of my
goods, lnt. partly through fear that my "hole,h
or lead would give out sold out my 'Fwhole,"
machine and all, for two ounces OF dust more
than [ gave for it; and started for San Francisco,
but learning at Sacramento City that the ''Robert
Browne" had not arrived, set my wits to work
to ascertain how could spend the intervening
time most profitably.
My first operation was buying a lot, 20 by
100 feet, for which paid $500 and sold soon
after for S 500. Soon afterl made the acqraint-
snce of Mr.. T. c. o., OF New York. who was in
the same predicament as myself, but not know
ing what to do next, as business was then quite
dul! in the city (Sacramento) / suggested to
him that baying appeared the most reasonable
for lucrative occupation, as teams We're pour
ing in from the plains and feed scarce He a.
/ greed with me, and we both set about making
preparations for haymg. Then commenced "a
search for scy1he All we could find were two
old ones; nearly worn out, and without handles.
These we bought at $16 each, and coon after
came across com pany, just arrived, who had
one dozen new ones, scythes and handles, yet did
not know for what purpose they bought them.
We bought one for $40 and could have sold it in
i thirty minutes for 1915. We cut two crooked
sticks for the old ones, hired man for $40 day
and started out to prairie, about six miles from
the city, W here were about 100 acres Of beauti-
full grass.
We there worked ten days in the hottest sun
that ever shone. From II to 3 we could not
work. and even after that it would blister the
backs of our hands. In that time we cut and
cooked about 60 tons hay. The next Job was to
get it to the city. 0. and myself invested $3.50
each, In oxen and wagons made our hay higgins,
and commenced carting. We drew in, staked
and fenced about 30 TONS and went after more,
when streak Of bad luck came over us. One
team had loaded and started, and the other two
loaded, when, the prairi being or. fire and the
wind blowing hard, our loads took fire, and in
fifteen minutes hay and wagons were in ashes,
and our oxen so badly burnt as to be unfit for use
The hay was not OF mnch account, but the wag-
ons cost $500. And that was not all, for three
days after the stack at the city took fire ard also
burnt up. We now had 40 tons on the prairie
that escaped the fire. We then sold four yoke
of oxen, got another wagon, and succeeded in
drawing the balance and stacking it near the city,
where we are retailing it at eight cents Il pound
! ($160 tom and keeping horses and mules at
50 so a day.
We have now two good teams, six yoke Of
oxen and two wagons, which we are running
from Sacramento to the mines, with freight, and
which averages US $50 day. They are now on
a trip Of six days, and will bring us in 5000 in
dust. leaning is decidedly the best business
done here, and If il was not so late, we would
put on three or four wagons more. We intend
in the spring to run at least ten teams. Had it
not been for my goods, | should probably have
been shaking or digging now. But am con-
vlnced that mining is the poorest business done
here and the hardest work than any white man
ever engaged in.-From all my experience and
observation, candidly believe that the miners
ariH not Average fire dollars adoy. was extreme
ly lucky, for numbers of our party have worked
hard and are not cent better off than the day
they landed II is all luek--a perfect lottery
I and have not heard of single instance where
a man has been very fortunate, that he contn-
ued so long Thousands come here with san
gnine expectations, but are woflly disappointed
& return disgusted wi1hthe country. Many lives
are lost, and more constitutions ruined Brown
VI Out
on the way through Mexico. A Mr.. Capron,
formerly with Lea & Brewster, N, Y, recently
died at Sacramento. o. and myself have
both been sick, and as we do not like to expose
ourselves to the heat of the sun, or the heavy
dews at night, we hire two men to drive our
teams. Cue we pay $40 day, and the other
$3.50 month.
Horses are worth 500 TO $500; Mules ditto.
There are but few good horses here, and those
fL,>'N
inferior animal both in size and build. Oxen
5000; we have six yoke, worth 81 200. Wagons
500 to $3.50. There are many cattle coming
from the plains, but they are too poor to use this
fall, and many will die before spring.
III had had capital to commence with when
| first came, | should row be ready for return
steamer with my fortune, Lots at Sacramento
which could then have brought for $500 to $500
have since been sold for 5000 to $4,000
| Seven thousand teams have already arrived
by the Plains, and three thousand more are daily
expected From their accounts, the suffering
on that route, has been extreme, the roads being
literally blocked up with dead oxen and mules.
Board at Sacramento, is S % single meal
Or $40 o week lodging S to ST. so a night.
AS a whole, | think there never was and
probably never will be again, such a country as
this for making money. If any Of my friends
wish to come here for the purpose of making
money, in almost any kind of business, encept
mining come on. Though thousands are coming
1yet, take your chance with the rest. 1t requires
either hard labor or capital
My merchandise disposed of at 25 per cent,
advance, which considering the crammed, gut-
ted condition of the market, think a remarkably
good sale though it will not afford me any prof
it.. I have not been obliged to sacrifice them, as
hundreds have done.
"SAL-DIp INTO THE GRAvy-DAD PAYS AS
MUCH AS ANY ON 'EM E-We find the following
in the Cincinnati Nonpariel:
eve We're not long since amused by couple
of IIoosier girls, who came on board the stea mer