Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1851-02-13
Returned Californians.

The tide of California emigration seems to have turn
ed and every steamer that now arrives brings multi
tudes of Adventures from the western Ell Dorado-a
few with their expectations realized, and their pockets
well filled with the shining ore, but by far the greater
number with poverty, dsappoint mentand i-heah for
their portion The Boston Commonwealth of yesterday
announces the fact that sixty returning Cafornans ar
rived in that city in single day, who deny with en-
phasis the report that "Chagres is becoming more
healthy and say that nine out of every ten Americans
il that town were down with the fever. Their own APP
pearance indicates that good health is not one OF the
blessings of the Isthmus or of California. Very few Of
the company had 'ples of the yellow metal; but their
hands, hair complexion and eyesali OF sickly gold
coor, several carrots ne-showed they had undermine
ed their constitutions in the mines"
We sincerely rejoice that many Of the gallant, har-
dy and enterprising of New England are able to
return to U.S. after the perls and hardships to which
they have been exposed. But how sad must be the
dition of the still larger number who remain, and who,
disgusted with the lying reports which have been
from the gold regions by parties interested in
keeping up the deusion which has beguied them
from comfortable homes and hourishing employmens
are al this time without the the credit which
will enable them greet the bright and happy faces Of
friends and kindred, around the family board in their
old ancestral homes.
We do not think the country has yet realized tythe
Of the evils which in store for it, the result Of
this almost insane craving to become suddenly rich,
which the gold discoveries in California have excited
and certain we, that whole generation mus
pass away, before the deadly avages Of the mania shall
be felt, by the widowed mothers and orphaned
children OF those, who have risked life, health, happi
ness, affection, friendship, and in short, every thing
that the heart of holds dear, attain the gerne
prizes which held allurngy before their eyes, auc
who have died in the wilderness without obtaining
mere IS scarcely village in ali the north
e States that has not ostby the bursting Of this gded
bubble, some of its keest and worthest young men
cut of IN the vgor of their days e'by the pestence thai
has walked in darkness the famine that has wasted
at noon day" in the far off deserts ofthe West MANY
little homestead has been mortgaged to raise the out
htof father, or brother, whose bones are now white
ming upon the desert, and many happy wife and group
of sireess children sit in sackcloh in poverty and in
tears because Of the absence of him to whom thew had
looked for protection and support.
As respects its influence upon the social life Of New
England, we look upon the California gold mania as far
more disastrous than the recent war with McKee, For
IN that outrageous and ustfable contest the victims
were for the most part, the prohgate and degraded,
who were Burden to themselves and their friends
while IN California they are the very life and strength
o'he business, energy and enterprise of our home pop
uIaton. The experience which thousands of disap.
pointed gold hunters have acquired, has been learned
by them in severe trials, but they come back.to re-
new among US the common duties of every day life, we
trust that there viii be some atonemen for the nurv
which they and the community have sustained by the
bursting of such bubble, in the lesson which that ex
perence VIII illustrate to the young and the over am.
oous' VIZ that call is not cold that gitters and that
as IN days gone by honest patient persevering industry
is after ALL the BEST the safest, and the surest road to
happiness and to fortune.