The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1851-03-07
FROM CALIFORNIA.

tel from the son OF Seh'ie'""" ~ ~
place, now in California. II will be seen
he does not give very fauerIng prospect
of the chances OF realizing fortune in that
land of gold and humbugs. About gong
TO California, The fact IS, persons VINO ca"
make living in this country had better
STAY here, and those who can't would be
pretty 40, 10 s,arve If they were in Calilor-
mia:
JACKSONVILLE, Moknnmne CO. California.
Dear Father-We left Santa Fe on the
Goth January, 1850 for Socorr, the most
southern town Of any importance IN New
Mexico, from which place we departed I'm
February, with one mule to each man and
one wagon for the use Of the company. we
continued down the Rio Grande for one
hundred miles, leaving the river at San Die
90, travelling Cooks route TO the two Bn''es
where Hatcher's (Which we chosc) dlver'
res in n westerly direction. Soon after en-.
terng the territory of Mexico about halt
our company descred-taking with them all
the property furnished by the Company Tor
which | thought they @ere much to b'omP'
\ but my opinion has changed. One OF the
ser,ers was hired by band of robbers to
nssrying people over the river Col.
fney charged seven dollars for cross
Sing man nd his mule. The General be.
ing unwilling 10 pay so much we continued
down the Colorado and built boat and fer
rycd over about o thousand Sonoranians. al
which the robbers being very much cnrag'
ed, resolved 10 kill us. With this intrn-
ton they came after night, piloted by the
descrtcr, but they could not findlns. This we
learned from one of themselves. After
leaving the Colorado we entered upon
desert of ninety miles. but We found plenty
of wutcr and some grass. Provisions were
very scarce, but there was no real suffering
in the company.
We arrived at Warmers Ranch, the first
settlement in Callfornln, on The eth April,
and the southern mines at the city of Sono.
ra the 18th May, 1850, twelve months and
twelve days from the lime Of leaving Knox
Vile. Our company not being able TO pay
bnck the stock, nor even TO support llself,
we dissolved no one disscnting!!D on the
thirteenth September. The General and
Major Anderson taking the mules and other
company property to satisfy themselves Tor
debts incurred by them for provisions, &c.
The company was at least one ,housa nd
dollars poorer when we dissolved than
when we entered the mines. On leaving the
conpony entered into cOpartnershp with
Frenchman. We made one day forty
dollars-l found lump worth "a dollars
but have not averaged TWO dollars per d'y
The miners, tai ken altogether, are not aver
aging three dollars at this lime.
Not one in a thousand will make for
tune. Every ono IS dissatisfied. Every
thing is very dear in the mines. Potatoes
sell al 81 cents per pound, dried apples 81
cents per pound, beans so cents, pork 81
beef 25, salt 25, vinegar one dollar per bot.
tie, and everything else in proportion.-
Everything is done on large scale. ! have
seen bu. one half dime and we talk Of hull
ounces and ounces all the time, though sci.
dom see them. Bob is now sinking a hole
which pays one dollar and half n pan
full, he washed one pan with seven dollars
in il. Two or three holes near his are pay
ing one dollar per pan, and fifty others are
paying nothing. ON sinking another neat
him and am hnppy, not knowing whether il
will paw five dollars per pan or nothing,
mare probably the latter. Tell every body
that has anything TO eat not TO come to Cal
ifornia, but if they will come, for Gods
sake don't let them charge me with having
written anything inducing them 10 expect
fortunes here. Thousands here ore wishing
to 60 home but are unable 10 raise one hun.
dged and fifty dollars.
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