Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1852-04-28

own Buildings OF any KIM, We au'i'o 'h'
purchase of Armitage's Lightning Rods,
Of which Mr.. S. HOOVER is the active
and accredited Agent. (See Advt)
U[The following letter is from an old
resident of Lswisburg, who had not been
heard from for some years, and had been
given up for dead.
SAN Francisco, March l3, 1852.
DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER | shall
again write to you by this mail, hoping
that you will hear from me, if do not
from you. have written time and again,
but have not received one scrap from you
yet, or heard from any Of you since came
to California Whether your letters do
not reach me, or mine fail to reach you,
| can not tell, but it does seem strange;
but my being in the mountains for the
last year or more, where all my letters
have to 90 by private carriers for long
way, may account for their miscarriage. l
am very anxious to hear from you. If
you receive this, by all that is sacred an
swer it Immediately, and get all hands to
write, and perhaps | may receive some out
of the lot. | am at present in the city of
San Francisco, and expect to remain here
this summer, and work at my trade. The
prospects are good for the summer, although
at present it is very dull. Wages are but
So per day, last summer they were SO,
and summer before that, sl4.
shall NOT attempt to give you full
history Of this country and the mines in
this letter, rs you may have received some
of my former letters, which gave you the
whole lwould inform you that was in
the mountains at the head waters of iuba
river, about 400 miles from this place.
| was wiki large company we damned
the river and ilumed it, which took 10 ot
US months Wa laid out $4,000 in
money. We had it just finished and com
msnced operations, when it commenced
raining, and continued for two days, which
raised the river, and the current being
very strong, it just IeyeIed AL down il
three hours that took forty of US from four
to Blk months to accomplish 20 YOU will
readily perceive that have not made my
fortune as yet. My luck has been such,
what | have made in one transaction a.
ways lost in the next. Digging for gold
is all lottery. There Is not more than
one in thirty that makes more than liv
ing. But | suppose YOU still hear glowing
accounts from this country in the shape Of
gold piles. In I section Of country where
there are perhaps thousand men to work,
if perchance fifty Of them make a raise,
they you hear of, but the other nine hun
dred and fifty that are not making more
than a living you never hear of in your
country. | have been all through the
Northern mines, and what is called placer
diggings are nearly exhausted in 4 few
years think mining viii be done all in
quartz.
The soil in this country produces well
all kinds of vegetables. l think it can
beat the world in potatoes, cabbage, onions,
&c, and produces barley very well, because
they SOW that in the fall and it ripens be-
fore the ground gets too dry, for it does not
rain one drop for seven months in the year.
1t is the most delightful climate l ever
lived in-nevor too warm and never too
cold; l think it is perfectly congenial with
my constitution L have never enjoyed
such an uninterrupted state of good health,
and | do hope this may find You all enjoy
ing the same. With this | shall close un-
til | hear from You. Please answer this,
as am nearly half distracted to hear from
you all Please remember lne to all friends,
and | remain,
Yours. truly, ELIJAH YopER.