The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-03-27
NOW lT STRlKEs 4 sTRANGER.

HOW 1T STRIKES A STRANGER.
4 letter by the last steamer from gentleman
who recently reached san Francisco. saws:
My first glance at san Francisco was a gaze
oI wonder, and that wonder has increased every
day since. | see an immense city, DESTROYED (.
times IN years, and times rebuilt In MAY
last, over ouc-half was swept away, and ~ june
the other half followed, with or blocks Of the
rebuilt portion, and still now, in short months.
every foo. Of IT, and more, is covered with build
ing,
81 see the whole business part Of the CITY built
upon the site Of the waters; the sea thrust from
her domuuns- wharyr' erected, aud sand hill
200 lect high thrown into them; piers built out
INTO the water and houses erected on them
Talk Of London Bridge. why, here are whole
blocks OF houses built on bridges. ! see all this
vast work. and know that each man who drove !.
nail, or hurled o shovel full Of dirt, received lom
five TO eight dollars q day. The question Is. who
can calculate 'ha cNpau-ci whci, able to pay for
~ who j. able to ru., his property! what hu-
siDes7 will Justify it and whence come. the
wealth TINT Imports this great f,biic' The an
twcr Is: IN the valley Of the Sacramento has
been found some yellow mctal,-uut enough IL
MI the small room in which write: and this
Las created all ,hc wonders that I'm the aching
Nlsioa, aud distract the whrlng brain Of the look.
er.on. There is no better idea than that of
'whirling brain for ! have been informed that
persons OF respectable abilities and energy in
1.-THE states, have come here and in an excess of
wonderment and surprise, have actually sat down
and dwnded into idIocy, while the more stolid
and unimpressive h.ye gone to work and become
wealthy, before they knew why or wherefore, or
even that they were 50.
"Ihe recuperatye power of the people here is
tremendous. The stimulus Of gam brings il ont
friend remarked TO me the other cay that il
was the hrst country in the world to break ill., for
although poor to day, man by industry NAV he.
come rich tomorrow. am satisfied from what
have seen and heard, that there is no business
that man may follow, at which he may not
make as much money rs he may want, if he be
industrious and steady. The trouble is that 90
out Of 100 spend their money as fast as they
make IT,
There ia a marked jispraportion in the prices
ofihlngs and labor here. The market. nuctuatc
but generally merchandise may be rated at 100
per cent higher than in the East while produce
and labor Is from to 10 times IA high. For OK.
nmple-flour is $40 per Dbl. beef pork, bacon
%o, 20 TO 80 cts per pound; dry goods and gro.
ceres twice as high as with you while labor.
er or mechanic gets from S. TO $40 per diem
lhe making OF n dress is often more than tho
value of the material Ladies dress. worth 81 80
per yard, will cost SOS, while they charge sl2.5o
for making calico wrapper. With ali this you
would stare to sec how extravasnntl7 ndic.
dress, In all my days never saw such splen.
dor Of garb
81 am getting little over the astonishmcnt n,
high prices, but still il seems queer tina, | can
buy anything for less than a quarter. | want
cents worth Of tobacco ts,a,es price II ia % cts
dimes worth Of cigars 30 cents boots blncl,
ed. 25 cents; shoes, % cents, and so on. A $40
piece does not go farther than 81 n, home
What would Mr.. Francis think Of renting h
house, in which Is the Printing Office n, 81 oot
per month yet il he had it here he could do !,
A simple frame shed will rent Mt from $500 /,
$500 per month The lady with whom hoard
cd a week, pays for her house, some rooms, nm,
small nj that, $40 per day, aud 300 month 70
servan, girl
al l.. L.. -. 4