The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-03-24
A Sensible Man.

We make the following extract from letter
in the Detroit Free Perss. lfall who write from
California would speak as plainly, the number
of ..Cal.fornia widows would be much
less.
The strange adventures Of Michigan men
might fill a volume in this prolific land of gold
and excitement, but have not either time or
space to devote to the subject. Suffice that
they come in for their share of good and evil
fortune--as elsewhere.
The climate and productions Of this State are
such, that large population of producers will
soon occupy the vacant tillable lands, and living
will be reduced to the ordinary standard Of an
Atlantic city. Potatoes, barley and onions are
produced in abundance, and of size to aston
ISL Michigan farmer. In fact, Cal fornia
contains within herself the elements Of a great
state, and II you were here to witness the won
defni energy with which things are driven
ahead, you would become satisfied of the in
evItable suit. The steamers come, loaded
win en,isfan,s, or adventures, [as you please
to call themJ full Of expectation Of ,;old. that
am fearful will never be realized as Mining /. tho
great inducements, o. rather its rewards. for
the undertaking of a hazardous and iationino
journey of 5000 miles, attended by almos, every
exposure that is possible to think Of Shin
fever, ague fever, and, last of all that scourge
of the human race, Panama fever are but few Of
the evils that acco:np,ny and follow in the train
OF the ardent and enthusiastic candid tie for
California fame. Upon their arrival they are
led to this point of the compass, and of that by
The golden stories Of interested persons, until
L sing all confidence in pretended friends or
enemies they turn, when too late, towards their
distant places with the exclamation, that if only
pack no earthly consideration should induce
them TO leave even the comforts of a poor
nome to encounter the hardshps and uncer-
talnties OF California life. -a
| Inc INNING region is covered with innumer-
aDie claims OF all kinds, and the young miner
often fnis that, insead of the privilege of dig
/ ging on his own account, as confidently expect.
ed, he has to pay for the value of the claim, and
often realize nothing tor his labor have
met men that have been two and even three
! years IN the mines without one cent i'm their
| pockets, and In dc BIT at that. One poor fellow,
a doctor from Indiana cried while he recoun;ed
the hardshps and disappointments of his three
year stay In the mountains. In view Of the
state OF things existing here, the uncertainty of
success, the almost certainty Of disease, and in
many cases of death, attendant upon the first.
exit OF the entcrprising citizens Of our State, [
would earnestly advise that no persons, having
any way of living at home, should think Of
coming to California. The steamers carry over
seml-mon,hy large amounts Of gold but when
you reflect that a large number of persons (say
2oo,OO0) are engaged in searching every canon,
crevice and ravine in the gold region for the
shining metz /, that some must, as a natural con-
sequence, succeed, but still the great majority
1--we and labor on, in the faint hope that fortune
may turn up something to their advantage-that
the ptle, to use their OWL language, may be made
up, and, once. the comforts of home be theirs.
Youi may think my picture somewhat over
drawn, and that the dark side is only up, but my
observations have been directed to the facts
and not the fanciful representations Of those
who may have realized their expectations, to
certain extent. great many came out here at
a very early day, and made some money, upon
which they returned-but, finding the every
day transaction of the atlantic Sfates too slow
Tor them, have returned in full expectation of
repeating their first success but tell you two
thirds of that class don't know the country on
their return. as everything goes upon the high
pressure principle, and gulch hill assumes
an entire new appearance in few short months
A poor fellow told me that he had been back
three months, and that 81 900 had gone in that
time
The land commissioners have made, be-
leve, two or three abortive attempts at secess-
ion, but as yet nothing has been done that looks
like a settlement at any distant dav of the land
titles of California. At present the whole avail
able portion Of the State is covered by conflict
ing administrations to the parties concerned,
aud highly detrimental to the agricultural inter-
esis of the people.
1t is confidently expected that Congress will
never endorse large grants of land to indv;du-
ais, as directly tending to renewal here Of the
disturbances of the Livingston and Van Rens-
seaer ManoIs of New York, as the safety and
interest of the country consists in its establish
ing small independent freehoders. will write
you again in few days, if do not return
Your friend.