Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1852-02-12
From the Bangor Couries.
Prospects in California.
"Oh, California! that's the land for me,
Pm bound for Sacramento,
With my wash-bowl on ny knee.

Believing that the Siren song California
is Turing many of our most valuable citi-
gems from the families and home, 10 meet
with certain Disappointment and distress,
and that nothing is wanted but true pic
lure of The country, and faithful exhibition
of the chances of success, in that land of
fables, 10 turn back al once the tide ofemi-
grafton which, excited by cupidity, is now
rushing with blind and headlong violence,
to The coast OF The Pacific. Ihave conceded
to ask the use of your colmns, to u brief
exhibition of what deem a faithful picture
of the fortune which awaits these adven.
turers.
The object in view with NIX 81, is TO dig
gold, and return. Few go with the inten-
ton TO become permanent settlers few to
engage in farming, merchandise, or me-
chanical pursuits. tits TO the prospects of
success in finding gold, that shall first ask
attention. The country is filled with reports
of great success of individuals in search.
Many of these reports are without founda-
ton, and some OF them, have a small basis
of truth. overshadowcd with monstrous
exagerations. The number that have re-
turned and brought with them as much
money as they took away with them, and
as they would havesearned in the time of
their absence, If they had diligently pur-
sued their business at home, is very small:
but it is enough TO furnish an opportunity
for those who are making fortunes, not in
digging gold, but i'll carrying people TO dig
gold, 10 send abroad over the land every
week, stories calculated 10 toll out victims.
aad keep the boats and boarding houses
full. But there is vast multitude who
have toiled on from day to day and week 10
week, suffering monstrols hardships and
many privations, only TO meet with constant
disappointments, many OF whom have been
in tuS land of gold for one two aud even
three years without obtaining enough to
pay their way back, suffering from disap-
pointment homesckness and disease, of
whom not few have sunk down and died.
all without any OF the comforts OF attentions
which alleviate sickness and soothe the dy-
ing hour, and many in entire solitude with
out human being near them. Of these,
there is no report spread abroad. Wives.
mothers, sisters, with aching hears. look
from day TO day for the return OF husbands.
sons, brothers,but all they meet is thai hope
deferred, which makes the heart sick. Of
the returned Californians, there is one who
has had the courage and the honesty 10 tell
the whole story of his gold hunting expert
ence. 1t is to his book that wish to direct
public attention, and of it propose 10 give
brief abstract. 1t is tentiiled Sixteen
Months, at The Gold Digging By Daniel 3.
Woods. 1t is for sale at the Bookstores in
this city; price fifty cents, and is the only
book have seen, which gives an account
from day 10 day of miners life, and sits
down honestly, the sums OF his daily gains.
The author sailed from Philadelphia Feb. J.,
1S49,on of an associated company of forty
persons. The story of the voyage and Journey
is well told, but l must pass over it, and
hurry as all gold hunters Go, to the mines.
They arrived at San Fransisco, June 25th.
and at Sacramento on the 29th 1849 OF
this city he says, ''Every thing is new except
the ground, trees and stars, beneath can
opy of which we slept QuarIeling and
cheating form the employmenis. drinking
and gambling the amusemenis, making the
largest pile of gold the only ambition ofihe
inhabitants" July 4th, l849. This company
commenced digging at Salmon Falls. on
the south fork of the American river This
the first day yielded ten cents each. "July
5lh. My share TO day is 81 20" 9th. $500
each. 7th. Towards night made fifty cents
TO pan. This day two men in sight ofthe
company took out 1922 before breakfast
9th. Sunday, all except one quit work. 9th.
Made $50 each. One of the conclusions
at which we are rapidly arriving, is that the
chances of our making fortune inthe gold
mines is about the same as those of our
drawing prize i'll lottery No kind of
work is SO uncertain. miner maylhappen
upon good location on his very first al
tempt, and in very few days make his hun
dreds, of thousands, while the old miners
about him may be doing nothing" This is
illustrated by on incident which happened
at this time. Two old miners had dispute
about their claim They referred it 10 a
stranger who had just arrived and who had
not done an hours work in the mines He
measured of TO each, ten feet, The space al
lowed by custom, and took for his trouble
narrow strip which lay between their lots.
In few hours the large claims of the old
miners were abandoned as useless. while
the new miner discovered in his little lot a
deposite which yielded $7434. Our forty
men in the some location dug July 10, So
each. Our Diet be says, consists of hard
bread, flour which we eat half cooked. and
salt pork with occasionally salmon which
we purchase OF the Indians, vegetables are
not to be procured. Our feet are wet all
day, while a hot sun shines down on our
heads, and the very air parches the skin,
like the hot air of an oven. Our drinking
water comes down.to us thoroughly iinpreg.
mated with the mineral substances. worked
through the the thousand cradles above us.
After our days labor, exhausted and faint
we reiire-if this word may be applied to
the simple act of lying down in our clothes
robbing our feet of their boots 10 make a
pillow OF them, and wrapping our blankets
about us, on bed of pine boughs, or on
the ground beneath the clear bright stars of