Litchfield enquirer., 1852-04-22
CALIFORNIA EMIeRANTs.

OM1AE UANtA LMAWNAN IS,
 The California papers received by the
 last arrival from tue Pacific Coast, con
 tain numerous articles signed by passen. gers. in which bitter complaints are made of the shameful impositions practiced upon themselves and others. by agents and officers on the California Emigrant Companies. We have heretofore chron- icled the fact, that thoucands of passen gers who had purchased through tickets In New York. were purposely left at Panama; and few days since. intelli> gence came that one of the emigrant ves- sells had run aground on the Pacific shore, (desigaedly as many believed,) leaving several hundred passengers. including children, baggage, &c. to find their way to San Francisco as they best could. In New York great business is still car ried on in the sale of spurious tickets (S2O0 each)-iickets, oft,n. for passage on board of ships or steamers which nev- CT were built, or which are no where to be found the ticket-sellers therefor be- ing sure to abscond previous to the day fixed for the sailing.
 The public appear to have had great confidence inVanderbilt's Nicaragua Line because of the we'll known wealth and enterprise of Vanderbilt. It would seem, however, that this confidence has been sadly misplaced. We have before us statement signed by ls4 passengers who sailed from New York in the steamer Daniel Webster, of Vanderbih's Line.- They say
 | "On arriving in New York from the country, we found that we were obliged
 to pay l5 cents per pound freight on all
 our baggage, instead of allowing us each
 250 lbs. as advertised. Finding remon- strance unavailing, we consented to this.
 the first imposition. Proceeding on board
 the Daniel Webster, we found everything
 contrary to what had been represented
 the sleeping apartments and convenien>
 ces were insufficient, and our food mis-
 erable in the extreme, and entirely unfit
 for hnman beings to par;ake of. In con
 sequence of tue officers being unfit for
 daty from the effects of drunkenness, we
 ran forty miles out of the way, passing
 San Juan dei Norte before the mistake
 was discovered, when we returned" They state that after leaving the Dan-
 iel Webster. they were five days crossing from ocean to ocean. in small boats and
 on mules, instead of twelve hours, ~s had oeen represented. No sleeping apart ments whatever were provided. and men ' women and children wsle all huddled . together in the boats for four days and nights. During this time. passengers were compelled to purchase tteir pro- visions of the officers at most exorbitant
 prices-paying thirty cents each for bis.
 cult which weighed less than three oun- ces. and $25 for supper for nine persons. n four of whom were small childIen, In , addition. they were compelled to pay for $ loading and unloading their baggage ! On arriving on the Pacific side, they found Q still more contracted and miver . able steamer awaiting them. But here g they were again swindled. They were not allowed to go on board until they = had paid el per head and 50 cents per Q trunk. They ada
 h Remons.rance was in vain; on ap.
 pealinR to the captain ws wels referred :" to the pUrssr, by him ws were sen. lc tho doctor, and from him to the mate, v all shifting the responsibility and wheu 'e our backs were turned the whole allaIv le woSld bo thrown Into Tidicule. FlndInr n, 1hlslo be the ease, we quielly selllsd down \ Inio an apalhy, and dld n0t care whether
 we lived or dISd. Ca the whole Og tho pas. '" Sage mp, the treatment We received mover le vAfied, bnt we were subjected Co the lnaaI " sninmaene And lnhHman treatment lhmt 0na \. san poasiblS conceive of Wo Wbre poI !. AlOne thFeAloAsa with death from alaFva. Y lion nnd aapoanEe, hnl also, thFuuah llas
 eFsn'aAl nnd FssAlsss conduct oT tlie OlIl.