The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-09
THINGS IN CALIFORNIA DIVISION sLAvERY

ROUGH AND READY, CAL, Oct. %, 1852.
To the Editor of the National Era
DEAR SIR: The overland immigration hai
beed uncommonly large this season-supposet
by the best judges to run up as high rs fifty
thousand, ten thousand of which took the Ore
gon route Several hundred wagons are still
behind, the owners of which will have to re
main in Carson Valley till spring, a. the snow
is already from three to four feet deep on the
Nevada mountains. A large number of fami
lies have arrived this season, who design Il
make California their future home, which will
contribute largely to the domestic interests Of
the State. There is no sight on earth so pleas
ant to the miner, as women and children r
their midst. II seems to make tolerable an ex
stence in these lofty mountains, and the dark
deep ravines into which the miner has tc
plunge, in order to develop that for which he
came and for which he labors
It is estimated, and | think correctly. that
not less than fifteen hundred persons have lost
their lives this season, in crossing the plains
What an army of men, women, and children,
to be sacrificed in one season to the Moioch OF
GoMi
The mining interests of the country are being
developed daily, by the discovery of new and
rich diggings; and the fact is now fully estab-
lished, that this country from the Nevadas to
the Pacific coast, is full of gold This must
continue, from the very nature of things,
through all coming time, to be one of the rich
est mining countries on the face of the globe.
The rivers yield unusually we'll this season.
The river claims are all worked by companies.
In some instances they have expended from
fifty to one hundred thousand dollars in fun.
ing and making preparations to work their
claims and, after this immense expenditure,
find them unproductive, and abandon them
altogether Others, with vastly less expense.
have found, on entering the river, that their
claims would pay from five to thousand dol.
lars per day to man. Everything is uncer.
tain in the mining department; and, although
gold is distributed all through the country, YET
it il very difficult to find locations where man
can he remunerated for the sacrifice made and
the expense incurred in coming to this country
There are many persons here, who came in
'49 and 80, who have no tangible sAo,c and
others who have made fortunes and who have
returned home to fill the region Of country from
which they came with the gold excitement.
Persons of inferior capacities have come to
this country, and in short time have secured
n competence for life. The success of this claa
Of individuals has induced others. well of to
live at home, and Of large business capacity, to
close up their business, and leave for the III
Dorado of the West. But here to their great
discontinue, thcy have found that the race il
not to the swift, nor the battle TO the strong, y
but to the man who is fortunate enough 70
strike good lead
The usual wages paid for labor is five dol
lars per day. The great mining interest Of the
country will ultimately he controlled by COM
panies, and private mining will cease alto
gether.
This State viii ship largefkmount of gold
this month than usual, owing to the amount
taken from the rivers at this season. The
quantity shipped will exceed six millions. This
immense shipment must have n very sensible
influence upon the monetary affairs at home.
and produce an undue excitement in favor OF
emigrating TO this State.
are now being rapidly developed, and will
undoubtedly in short time produce enough of
everything that can BIO raised in the State for
home consumption.
The political aspect of tho country is any
thing but fsttering to the friends of freedom
Although the effort to divide the State which
was made last winter proved abortivc, yet the
friends Of this measure are not dead nor sleep
ing Neither is there anything openly said
upon the subject at present But the friends
Of slavery are secretly and actively at work,
and have no doubt that ut the opening Of tho
Legislature this winter they will prove more
than match for the friends Of freedom. The
great MACS Of tho politicians Of this STATE ure