Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-07-08

III 10 supply the demand thus tar the prcseI
lie year; and yet, short time ago they WEI
De selling at 4 to 5 cts. pound, but are no,
worth l2a cts, which, allowing GO lbs. t
T Trr the bushel, is 81 SO a bushel. Money
: IS also very unstable. A large amount Q
business is done on borrowed capital, spc
culators intending to realize the proceed
of their investments in ample time to nee
their engagements. The consequence is
very often, disappointment in the enter
prise, forced sales, and total failures A
times, money can be loaned very readily
for 3 per cent. month, and 3 per cent. Z
month is at present the usual rate Of
interest.
l have case in point of the extent to
which speculation by way of monopoly is
carried. While the great fire was burning
in Sacramento in November last, steamer
started for San Francisco, having on board
two spectators. On their way down they
entered into an agreement with the Captain
of the boat, that he should lie off from the
wharf certain distance, and allow no one
to land but themselves-they to pay One
Dollar a Minute to the Captain until they
returned to the boat. They succeeded in
purchasing all the lumber in market, at a
low rate, and made their return in one
hour and forty minutes. The consequence
was, lumber could not be bought for less
than four hundred dollars thousand.
In proportion to its size, the business of
San Francisco will compare well with Phi
ladeiphia or New York The halbor is the
finest l ever saw-in fact, it is so attract
i've that the people are not content with
the boundaries God gave to the land, but
are stalking off ''water lots" into the Bay,
which sell for from S. to $4,000 each
About two-thirds Of the City has been an
extension into the Bay from the original
boundary line, and built upon piles driven
through the water into the soil, afterwards
filed up with earth from the hills which
in manner surround The city, preventing
an extension in any other direction only as
they level those hills.
Moralty-io say nothing about religion
appears to have but slight hold upon
the minds Of the people. Very few con-
verse without confirming almost every
assertion with an oath. Gambling has !
been and still is sanctioned by law. 1t is
strange. indeed. that Americans claiming .
to be philanthropists, and who profess to
have the welfare of the country at heart
who must be conscious that no country
can really prosper where such practices
abound-can look on without an effort a.
reform. If Legislators and those having
authority, if discerning men and heads of
families, will not see these evils and use
with energy all legal and moral means to
suppress them, they will receive the auath-
cmas of their children; yea, tho curses Of
their c,ildrcu's children viii follow them
to their graves.
The gambling hclls' are as large and
well furnished as any Of the public houses
in your cities. In the evening, they are
lighted up with large chandeliers, and fine
bands are constantly engaged pouring forth
most magnificent music, which has charms s
to attract almost any mortal. In some of (
the rooms they have handsome females ;
and some not SO handsomc-employed in
dealing the cards, and in carrying to and
fro the best and most enticing liquors that
can be procured or prepared. Is it at all
surprising that thousands are lured into
these splendid densy and few, very few,
when there can resist the apparent chances
for success. A few days ago, with some
others, entered one Of them GO to see for
myself" The band was in full blast, and
all was excitement. stepped up to faro
table: the operator threw his dice, leaving
them covered, and asked the bystanders to
put down their money. One on the right
put UOWu o., duOIuCA ou tnS AeAo pNe WV"
SO; the operator turning aside common
ced conversation with the person on the
right; the one on the left silly lifted the
cap, saw the dice, became much agitatcd,
searched his pockets, found $40 more, and
put it down; the operator all the while
apparently unconscious Of what was going
on, and intent upon his conversation. The
man on the left again lifted the cap, so
that others could see, and again he put
up another wager. All this time the ope-
orator had not moved the cap. Several
standing around at last put down their
money, sure Of winning. The man on the
left also trembled violently....up came the
cap, and all had lost {! q suppose they had
loaded dice.) The men on the left and
right in these "tricks Of trade" are called
&" cappers." They disguise themselves as
persons Just out of the mines, &c. &C., for
the purpose of drawing in those who have
oo-coJ hu hord and ;ncessant toil snfScient |