The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-08-02
Oenttal $lesys.
From p,irate Letter to the Y. Y. THJGne .
The MISERY aiEd De!gssion os Ca:ifor'
mia.
SAN FRAHclsco, May 2G, 1873.

II Has DScH Il matter 'i SFe"l SURPRISE ~ NV
s. thlt some one has NOT, before this, given Il true
) account nf the condition Of the people aud the
state of things i'll Cal.nrliia.
- have been in this State twelve weeks, aa,l
3 diving that time have seen more misrrv, more
5 vice, more Immortality, more blasted hopes and
wiiheripg disappointment, more nitrr wrctrIl-
edncss and impo,ent regrets than have ever
witnessed before in my whole life; and it is
ast"nislnng-it is amazing that Som,r p';Ian,
4 threpist has lot taken upon him. elf the task,
ere this, OF exposing to the world the state Of
affairs here, and the almost universal fate Of 4
great majority of California emigrants. All
who leave home for this supposed land Of god,
do so with high hopes and bii.liant cXpecia-
l tIons; bat did they know the almost certain
destiny which awaits them here, tcy would
sooner dig potatoes for fifty cents day than
rundertake this expedition.
Z la this city OF San Francisco there are, to.
day, two Thousand people, 1T least. seeking
employment, brt seeking it in vain. Occa.
s snraliy an advertisement will appear in The
papers. or a notice be posted up on the board
Of some intelligence Office, that a hotel waiter,
an experienced farmer, or few wood choppers
are wanted, and immediat " there will be u
rash Of eager applicants at the appointed place
I. Of Interview, like L pack of furnished wolves
around dead carcass.
Z Ehave scenyuuug inca, who left good >itna
tons. in stores and Offices at homc ril;ng up
4ulnber here on the decks, washing dishes and
doing IhenoSt nenial service in restaurants
andFhotels,, and others who are unable tu find
aagswork, which from their physical constitu-
ton or habits OF life they are competent to per-
fprin; aud know OF many and have heard of
! many mere, Mho are working for 90 and 50
dollars n. month, and tundreds who are wo'k-
,iagfur their beard, AND clad ofthe opportunity
todo that. ThcfeaGc hundreds Of strong and
;. rQhRstmen sitting in the hotels, and standing
. upon the norners Of the streets, without u cent
ofmepey in their pockets, who have sought
and striven for employment until their stout
hesftss become heavy with despair.
=. Those who have been accustomed to all the
] iaxafies of life at home and unused to manual
labor, (nd themselves here compelled TO Ell
calntter difficulties, aad suffer privatious they
: never dreamed of before, People are willing
: and a,ixious1t ito work--to do arg work-work
whieh they would have scoraed to lave done
before they saw California; but the Dork Is not
Aase7to do ); and the bitter exclamation goes
3 out from n thousand hearts every day, 80 God! !!
what. shall / dog They are as powerless as
z infants, as helpless as babes, for they cannot
make work, nor can they Jorce Il man to give
them employment when he has none to give.
The mental agony-tlc unspcken anguish Of
thessoul, felt here every tw ent yiour hours, are
almost equal to the tortures OF hell-who ever
saw such Il number of sd faces, such multi
&c in
city every week am sick, confess | ain
sick at7heart when see the crowds of deludcd
mortals brough to these shores by every steam
er that arrives. 1t is too bad-'tis wicked
tbs cruelty wrong. The great idea that seems
to pervade the States from Que end to the other
inpegard to California is a stupendous fraud
gigantic humbuG-a most iniuman scheme
ts:scheat thousands out of their home, their
happiness, their peace of mind, their property,
and, in too many eases Of their lives. Nine.
tenths Of the people here, in addition to all
erdsappointments aud privatious, are de-
prised of all the advantages of social inter
course and civilized society and in few weeks
their minds become rusty, and their moral
feelings and scnSibiiltics bIuntcd.
Tiiis is~nr fancy sketch, no picture of the
imagination, for no language at my command
is sufficiently strong TO express the misery, the
r disappontments and ruined expectations Of
niBeteep.twen;ieths of those who come to Cali
f'riia. What write imow to be true, and
fafy. voice could reach the ears aiii penetrate
the heart of the thousands who are yet to come
to these. shores, and they ooo"M belicrc what
they hear, what mountains OF sorrow Elsht DC
ayertsd
Good carpenters acAen Mey can obtain ro1k.
receive So day, but not one out Of twenty
Sssiye IS able 10 accumulate anything. They
sanay be employed one, two or three days. and
perhaps a. week, and then, the jnb completed
uptn which they have been 10 work, they are
compelled to lie iIlc uni! they can liad aroth,
crjuD, and thus spend the money which they
have earned. But if they should be Fortunate
enough to accumulate any Thing during The dry
season, they are obliged to spend it ali during
the net, ipr then little or no building can be
done TIE sa!nc is tie case it'll .nasoms a!.d
bricklayer< 1t is fact, acticA ccaaot be dc.
MED, that not one mechanic ont OF fifty can save
lis much money here as he can at hciuc; and
laboring men, who have no trade, with the JcSt
OF California fortune, are barely able to sup
port miserable existence. Board here, at The
cheapest hotels, cannot h. had for less than : 10
per week, and washing s.. per dozen.
The accu9nts which you rca'l il the papers
are uA Of them either G01ynrjgM les, or, w!ia;
is just as bad, Tie are calculated To-, and do,
m;sicad and deceiee. \ few people in the
mines arc doing well, bat wl:ile me man i,
making money ahundred are no more than
making their expenses. \ few individuals and
companies who have expended large sums Of