Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-04-16
Visions Of California.

Il w utCHiHtht NHiSh Hao pSSh "SS'uS"
tally laid aside for,wo or three months
past a letter from correspondent ii
California, the further publication o
which may seem to awaken some rea
dor who is troubled with the "yellow
fever" to tho sober realities which
force themselves upon many an en-
thusiastic dreamer, who has left the
ondearments and duties Of homo to
dig after "6lthy lucro."
You arrive at San Francisco filled
with bright visions of gold. You in
quire for the best mines. From one
YOU will receive glowing accounts ui
the Clamath river diggins. From a
nnthcr you are advised to go TO Shas.
ia. By third, to Yuba. By fourth,
to Feather river, aud so on, until eve.
ry river from the Oregon line to Los
Angeles is pronounced the best. Your
mind becomes bewildered, and your
thoughts are spread out over thousand
miles in extent, You finally "put out"
fort northern mines and locate on
the upper Yuba. Here you find a
wild romantic scene Of mountains pi-
led high up towards Heaven, with i'm
mcnse chasms between, walled in
with granite. Every ravine presents
scene Of life aud activity. Men in
red and blue shirts are busy with the
pick and shovel, supplying earth for
the Cradle and the Tom, appliances
for washing out gold. After looking
out for several days, gathering infor-
mation, you learn that "all of the
ground is claimed" and that the arcr-
age yield docs not exceed three doll.
ars per day from which must he lie.
duclcd The price of living. You are
pointed to several "lucky homGres."
who have taken out eighteen, twenty.
seven, and thirty.two thousand dollars
within one month. You examine the
little ragged openings in the bed of
the brook, and find them similar to
those adjacent, from which scarcely
any gold has been extracted. By
conversation with the niners'you learn
that general disappointment pervades
and most are signing for the sweet
comfalts of absent home. Hope, un-
dying hope, by day, and bright dreams
of gold at night, sustain s,esc unwon.
ted labors. All are anxious to return
to the eudeared- circle of relatives
and friends, and to drink once more
of the pure waters Of domestic and
social enjoyment. Pride and poverty
interpose barrier to their return,
while avaricc pushes them onward, in
the toll for gold. Satisfied that this is
not the place for your fortune, you
take passage for Sacramento, on your
way 10 the southern mines. Arrived
in this city you perceive number of
miners in their peculiar dress, and
learn that they como in to meet the
mail from the States which will be
ready for delivery in tho morning.
Your curiosity leads you to the post
Office on the following day, where
you find long single file Of men en-
tending from the delivery box for a
square or more. You look for awhile
at the varied expressions of interest
marked on the faces of these hardy
and determined characters. Occupi-
ed by rather gloomy reflections, you
turn away. and proceeding a few steps
ore attracted to a group of men, in-
tent on listening to one who seated on
a box in the street, was reading let
ter just taken from the office. His
large mastache and overnowing beard
with his entire dress, presented an ex-
terror, forbidding, and rough as the
unhcwn granite. The-little group of
friends around him seemed eager to
hear every word. Very soon he was
wiping from his eyes the big tears
which rapidly rushed from their foun-
tain, and chased each other over his
bronzed checks. His little audience
were deeply affected. Who can wit
ness tears lrickling down such checks,
aud afterwards judge of character by
the exterior. 1t was the simple, af-
fectiona,e letter of wife, calling him
home, aud pointing to the bright light
and warm fire that blazed on his own
hearth, that hnd smiltcn from the rock
this stream Of pure water. With anx-
ious thoughts uf home you turn away
from this scene, your heart swelling
with dear remembrance Of your own
domestic hearth, and the sweet asso-
ciatiJns which clustered around it.
As YOU retire, thinking Of those dear
ones far away, in the language Of the
poet you ask yourself
"Do they miss mo at home do they miss me
At morning, at uoon, or at nsh,f
And fingers one gloomy shade round them,
That only my presence can light
ArY Joys lrSs inviilngly welcomed,
ter pleasures css hailed than before
3oatuse ! an with them no morei"
"Ol yes, they DO miss inc kind voices
LI..... 49,. /. IL. ~ 1 rnntn