The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-01-26
THE WINTERS IN cALrroRNIA.
The sau Francisco Herald of Dec. ]

The San Francisco Herald of Dec. 16,
thus writes of the weather there:
The WINTER Winter in California re-
sembes spring more than winter OF the east
Strictly speaking there are but two seasons
on this coast--the wet and the dry. The
frst rains have fallen. and the green grass
already begins TO appear upon the hills a
round San, Francisco. During the next four
weeks Vegetation Of all kinds will receive its
first impetus, and precisely at that period of
the year, when anything is buried in gloom
and desolation, on the Atlantic Sesboard,
when the trees arc free of every leaf, the
fields OF every verdure, and the little streams
choked 10 icy fsiters, in this favored cline
the flowers begin TO start from their "root
bed Of fbrous feather" The grains 10 swell
and, shoot forth, and tho. forest TO done its
deepest garments of green. January is
The April of the West. and the hills
look brightest, ADD the valleys look gayest
in the gloomiest months on the east Of the
Rocky Mountains. Now we are enjoying
the "silver singing rains Of the young year."
whilst the ''sere leaf, ~ and The snow maniled
landscapes, are preaching their sermons Of
death and desolation 70 our friends in our
early home.
True, we miss the merry jingle OF the
sleigh bells, and the graceful gate OF the ac-
complished skater. But we are at the same
time free from frozen noses, and frost bitten
toes; from shverng in the morning and
trembling between the cold sheets at night {;
from coughs and catnrrhs, pleurisies. and
consumptions. We have in exchange for
these winter comforts, some rain that we
~ 1aOty Ruf- rthon ma Hrou bpr that
the same puddle which swamped our boot,
will aid our mining friends to wash out half
pound of gold; and that the same shower
which cut of The pedestrnal communication
between the northwest and southwest cor
ners of Clay and Montgomery streets, will
enable the dry diggers Of El Dorado and
Mariposa TO bridge it over with ingots. and
we are enabled TO draw some comfort from
our inconveniences, and return thanks to
Heaven that we are SO much better off than
our New England cousins, whose blue nos
es betokeu north winds and frosty morn
ings.
Foundation of Great Western City.
A letter from Council Bluffs gives the fol-
flowing brief but intelligent description of
place that is growing rapidly into impor-
lance and will soon be great city in the
West
Council Bluffs City is situated in Potta-
watlimie county, Iowa, aud is the principal
oulfitting and starting place for emigranis TO
California, Utah and Oregon. Five years
ago its site was occupied by few Indian
huts, Its present population is about fifteen
hundred. There are five railroads project
! ing from the town 10 different points, and
the inhabitants claim that the only practical
route for Pacific railroad is through their
place. Laborers' wages range from 10 TO
1 81 SO a day, and from twelve 10 twenty dol
liars per month. The ncighboring country
is well adapted to farming purposes, and its
advantages, as well as those of Council
Bluffs, find an able advocate in the Western
Buge. From that paper of the I'd inst, We
clip the following -
Some of our merchants sell fifty thousand
dollars worth Of goods yearly. Land that
was offered for three hundred dollars one
wear ago, was sold soon after the Land o.
ice was opened here for fifteen hundred,
and is now worth five thousand. The ID. w.
Miller farm sold in 1851 for seven hundred
dollars-it is now laid out in lots which sell
readily from one to five hundred per lot, and
still rising rapidly in value. We have six
ferries across the Missouri in this vicinity,
ull of which are prepared to cross emigrants.
Add to which the large business houses OF
our Guy, and the secret is told of our rapid
growth, as well of the emigration centers
here to outfit across the plains; aud this sea-
son our merchants have done very good
business with the etnigrans who lave ro.
turned from the Pacific across the plains
Instead of taking the graveyard route usual
ly taken by returned emigrants, via the 18th
mus, next season we may expect much
larger return emigration, as stations fol
their convenience will be built BY private
enterprise up to the Platte Valley. Coun'
Gill Bluffs City is the half way station for the
commerce of the world.
A FEARFUL ScESE.-The Dayton Jour