Volcano weekly ledger., 1855-12-22
Mr. Henry 8. Byain,
Times in California.

the prosperity or money-making facilities OF
the country in which they live. Money is the
great regulator, talk as we may about this,
that, or other feature that may go to make
up country's Importance. Almost all tenn
poral or mundane things are measured by a
money standard; and above all other coun-
tries in the world, California perhaps comes
most emphatieally under this rule We may
talk as we please about our truly delightful
climate our beautiful scenery, our health-pre-
serving atmosphere, and all that sort of
thing; they are all very well in their way, but
the desire to possess gold is the one great OBJ
ject that has peopled California
California are the subjects of deepest interest.
Where can you find the man who will not
tell you that he removed to this FL Dorado
of the western world for the purpose of bet
terlng his pecuniary condition? AL all
came for the self-same object; and all are in
terested alike in the developement of our
States resources.
The past year in California has discouraged
many; prosperity has been less general than
in former years. Those who have anything
like distinct recollection of 40, 80 81 and
'52, can readily discern the difference between
those years and 1855 Then, every man. or
almost every man, had money in his pocket;
now there are probably as many broke"
men in California, according to her popula-
tion as in any other part of the world Then, |
the precious metal was to be picked up al
most without labor in every ravine and gulch
now it is not so easily obtained We are of
those who have no thought that the mines
are worked out; we believe they are scarcely
prospected; yet it would be nonsense to con-
tend that the gold easiest obtained has not
been skinned off, The gulches have been
"gutted," surface diggings stripped of-in
short, as was perfectly natural, the earliest
miners appropriated the claims that were
easiest worked, and left for those who should |
come after them the task of going deeper
into the bowels of the earth They had but
few difficulties to overcome in the pursuit of
their ayocation; the miner Of to-day has
many. But little of energy, industry or skill
were then required; now all of these quail
fcations must be brought into requsition
This marked and decided change in the
nbo afa pf ho ~
out its depressing effect on monetary and
business affairs. How could it be other
wise? For the past year we have been as it
were in transition passing from early
times in California, to the more staid and
permanent condition of affairs now to be es-
tablished. AS if by common consent. this
transition state is universally acknowledged
and appreciated. The hundreds, nav thou
sands of men and women who in times gone
by obtained their living by disreputable
means-whose livelihood was drawn from the
of wealth in the country
have mostly abandoned their respective call
ings from sheer necessity The miner has
no longer "more money than he knows what
to do WITH" he has no longer dust enough
for himself and to spare-he can no longer
afford to throw it away on the gambling ta
BILE, dedicate it to the support of the vile, or
" loan it to lazy, loafng friend who has
not the energy to support himself lie can
not spend two or three ounces tonight. and
be sure of replenishing his purse with an equal
sum tomorrow.
lhere Is perhaps no better evidence of the
change that has taken place in the country
than is to be observed in and about saloons
1t is shown that California is a realty-not
a mere fancy bower, where, with the aid Of
accommodating genii, golden treasures are
picked up for the mere asking; and we wonld
respectfully submit that the period now
dawnng upon us is really the most to
be desired of any that has yet been shadowed
forth III the history of the State We have
had dry season-a dry year-unpropitions
for mining, as if to help along the transition
we have been passing through; and w. firmly
believe that with the dawnng of the wear
1856, the permanent actual prosperity of tho
Eureka State may be dated to commence
There are evidences that We are to have rain
the one thing most needed in mining opera
ions; and the people are now convinced that
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