The weekly Columbian., 1857-04-11
" EEKLY COLU MBIAN
Newspaper Siander

Newspaper SANDER.
Under the heading of GA California
Adventurer," with the question, Who is
He?' the Golden Era, of March the
29th, with that cunning and falsehood
characteristic of the paper, says:-" We
find the following picture of California
Editor in late Ohio paper. The writer
signs himself Returned Californian
There is a numerous class of persons scat
tered over California. made up of broken down
mners-lawyers and physicians, withou prac-
tice, gamblers, and the odds and ends of all ma
tlOns, too lazy to work and known by the gene
raj name of loafers.
Jay Wing belonged to this class. He was
a thorough loafer. Born somewhere in the wide
West, he had contrivcd during the highest Cali
fornia excitement, to make his way across the
plains-how. no one can tcll-expecting to be
able to scramble up pile in hurry, with little
exerton. To his intense disgust he found that
gold was to be got only by hard bone labor
and as work formed no part of his nature, he de-
termined to get his living in some easier man
ner.
after trying his luck at various occupations.
without success. and possessing fair English
education, which he had finished up by an in
discriminate reading of trashy novels he con-
uded to undertake the duties of an editor.
AT length, by the aid OF loans and subscrip-
ons, he succeeded in starting. in trading
rn of some two or three thousand inhabitants
Gold Hill Neacs and Miners Telegraph, a paper
oted to Politics, Morality, Mining Intelli-
ce. and general literature.
For time everything went on swimming
being an editor gave Jay Wing credit at
) .ne boarding houses and billiard rooms, which,
to him, was great consideration.
''The paper was passable affair, so far as it
was composed of advertisements, but the editO-
rials and selections rather inclined to fine wri-
ting, descriptions of glorious sunsets, messy
banks and mountain scenery.
Occasional correspondents from different
parts of the country contributed some interest
ing mining news, and very rarely the editor
would give his deliberate opinions on the state
of the Union, &c.
Subscribers soon began to tire of such a
weak affair, and it so happened that one week
the editor received from some wicked wag of a
correspondent we'll written description of a
newly discovered cave in distant part of the
country, mnutely describing its various wind
ings and apartments. In one part of the cave
was found several ancient earthen vessels bear
ing the we'll known inscription 'Itis," &c.
This communication appeared in full in the
next issue, without shadow Of suspicion on the
part of the editor, that there was hoax in the
matter. When some one called his attention
to it. and translated the sentences for him, he
started out into the street. and shifting his fore
head, he cried in his regrets. Boys. by JOve, |
always thought was fool, and now | know
itn
The Era, starts off with falsehood in
saying that, the above article was taken
from late Ohio paper, in proof of which
we challenge it to produce the paper in
which it was published In CHASING US
with "broken down miners, lawyers aud
physicians, without practice" we will not
complain, though unjust, as there is no
thing disreputable in connection with
them; but when that ably edited y and
refined (D sheet classes US with gamblers,
and the odds and ends of all nations, too
lazy to work, and known by the general
name of loafers," it again publishes false
hood, which all its abilities and those
ofiss correspondents cannot justify. We
will not dodge the question and do not
fear to meet it, that we are the person re-
ferred to, under the appellation of "Jay
Wing" that we crossed the plains at an
early day is true-concerning our educa-
tion, and the extent of it, we leave with
our readers to Judge; suffice it to say
that we came by such as we possess hon.
estly; certificate of which we happily
hold in our possession. We gained it
through our own individual exertion, and
for which we are under obligations to
none but the Almighty Power that gave
us health.
We started the Grass Valley Tele-
graph soon after our arrival in California; /;
perhaps inconsiderately, as we neither
had age nor experience to justify it,-be-
ing the first enterprise in which we ever
engaged. In eight or nine months we
were obliged to suspend publication,
with however as good subscription list
as any in that portion of the mountains
afforded. In FIVE or six months after, we
started the Georgetown Neus, and we
hatter ourself, not disci editably. During
she tei m of its control, however, and over
two years ago, we received communi-
cation for the Nea0s, pun porting to re-
late to discoveries Just made in cave