San Andreas independent., 1857-11-14
A CHANGE-BETrER OR Wopsp

o' on ooOOuHt vi tHe lncOnVe-
nience and delay occasioned by the boats
running between San Francisco and Stock
ton, getting aground on the sand bars
below the latter place. The merchants
from the mines are in the habit of going
to the city in the early part of the week,
and returning with large quantities of
coin, make their arrangements to reach
home on Saturday, SO as to be prepared
for the trade of Sunday, which is their
busiest day, particularly in the purchase
of gold-the miners generally coming in
on that day to sell their dust, and it is
all-important that the trader should be
on hand with his coin, prepared to ac-
eommodate his customers and the public
But of late, no calculations can be made
The boat leaves San Francisco in the af-
ternoon, and business men expect to make
Stockton the following morning in time
to take passage on the stages. But the
boat gets out of fuel, sticks fast on the
bar in sight of the city-passengers, trea-
sure and express matter, all detained !;
the stages start off and leave them, and
there they are detained twenty-four hours
when their business absolutely requires
they should be at home. If this had oc-
CURED but once or twice, it would be
readily looked upon as an unavoidable
accident. But we are credibly informed
that lately it is of frequent, in fact almost
daily occurrence.
Now, it does appear that the bloated
monopoly-the California Steam Naviga-
tion Company-which has grown fat and
saucy upon the extortions it has practiced
upon the travelling public, could afford to
put on boats of lighter draft to run in
times of low water, and thereby show, at
least, small disposition to accommodate
those who have fed and built it up to its
present condition of wealth and prosperi-
ty. The company has numbers of boats
lying idle-why are they not put upon
the line and if not of draft sufficiently
Light, let others be constructed that would
be suitable for the emergency. The COM
pany is rich, and can well afford to do it.
But no what does that consolidation care
for the convenience and accommodation
of those who travel upon its boats, so
long as itreceives the " almighty dollar?"
Whether the passage is made in twelve
or forty eight hours, the public must pa
tronize the Navigation Company, and
well does the company know it, or better
arrangements would be made.
On Saturday last, we understand, the
steamer bound for Stockton run aground
just below and in sight of the city, and
passengers and express boxes, with large
amounts of treasure, in coin, bound for
the mines, where it was needed for Sun
day, were detained, and the express agents
did not even send down in order to have
the express matter brought off in time
for the stages. What has become of all
the energy of the great Express of Wells,
Fargo Il Co which has heretofore gained
the confidence of the entire community,
by the promptness and dispatch with
which its agents have attended to their
business? Is it, too, falling into state
of lethargy and inactivity, and feeling
of indifference to the peoples wants and
necessities because it has no opposi-
tion-because it has the entire express
business of the Southern Mines Does
sending packages and letters through
from San Francisco to the mines in forty
eight hours, when it has heretofore been
done in twenty-four, come up to the idea
of cypress, as understood by the people
We would ask, what are the people of
Stockton about? Are they dead to every
feeling of ambition, pride and self-inter-
est, that they suffer the channel to fill up
with sand almost at their wharf? Do
they not value the travel through their
city from the mines to the Bay? If the
steamboat company will do nothing to
remedy the existing evils, cannot the cit
liens of Stockton, when the steamer is
aground in sight of them, manage. some
way, to have passengers landed, that thev
may pursue their journey without being
detained! Cannot some one in the Slough
City muster sufficient energy to take out
a boat (when they can make money bv
it) and land the passengers, that thev
may proceed on their way2 If some diff
ferent arrangements are not made. the
time is not far distant when the travel
from Calaveras and Tuolumne counties
to San Francisco, will take the way of
Sacran,onto rotbor than that of C4o.l.