Litchfield enquirer., 1858-08-12
THE FRAZER RIVER MINES.

It is believed that at least twenty-five thousand able bodied Californians have al- ready started for Frazer River, and Califor- nia paper estimates that before the fall cleo. tion one-third of the voting population of the State will have gone to the British gold re- gions. A California correspondent of the N. Y. Courier and Enquirer gives an interesting account of the exodus and it's effects:
 "Our interior cities of Stockton and Sacramento have already suffered terri bly,. Particularly is this true of Sacra- mento City. Stores and dwellings are being closed out, and inmates leaving at any sacrifice for the north. Brick stores on J street, that have heretofore rented for one or two thousand dollars per month, can now be hired for one dol lar per day. Broken-down merchants, brokers, traders, &c., who could scrape together, by borrowing of their friends, few hundred dollars, went eagerly to Victoria, and purchased largely of town lots at $50 each-after which govern men+ put up the price to $l0O. At the latter price many were taken up, and are now held at thousands advance. Others located at .Whatcom, Sehome and other ports on Bellingham bay, where they hope to build up cities and make piles this gear: How far they have or will succeed, time alone must determine. No doubt many have al- ready increased their worldly gains, upon paper, a thousand fold. As it is, cities, towns, and mining camps are being s,t up over large tract of barren territory upon the river banks and bars of Frazer aud Thompson Rivers, where the report ed gold discoveries are said to exist in great quantities. As yet we have no tangible evidence of gold being there in such vast quantities as is reported. It is doubtful whether we have yet received in gold dust one dollar to the man of all who have yet departed from this State. Of the existence of gold in the bed of Thompson and Frazer rivers, there can be no doubt 1; but whether the water ever falls sufficiently to allow the drain- age of the rivers or the working of the bars to an extent to remunerate the great army of miners who have gone, and are yet to leave us, is quite prob lemetical. It is, however, quite remark able that we have as yet received no well authenticated news of failure to find gold dust. None have yet returned from the mines unrewarded or dissour- aged. The few that have returned, came down for goods and stores suited to their wants, and have gone back, full of hope, to the new mines Many " "early birds," who went up in April to prospect the country, have written back enceuragingly to their friends and co- partners, and there are many instances where stores, workshops, mills, &c., have been closed up, and all hands gone off with bag and baggage. carrying with them their wives and children.
 The rush is alarmingly great. The thoughtful business man is troubled to know the result upon trade and com merce in our own city and state. There is no doubt but a great injury has al- ready befallen our state, when viewed from mercantile stand point The trale |. of and with the interior of the state has we'll nigh been ruined, and for the time, broken up. As for our own city, no great injury has yet become percep- tible, though many of our jobbers of clothing and dry goods are greatly