Daily national Democrat., 1858-10-27
M0untain Correspondence.

LA ohAEj AtCn OcJ., 1898.
EDITOR DEMooRAr:-Just returned from
Port Wihe, a place where much mining has
been done, and will be done. The digging.
are of two kinds, bank and tunnel. Many
are doing well, and saving their money 9th.
ers spend as they go, drinking and gambling.
Drunk, drunk-go where you may, every
little town is infested with groggeries and
drunkards; few old men are to be seen. all
young ranging from twenty to forty-five.
Twenty five years hence, there will be more
old men in the State of California, than in
any three States in the Union wifeless-and
it may be said, homeless. 1t is the duty Of
every man to be husband, and of ever wo-
man to be WIFE For every creature there
is a mate, and for every man of responsibility
wife, and he should find her "Am l not
right, old Jepha?" True, wives are not to be
easily found in California they are not here
to find, and in consequence, thousands Of
young men are growing old-fast old in vice
and dissipation. Your scribe would be un-
derstood as referring in particular to the mi
ming community; the agricultural classes are
more civilized and better off. There is no
such thing as society in the mining regions !;
any drunken set of blackguards who have
money can rule those who pretend to decency
There is no restraint, and no example but
that of rudeness, and of degrading ten
dency.
The old song of moral reform is old even
in this State, and few wish to hear it, and
the editorial department seem to be aware of
it, and in that department there is great
want-a want of bold and untrammeled in
dependence; even many who can think and
speak, allow themselves to he "cribbed and
confined to the petty limits of policy Such
men make liberty but word-virtue
thing to mock at In the United States the
Press is the lever of power, and at whose
head men of ability only should be allc wed,
if possible; its power is thousand times
beyond that of the Church. What is the
opinion of the bigoted divine, or craftsman of
the church, to that of the man whose mind
scars above all selfish and local impediments,
and builds foundation of right for nations
to stand upon? We want more of such
minds in the editorial department of this
State, to make us what we profess to bean
independent and moral people
Storm storm 1t is now ninety-six hours
since the storm began-rain and snow, and
snow and rain. The expressman has Just
informed me that the is, in places on'the
ridge between Gibsonvile and Nelson Point,
three and four feet deep
This is glorious weather for the ditch COM
panies and miners The bitches are begin
ming to run full of water, and miners can go
to work, and golden harvest will be their
reward.
A passenger by the stage from Marysville
informs me that he counted, yesterday, on
the way up, some thirty odd teams set in the
mud
The community throughout this region
are in great alarm about provisons-not half
a supply has yet been laid in by the mer-
chants for the winter.
The morning stage for Pine Grove was
obliged to return, not being able to break
through the snow; and the mule train for
American Valley was also obliged to return
the depth of snow being so grc't that the
animals could not break a trail. This is tru.
ly a wintry looking country at this time,
and not more than one half the people have
yet gathered in their winters wood.
The Union Hotel is the only public house
that will remain open in this town during
the winter. 1t is under the control of Messrs
Smith E Daughters. The other houses have
been oblighed to close, and, for to-day, so
will Henry JACOB.