The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-29
[oorscspondcnse Of tho u, Y journal Of Commerce.

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90 A44 NftAsa fi'- -
n[oorrcspoudenee Of ,he n Y journal Of connlercel
SAN FHAscnco July 5, 1s5s-It Is now more than
three months since the tidngs to US, in tangible
for that gold could be found at the Frazer river mines
in quantities. and although we have yet but imperfect
adyccs az to their real extent and richness yet strong
are the convctops in the minds Of the that the
mines arc nh A. beyond all previous discoveries that
our people have mddcnly become seized with the mans
called the 'sFfasckriyer fever Thus far have been
unable To proyds thc Of transportation to all who
desire panage u the New Ell Dorado Since April last
the following stcswe have been running on the ronte
Commodorc oEH Brother Jonathan, Pacific and Panama;
more recently, the Oregon Republic cortes, Sierra Ne
vada, OriMba and the Santa Cruz These steamers
now running regularly. making round aip every 10
or ~ days, and averaging each passage up to Puget
Sound 500 passengers and full freight Of merchandise
on the return trip average of but 80 passengers and
no freight. Addsd 10 this Of clipper slips and
other sailing craft have been put the route and yet
the cry Is for more The steamers Surprise and Sea
Bird Frazer river, the former making
regular trips from Victoria and Belngham bay TO Fort
Hope which il the head of navigation and the point
where the gold mines first begin to show themselves in
quantities sufficient to pay Up to this time 1t Is safe to
say that at least oey thousand able bodied Cali
fornians have already left this State and gone to the
North These embrace men Of all classes The majority
are industrious miners who have been toling aborousy
for months years, digging in mines So to $40
per day. but believing that Frazer River mines would pay
better-sy $5 to $25 per daythey have been tempted
to sell out their old claims and packing up their shovel
hoe and pick and shouderng their CRADLE have gone
off to the and unexpored mines in hopes of betering
their fortunes All the idle men of tho cities have also
gone North and if the yet to be received during
the present month is conrmatoy of whnt has preceded
it, believe that California will lose at least oncsxh
OF her working population Our interior cities of Stock
ton and Sacramento have already suffered terribly Par
ticulary is this true Of Sacramento city Stores and
dwellings, being closed out the inmates leaving at
any sacrifice for the North Brick stores street that
have heretofore rented for two thousand dollars
per month be hired for one dollar per day
Brokcn-dow merchants brokers, traders, &c., who
could scrape together, by borrowing of their friends,
few hundred dollars, went early 10 Victoria, and pur
chased largely of town lots at $50 eachaer which gov
ernmcnt put up the price to $780, At the latter price
many taken up, and held at thousands ad
vance, 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 will
succeed, time alone must determine. No doubt many
have already increased their worldly gains upon paper
thousand-fold AS it is Cities towns and mining camps
being set up large tract of barren territory
upon the river banks and bars of Frazer and Thompson
rivers where the reported gold discoveries said to
list in immense quantities. As yet we have no tangible
evidence of gold being there in such quantities
ported 1t is doubtful whether have yet received in
gold dust dollar to tho of all who have yet de-
parted from this State Of the existence of gold in the
bed of Thompson and Frazer rivers, there can be
doubt but whether the water falls sufficiently to
allow tho drainage of the rivers the working
of the bars to extent to remumerate the great
army of miners who have gone, and yet to leave u.s.
is quite problemacal 1t is however, quite remarkable
that have yet received weauthenticatcd news
of failure to find gold dust None have yet returned
from the mines unrewarded discouraged The few
that have returned came down for goods and stores
suited to their wants. and have gone back full of hope
to the mines. Many ''early birds, who went up in
April to prospect the country have written back encouag
ngly to their friends and copartner and there 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
U1o rrisb Ia ipufy ba m buEi-
is troubled to know the result upon trade and
commerce in city and State There is doubt
but great injury has already beaen State, when
viewed from mercantile stand point The trade of and
with the interior of the State has wellngh been ruined
and for the time, broken up. AS for city,
great injury has yet become porcepble though many of
our obbers of clothing and dry-goods greatly trou
bled, and indulge in fearful forebodings The town is
filling with miners who hockng here from all parts
of the State, route for Frazer river Our farmers
busy gathering in their crops huryng their grain
to market that they too may be off to the new Ell Do
RADIO OF the North not stopping to count the cost of
Indian war; the effects of northern winter in those
high attitudes The calm and rejecting believe that
these mines cannot be worked about four months
in the year, owing to the high water and the winters
cold and snow. The immense fisheries and forests ofm
penetrable trees will attract many of the hardy of
the Pacific to locate at the North while the farmer who
cannot here purchase title to his farm the
land which he himself has been tling in California; will
go North and locate where lands be had at govern
ment price, and an easy market be opened to them
tho Pacific RN aet
The price of passage by the steamer from here to Vic
toria Bellingham Bay &c. is the average $50 $40
Added this $40 and S25 for river passage on the
steamer SURPRISE by to Fort Hope 1t is fair
say that MINER to so from here to Frazer river mnes
wants at least 5000 to $3.50 cash to enable him
fully reach the mines and to procure the requisite out
fits
Many Of steamers go to crowded like sheep with
passengers and many board that all cannot SIT
lie down at But there is this about it, the steam
x,,,I Il,
five days the outside and up to this time serious
most of those running old Steamers quito out
the Panama route, prior to being put this route
The Hudson's Bay Company, through their agents.
very large purchasers of provisions, -four &C., in this
city They monopolize oil the freight room of the steam
er and tax their capacity to the utmost to get off goods
enough to keep this immense immigration from starving
after they reach the mnes So sudden and unexpected
the rush. that provision could be made for them,
and suffering has and will be endured by many who had
not provided themselves with the necessary stores for
three months campaign in that wilderness of savages
The Hudsons Bay Company have also chartered and
loahed several clipper ships. W
The steamers coal at Bcllngham Bay, where there
abundant supplies at SIS $40 per ton it having
upfrom $6 since this trade began. w EgIr1ag
Several large fine clipper ships have loaded with
chandise and passengers for Bcllngham Bay As many
as vessels Of large size have cleared at custom
house in single day for this new El Dorado
1t Is subject Of speculation with many why IL is that
80 little gold dust has yet been brought here from the
new FL Dorado of the North and reason from it that
there is gold there to speak Of &c. Now the fact u.s.
that the Husons Bay Company have always heretofore
hecn interested tn keen hack their To