Daily national Democrat., 1858-10-24
1rre Philosophy of Hard Times In the
Mines.

A correspondent of the San Andreas lnde
pendent, writing from Washington Flat, ia
little valley between Murphy and Altaville,
says:
The valley is inhabited by farmers, mer-
chants and miners, who all agree on one
point viz: that these are hard times; the
cause of which is, that the Fraser river emil
grants took large portion of money from
this section at the time the water bitches
dried up and they have had no chance since
to make any more by washing on their claims
Th re is another point on which they nearly
all agree, that is, ." that there is a good time
coming" The miners think they can do well
when there is plenty Of water; the farmers
think they will do well when all Of their
fruit trees and grape vines are bearing,
and the merchants think that if every one
around them has cash, they can do a cash
business
l said they nearly all agreed on this sec
ond point, but there is one here who has
been waiting in California for nearly ten
years for said good time, that is and always
has been coming, who thinks that if it don't
come quickly, it may come too late for him.
He thinks that in dry weather the miner is
sure TO know of a good claim if there was
only plenty of water; and in wet weather
he is just as sure to know of a good place if
it was only dry enough TO work it. Too
much water or too little keeps back that
good time spoken of long time He thinks
that if he was going to follow an agricultu
raj pursuit, he would rather farm in a coun
try where there were showers in the Sum
mer he would rather trust in God to water
his plants, than in any ditch company. lie
doh't think that every man can do cash bu-
siness, even after he has determined not to
do anything else; the most determined will
credit little, and at the the end of the year
he finds he has done too much.
He has just sold and delivered something
he has made says he waited minute for
his pay was asked how much it was the
requisite information was given, and was
told to mark it down, so that, in case he new
fer did get his pay, he would know how much
he was out.
But these hard times are not without their
rcdeeming qualities. They have done more
for the cause of virtue and temperance, than
any legislative act, on gambling or liquor
selling. Some here, when moEey was plen-
tv, used to play a little poker TOR cash; but as
the principal part of the capital invested in
said business had to be withdrawn and placed
to the houses or grub account, they had to
curtail that business and play with beans,
valued at fifteen for quarter; but as charges
for cards, and now and then drunk all round
on ''the high hand, soon took the remaining
capital that game had to be stopped. The
next was pitch seven-up for the liquor but as
the party elected" in the game did not often
have the cash to pay, the storekeoper did not
like that arrangement, so that game has been
stopped. Now whist or crib is played for
neither cash nor liquor, unless some stranger
comes along, when he is sure to be put in for
the drinks. So you see that these times have
made US virtuous and temperate from neees-
sity. =
In regard to the good time that is comiug,
there's much for us to do before we can full
2y expect it, We must erect more quartz
mills and work the paying lodes that have
already been prospected. We must stock
these hills with good breed of sheep, and
compete favorably with Australia in the pro-
-duction of wool-which we can do. We
must plGat our valleys in vines, for there IS
mo country upon earth that can equal us in
this production. Our tule lands must be eul-
tivated in rice. We must erect factories and
spin and weave our own clothing. We must
manufacture our own leather and shoes. We
must export more than we import We must
have cheaper passages to anC from the sister
States We must have wives for our young
men, bless the mark and they must have
homes on hill, and plain, and valley and
those homes must be made dear to them by
every social and domestic tie; and then we
must have peace over the length and breadth
OF our beloved land
"And msn to man Ger a. the earthu
Must brother be- and a. that"