North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-04-06
SAN Francisco, Cal.
Feb, 29.h, 1864,
FRIEND SrcKLEa

| Once more | ad iress
few lines to rou. There are plenty of items
| to be collected here that would be interest
| ing to friends at home, but | am not we'll
enough acquainted with the country aud peo-
pie as yet, TO take upon myself the response
bIlty of Collecting them f.r you now.
The all absorbing subject at present is, the
Northern m.nee." Yesterday (Sunday)
morning. about fifteen hundred persons took
steamer passage for Oregon, en- route for the
Boyce River mines in Idaho Territory The
gold and silver leads or ledges are said to be
very rich and numerous. II is yet thought
to be pretty early to start out, as the coun.
try is not at all setlled, Provision very scarce
and Indians troublesome. But supp. sc
they think of the old saying, ''first come, first
served" Taking everything into consilera
ti"n, i, is perhaps policy to wait month or
two At Reese IN T there are numb, rless
villages growing up as by magic. Austin, III
| the Amador district is now the head qnar
ters. The silver Iedges there are turning
bat ikAuuChecIJ 4uc AiIatIpT IN
which my cousin A. W. B owns some two
hundred feet IS now worth several hundred
dollars foot. There are a number of Quarts
| Mills in course of erection there now, and it
will undoubtedly, in time be the Mint of the
| Pacific States. Owens River in the lower
part of this State is not ct fully tested
nrospectors and sp-culaturs are now moving
that way, searching for the filthy lucre."
| AT Owyhee in Oregon they are also making
astonishing discoveries. A, the famous Wa
shoe M'ning District, they are still dong
big things" A ella IN there, the Mexican,
was lately sold for Sl,6OO,OOO The Guild
and Curry is selling at 81, $50, per share,
| or foot. The gold and silver is brought to
| the mint here by the cart load, where it is
soon converted into bright silver halt dollars,
anl shining gold twenties. The old fifty
| dollar slugs are no: coined any more. VS.
tied the mint Saturday, and was shown
through the building by the conductor, whose
| business it is to show visitors through the
establishment. They we're then running the
| $500, gold bars through the machine and
bringing out the twenries at the rate of
$1,000, mInute. They keep man to show
ell il out of the way the same as an Irlshnan
would shovel potatoes.
Last Friday m'r,ing about o'clock, the
! citizens of this city were considerably shaken
by an earthquake. We experienced several
distinct shocks, which continued about thir
ty seconds. The people that were not al
ready up we're aroused by severe shaking,
| by which they were nearly thrown from
their beds. With the ratl ling Of windows
ringins Of door bells and barking of dogs, all
was confusion for long time The shock
was felt in Oakland across the S. F. Bay,
| (nine miles) about the same as in this city,
also all along down the Coast to L,s Angeles.
For wonder, there was not building de-
stroyed or person injured, as far as heard
| from,
| The 22nd OF February was celebrated here
very much as the 4,h Of July is in the east.
Flags were SD numer ,us overhead all through
the City that the heavens were scarcely visi-
| bic. With the gay decorations and c,ntln
ued strains Of sweetest music On that beauti
| ful warm sunny day one would almost imsg
inc himself in fairy land. On that day thie
! State for the first time, had regular eastern
Militia musrcr. There were six Regiments
! in the field. The ground selected for the pa
rade was a sort of valley five miles from here
on the San Jose Rail Road. On the sur
rounding hills, were congreeated thousands
of spectators. Governor Lane, escorted by
| q body of cavalry reviewed the troops. Ma
jor General Allen and Staff and Briesdier
General Ellis and Staff were on tho ground
also number Of Legislative memb RS, both
branches having adjourned for four days for
the purbose Of celebrating the anniversary OF
the birth OF Washington.
See by the eastern news the people arc
having fine times sleighriding, skating &c.
| would love to have good sleighride my
self, but think a leetle prefer The YER, beau
tiful warm weather We are hav,n here, 10
the cold freezing weather uf old Pennsylvin :
Ia. | saw an account few days ago, of n
Lake in the eastern part of Penna. freezing
| up so so suddenly that the fish did not have
TIME to dive, onstquentiy were fr"zen in the
ice. | have nc reason 10 doubt the truth of
the story, but, if il is true, whv-i hope
you will enjoy it, I shall not envy you in the
least.
/, is pr"phesied oy the old settlers here
that We will see hard times in California an
other year. in consequence Of not having any
rain. The farmers in the interior are suffer
Ing great loss from the drought. 1t will be
impossible TO raise half crop this year.--
The truth of the dry ing up and disappear
ance of the grass, is made but to evident to
them in the loss bv starvation Of thousands