Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-07-29
Our San Francisco Correspondence.
SAN FRANcIsco, July 26, 1865.


Apricots, raspberries and earthquakes have
been short crop. or total failures this season,
but there are fortunately a few other topics
for conversation which occasionally turn up
and create a passing sensation. Just now
the
RAID OF THE SHENANDOAH
Is the big thing on ice" Of San Francisco.
"Well, I always told you she would turn up
among the whalers next" say the knowing
ones. Eyes, l know you did, and said all
the time your head was clear" is the unfail-
ing reply Of the bummers who echo other
peoples sentiments all day long in the des-
perate hope o hearing somebody say, "Come,
let's take a drink" or course I knew she
was bound for the Arctic, and why I forgot
to tell you so is more than ! can imagine;
think ! must have forgotten II. Well, there
she is, or rather there she todS-where she is
no,o is a matter of the widest conjecture.
The milk is split, the hounds are upon US.
American shipping interests in the Pacific,
already reduced to almost nothing, have suf-
fered another staggering blow, and there is
no hope for it. We have not a single vessel
ready to send in pursuit, and even II we had,
it IL doubtful if we could effect any good BY
sending it. The whaling feet in the Arctic
Sea,a and adjacent waters has long since been
wiped out beyond q doubt, or at least all OF 1t
which could be gotten at BY the cowardly
sneak thief who carries the flag OF an extinct
Confederacy Of thieves at the masthead OF a
British steamer; manned by. British seamen'
and reftted and supplied in British ports
The work Of destruction accomplished, II Is
not to be supposed that Waddell would re-
main cruising about in the high northern
seas, waiting for the Senator or any other
man-of war, to come and gobble him up.
That is not his style. He is not on the
fight. Witness thu way he played around
the whale ship William Thompson, not dar'
ing to approach within two miles until thor
oughly convinced that she was in realit, a
whuler and had no teeth concealed. He is
now probably for away from the scene Of his
late. brave Cd exploits, and may be at this
moment outside the Heads waiting ior a
treasure ship. Many believe that he will, on
leaving the Arctic, make a detour to the
west, and passing outside Of the route OF any
vessel sent to capture him, come in again to
the south Of San Francisco and pounce upon
a treasure steamer lat once. On the other
hand, the Captains Of the vessels captured
BY him maintain that he is far more likely to
|. strike back toward China, destroy what yes.
sells he can on the way, and then sell out to
some English firm at q small discount on the
original cost Of his vessel. The Shenandoah
changed her flag and nationality-so Eng
land atirms-st sea, and why should she not
do the same thing again? There is an Eng
lishman on board her who appears to have
nothing to do, and It is thought BY the off
GERS referred to that it is Waddell's intention
to transfer the vessel to him as soon as he
gets pushed ihto!a tight place. It is true
that IN American steamer would be apt TO
take her anywhere she was found, II not in
neutral waters, without regard to the flag
she was flying, but that would not deprive
John Bull Of his right to ask for "reclama-
ton " and " compensation" as in the case OF
Capt. Grey, who was shot-as. he richly de-
served-by an officer OF the Vanderbilt, who
caught him in the very act Of transferring the
cargo OF an American ship which the Alabama
had captured, TO his own. With regard to
the proposition to fit uutthe Colorado or some
nther steamer to 20 in pursuit OF the She,-
drdoah, / can only say that it is more talk
than cider" by at:least'5 so per e and it Is
likely to result In nothing practical. lfthere
had been anybody here to assume the respon-
-ibility the Colorado could have been gotten
off in three days, manned, armed and equip.
ped, with a party sufficiently formidable
TO leave the result in no manner doubtful il
the Shenandoah could be found. But there
is no such party here. It is not 1.-THE business
Of Gen. Mcdowell to hunt down pirates
this work belongs to the Navy-and even IL
ne was here instead Of being far up in the
interior or Southern part Of the State on a
tour Of inspection, he would not take the re-
sponsibiIity OF ordering anything done /; no.
budy ever accused him Of being ready to take
any responsibility under any circumstances
il he could avoid it honorably rs he could'i in
this case. As for Commander McDougall,
ut Mare Island, he. is not; authorized to hire
steamboats, without an order from Washing
ton, and il the Shenandoah was lying outside
the bar trying to amuse herself by knocking
down the Cliff House, and peppering the
vessels which showed themselves outside the
Heads, it would be all the same; he must
wait until the telegraph worked through to
Washington or the Overland mail brought
him an answer from the Secretary Of the
Navy, who is a, kind hearted old gentleman,
named Welles-Gideon Welles, I think he
spells his name. Let us wait in patience; it
took over six days 10 finish the world. The
calamity next to the Shenandoah raid in pub
lie importance is
THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS
Now going on in different parts Of the State.
As I stated last week, FELTON, has captured
this city sure. Every short haired boy, every
policeman, and every striker by profession
in the own IS at work for him, and he is
bound to win the first heat. After that, it is
not so certain, but the general impression
among outsiders now is that neither he nor
Low will get the nomination, and that it will
in the end lay between Phelps, Cole, and
SOM other " second choice " man, which is
BY no means unlikely. Tho result in Sac
ament county disappointed everybody,
friends Of Low, FELTON,, and Sargent as well
Each side claimed the County, and a drawn
fight and partial victory is of no real benefit
TO any candidate as il now stands. ! never
saw an election in which there was really so
little of national or State interest depending
there being no opposition party at all, and
the fight being purely for personal honor and
the spoils-nor one in which 20 large sums Of
money we're being used. One would suppose
that the salvation Of the whole human race
depended on the result, BY the earnestness
of the various partizans and to the noise and
dust they kick up. The winner Of the Pri-
maries has only to trot over the curse a. a
mere mater Of form at any event, and he can
well afford to pay out his money freely-ifh he
has ito secure the nomination. Well,
ats an i'll wind that blows nobody any good"
and the money will.probably be more evenly
distributed through the community after the
primaries are oyer than before. There 10
some consolation in this thought at least.
One fact is Low apparent to everybody, VIZ:
there is to bea thorough split in the Union
party throughout the State. The boilers or
Il Short HAIRS will, bolt on the Senatorial
question, and go in for maintaining the
a Specific. Contract Act" and against grant
ing the Right of Suffrage" to negroes,
while the former " conservatives" or "Long
Hairs" will be forced into the opposite posi-.
ton. It Is noticeable that not one Of the vari-
Gus candidates forthe Senatorship has as yet
defined his position on either Of these ques-
siuns: Fher.cappI," curiously enough, are
all ranging themselves on the side OF their
old opponents; the Short Hairs, and against
their former protectors, the Long Hairs, who