Middletown transcript., 1882-03-17
Correspondence ofthe Transcript.
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.

ED. TRANSCRIPT I'm my last lettel
I wrote unreservedly of the different
elements pervading society here of th'
cause of the crude condition of mucf
of it, and the necessity of an amalga
nation with some of all of it, before
success could be guaranteed to the So
| iourner to California. l desired to bt
plain. l described the worst side of the
social status, because of its prepOnder
ance. Of course, we have some Of as
| fine society as can be boasted of any
where in the world but little of it.
AS intelligent men, noble women, as
worthy SONS and daughters as an UtO.
plan paradise would be proud of, but
not enough of them. Hence it is we
open our arms and extend cordial in
vitatiOn to our eastern friends to come
and join us. California has lots OF
room, much of variety, boundless curl
Osities, unwritten phenomena and end
less inducements to the stranger, most
of which he must take our word for, as
we can write only in general way, in
short letter. The truth is, Mr.. Editor,
the people of California have hitherto
rather boasted of its expectation and
promise, than of what it has accom-
plished. Its mountains, climate, tropi-
cal luxuriance and variety of produc-
tion have all had their share of local
praise and of alien compliment, for our
anthems of self-gratulation have inva-
riably been sustained and swelled by the
admiration of those who have been our
occasional guests. The outlook to-day
is better than it has been for years. For
four years California has been burning
under a red heat test for permanence
and credit as State. For four years
she has been in her transition period, -
passing from a condition of servitude
to mining interests, conducted by dis
honest men, to that of independence
and superiority with which no other
State can compare. The crisis has now
passed. Kearneyism is dead. 1t came,
it was seen, it was conquered. 1t was
Il severe ordeal, and at times tested our
christianity, but as we look back upon
it and reflect, we console ourselves by
thinking it was a necessity, a good
thing, and the State is better off to-day
by it. The evil effects Of the new Con-
stitution, adopted two years ago, are
fast fading away, and capital then
driven from the State. is returning.
The shock, the crash, the ruin which
the falling out of the bottom of the old
Comstock mines gave to thousands of
three years ago, is thing
Of the past, the wrecked are consoled to
their reverses, and instead of living as
in their palaces, have been
willing to accept sixty (60) acres of Gov
land to set out vineyard and
earn a slow, but sure and honest living,
as others before them have done. Min
ing has been looked upon and depended |
upon as the business of California;
Everybody has been over desirous to
handle the virgin gold as they used to
lream of or read about in their child |
hood days. But it seems that Califor-
MIA has just awaken to the fact that |
mining, as a sole dependence, is risky |
business. That there are many paying |
gold and silver mines here, and large |
fortunes have been made, and are still |
Jeing made, from them is beyond de-
1ial; but of these very little is known,
IS most of them are private companies,
with no stock for sale, and little atten-
ion is paid to their operations. But,
taking the mines and miners in the ag-
yregate, there is no business which |
shows so small results in proportion to
.he number of persons engaged and the
amount of capital invested. Indeed, in
three States and as many territories
where the production of the precious
metals is the principal object of the peo-
pie, the total annual yield is less than
eighty million $4,000, ,OOO) dollars
This, of course, should not discourage
legitimate, intelligent mining opera
.Ors, but it certainly indicates that most
men lose their heads when they begin to
search for gold and silver. Kearney-
sm, the New Constitution, the sudden
leath of the Comstock mines brought
Ialifornians realization of this fact.
People saw that the industrial system
VAS decidedly faulty; that it was one of
that the sound principles
If domestic economy have, as a rule,
1een held i'll contempt that a spirit of
has governed rural as well
IS city life that all those little econo-
MES that most of our early population
we're taught to practice in their youth
lave been almost wholly lost sight of in
heir California hotels and homes. A
lose observer could see that enough
ood was wasted at one meal to feed
many families an entire day
from a discovery of these facts, then,
'egins new era for California, Peo-
lie are now in less haste to get rich.
The settlement of the Chinese question
pens a rift in the dark cloud that has
lung over our heads and menaeed us.
'tOck-gambling has passed the delirious
risis of its fever. Mining business in
lines more to legitimate Methods
Farming and fruit business have be.
ONE more honorable. Whole districts
+ worn-out land are being planted in .
ruit and vine. But we need more i'm
ligration, The State is scarcely begun
0 be developed or utilized because we
ave not the people here to do it. The
tate, with her vast extent of territory,
verages about 8! men to a square mile.
)f her great riches in the precious me-
ale Uhiph aTn sfaulnS and ,,f oil ro;t,o,. |