Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-03-26

camp presented draggled appeara nee |
assure you. Everything wet and soppy,
the mud deep, and even with those who
have good tents, like ourselves, every
thing in them seemed saturated
with moisture, while the water
WAS running in torrents down
the American and Mexican gulches.
Yesterday, however, the clouds broke
away, and the sun shone out gloriously,
and beds, bedding and clothing were
brought out and spread wherever place
could be found to dry. The camp re-
sembled rag fair on gigantic scale,
but the comfort was increased exceed
ingly. Still, the universal question is,
| "Well, when are you going to start
back?" and the expression is general
that an immense fraud has been perpe-
trated. Who has been guilty of getting
up the fraud is question that has been
mooted frequently, but the general inn
preston seems to be that the Interna-
tional Company are at the bottom of 1t,
aided and abetted by the San Diego
press. That the press of San Diego did
more to encourage this immense exodus
and immense disappointment, than any
thing else there can be no doubt.
The curses heaped on their de-
voted heads, if they could be effect
ual, would bankrupt the whole news
paper fraternity in the City of Bay'n-
climate for years to come, and consign
the editors and reporters OF those
veracious sheets to torments without
end. The general opinion seems to be
that they were subsidized for the
particular end. do not say SO, but l
believe in all honesty that they are to be
charged with a large, indeed, with the
greater amount, of loss and suffering
which have been occasioned by their
exaggerated and absolutely false reports.
You have doubtless seen these reports
and noted the flaming head lines, such
as "The days of '49 eclipsed''-"Nug-
gets hanging to the grass roots'-"Thou-
sands being taken out in day." etc.,
etc., until San Diego and its citizens on
the day we left there and for days before
were wild with excitment, and Fifth
street resembied San Francisco III '49
when parties were fitting out for
mines, which experience proved good,
and not as these miserable frauds.
There seems to be but two causes to
which the course of the press of San
Diego is attributed, the first of which |
have mentioned, that it was subsidized
in the interest of the International Com |
pany, and the other, that San Diego and
her merchants would reap rich harvest
by outfitting those who came here, as we
did. do not say the first is true, al
though that company have proftted by
it no little, even in the way OF carrying
passengers by steamer, having raised the
price OF fare from 81 for a round trip
ticket from San Diego to Ensenada, in
o1y ftyo Ioxyap hoorI Of SLo 1E,>1l
Iturbide, to $40 for ticket down alone,
other words raised the price of fare about
nine hundred per cent. at the lowest cal
culation. Hence you see it has been a
nice thing for the International Fraud of
Mexico.
AS to the other theory, that the press
of San Diego did this to give the city a
boom and especially its merchants, may
or may not be true. If it is, the policy
is very mistaken one, such things
leaving reaction as certain as the night
follows the day. Hundreds, if not
thousands, will go away cursing San
Diego, and seeing but little good in
city with all its beauty containing press
which could so unhesitatingly lend
itself to so gross a deception. But be
all this as it may, the loss and suffering
produced by it is enormous and al
fearful amount of responsibility
inal sponsibility- somewhere. We
have met men here over and over again
who had thrown up good situations and
steady employment to come here. Some
had expended almost their last dollar to
get here. Some arrived without tents,
without grub, without tools, with nothing,
indeed, to depend on, but willing to take
their chances, and trust to the charity OF
those better fixed than themselves. One
man we met just few miles before we
got in who had absolutely nothing but
the clothes on his back, and they
did not include coat-and q hatchet
stuck in his belt. He looked desperate,
and, judging from the few words we had
with him, he felt as he looked. During
the drenching rain of which l have
spoken, men were sitting around fires, |
trying to make themselves as comfort |
able % they could throughout long and
dreary nights. We took into our tent |
some of the unfortunates, until it was
crowded, and fed yet more.
Where does the responsibility of all
this rest?
But, Mr. Editor, have written you at
too great length, far more than intended
or expected, when l started. Ii, how
ever, 1, by this means, or you by pub
fishing. can save some others from the |
loss and hardship we have undergone, |
shall be amply repaid, and you compen
sated for extended space. Yours truly, |
VENTURE.
LATER-This evening our party, or
what is left of it, (for 1 neglected to men
ton that one of them started back on the |
third day after getting here,) had a
medicine talk" and three of us deter
mined to start back tomorrow, leaving
two, who will remain little longer,
then dispose Of the balance of our
things as best they can and return. V.
nOTTQISn mQAVEI