Year: 1864




DEAR UNION REooRD Owing to the fact
that We have been laboFing under a severe
attack of the prevailing mania for teei. and
that in consequence our brain has been con
tlnualy muddled with bricks" and things (uot
real ones 10 our hat, understand,) We have
neglected to come before the intelligent readers
of The UNION RECORD with our second commu
uication much longer than We desired. But
then it is never too late 10 do good, and, con-
sidcring hat an apology for lnti'ettng number
two might be more aproPos than for It's tardi-
ness, We will just sail in and try to make people
think our letters are readable, for eternal
brass is the price of life


Since arriving in the sage brush, we have
rushed around considerably. found quite .
number of old acquaintances, formed several
new ones, and tried to impress upon them the
fact that we are considerable, stuffed our
pockets full Of old papers to give ourself q
business Ike appearance but in this We over
did the thing, for We soon found people avoiding
US, and discovered that we had taken too many
papers, so that the bundle looked like medi-
cine case, and We were taken for qusck doctor.
\ friend made US the happy recipient of some
feet or at least piece of paper with some
very handsome printing and pictures on ii, and,
though We have 10 idea where the feet are,
have no doubt they are very good ones, and
lroud sell them for a good price.


We have endeavored to make up our mind
how we liked the country, but have inally
concluded to reserve an unqualified opinion
until the effects of time are shown in our
finances II all depends on the feet" There
is one very serious objection to this country.
and that is (: the two features Of facilities for
business and comfortable place TO live are
rarely found combined. Carson, Washoe and
Genoa are all very pleasant places to live in
the water is abundant and good the air is pure
and pleasant, and the scenery is enchanting /;
but Fortune must bestOw signal favors on an
individual who becomes wealthy very soon in
any OF those localities. On the other hand, in
those localities presenting the greatest facilities
for speculation, it is like excluding yourself
from all the comforts and pleasures of life to
remain. Virginia City is the great mining
and commercial metropolis Of the Territory, for
the very simple reason that necessity makes 1t
so. The resources of her mines are immensely
rich and inexhaustable, which is the only
favorable feature about the place; for the
water is sickeuing, and the winds blow almost
continually as if "Old Boreas" had released bis
envenomed hosts to dlsperse the avarcious
throng from the barren hills which have so long
been his favorite haunts. 10 consequence of
the principal portions Of the business Of the
Territory being confined to particular localities,
and as most of the emigration is to such places,
of course everything is overdone, and several
years will be required to bring things to their
proper level. The different vicissitudes and
the ups and downs in life to which we are all
heir are not dissimlar here to other parts of
the world, though the extremes are greater,
and man once upon the upward turn Of the
wheel Of fortune becomes fabulously rich, while
the poor unfortunate who happens TO meet
series of reverSes goes to the last stage Of
financial debility.


When we contemplate the millions upon
millions of dollars in bullion constantly stream
ing from this desert Territory, we are impressed
with the idea that the omnipotent hand OF God
wisely placed alkaline plains, bleak, barren aud
rugged hills, and savage tribes, to guard aud
obscure this treasure Of the world from the
avaricous eyes Of man, and to preserve it to be
discovered at the very time when His people
require it to pay those noble braves who are
defending the proud banner of freedom from
the assaults of those rebellous hordes of infamy
aud oppression.


Surely, the wilderness has blossomed as the
rose. SIGMA.