THE
LAND OF GOLD.
REALITY VERSUS FICTION.
————
BY
H I N T O N R. H E L P ER.
————
BALTIMORE:
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR,
BY HENRY TAYLOR, SUN IRON BUILDING.
1855.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by
H I N T O N R. H E L P ER.,
In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States, for the
District of Maryland.
Sherwood & Co., Printers,
BALTIMORE.
TO THE
HON. JOHN M. MOREHEAD,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
These Pages are respectfully Dedicated,
BY HIS
SINCERE FRIEND AND ADMIRER,
THE AUTHOR.
PREFACE.
Previous to my departure for California, near and dear friends extracted from me a promise to communicate by letter, upon every convenient occasion, such intelligence as would give them a distinct idea of the truthfulness or falsehood of the many glowing descriptions and reputed vast wealth of California. In accordance with this promise, I collected, from the best and most reliable sources, all that I deemed worthy of record touching the past of the modern El Dorado, relying upon my own powers of observation to depicture its present condition and its future prospects.
This correspondence was never intended for the public eye, for the simple reason that the matter therein is set forth in a very plain manner, with more regard to truth than elegance of diction. Indeed, how could it be otherwise? I have only described those things which came immediately under my own observation, and, beside this, I make no pretensions to extensive scholastic attainments, nor do I claim to be an adept in the art of book-making.
A weary and rather unprofitable sojourn of three years in various parts of California, afforded me ample time and opportunity to become too thoroughly conversant with its rottenness and its corruption, its squalor and its misery, its crime and its shame, its gold and its dross. Simply and truthfully I gave the history of my experience to friends at home, who, after my return, suggested that profit might be derived from giving these letters to the world in narrative form, and urged me so strenuously, that I at length acceded to their wishes, but not without much reluctance, being doubtful as to the reception of a book from one so incapable as myself of producing any thing more than a plain “unvarnished tale.�
In order to present a more complete picture of California, I have added two chapters, that describing the route through Nicaragua, and the general resume at the close of my volume. All that I solicit for this, my first offering, is a liberal and candid examination; not of a part, but of the whole—not a cursory, but a considerate reading.
H. R. H.
Salisbury, North Carolina, 1855.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I. CALIFORNIA UNVEILED] | |
|---|---|
| Introductory Remarks—Erroneous opinions respecting California—Sterilityof the Soil—The Seasons—Destitution ofMechanical and Manufacturing Resources—Dependenceupon Importations for the Conveniences and Necessaries ofLife—No Inducement to become Permanent Residents of thecountry | [13] |
| [CHAPTER II. THE BALANCE SHEET] | |
| California statistically considered—Cost of the Treaty ofGuadalupe Hidalgo—Price of Passage and Services of Immigrants—TotalYield of the Mines—Amount of Propertydestroyed by Fires, Freshets and Inundations—List ofSailing Vessels and Steamers Wrecked upon the coast—PublicDebt of the State—Debts of San Francisco, Sacramentoand Marysville—Loss of Life by violent measures—Extractfrom the Louisville Journal | [23] |
| [CHAPTER III. SOCIETY IN CALIFORNIA] | |
| Extraordinary Depravity and Corruption—Reasons assignedfor the laxity of Morals—Much of the Degeneracy and Dissipationattributable to the absence of female society—TheCase of an English gentleman—His Story—General Remarksconcerning the different classes of Women | [36] |
| [CHAPTER IV. SAN FRANCISCO] | |
| Importance of San Francisco—The Golden Gate—The Harbor—LongWharf—A Motley Crowd—The Shipping—Namesof Vessels—Vagrant Boys—Commercial Street—WoodenTenements—The Jews—Fire-proof brick andstone structures—Montgomery street—Menial Employments—ProfessionalMen washing dishes, waiting uponthe table, and peddling shrimps and tomcods—Lawyersand Land Titles—Grog Shops and Tippling Houses—Billof Fare of a California Groggery | [45] |
| [CHAPTER V. SAN FRANCISCO—CONTINUED] | |
| Clay street—Gazing in Ladies’ Faces—The Gambling Houses—HeterogeneousAssemblage of Blacklegs—The Plaza—TheCity Hall—A Case of Bribery and Corruption—FrenchRestaurants—Flour and other Provisions—Frauds andAdulterations | [69] |
| [CHAPTER VI. SAN FRANCISCO—CONCLUDED] | |
| A Pistol Gallery—Doctor Natchez—Population of the City—Fillingin the Bay—Lack of Vegetation—Yearning for thesociety of Trees | [81] |
| [CHAPTER VII. THE CHINESE IN CALIFORNIA] | |
| National habits and traits of Chinese Character—TheirDress—The number of Chinese in California—How theyemploy their time—Their arrogance and presumption—Mannerof Eating—Singularity of their names—Is theChinese Immigration desirable? | [86] |
| [CHAPTER VIII. CURSORY VIEWS] | |
| The Pacific Side of the Continent much Inferior to the AtlanticSide—Poverty and Suffering in California—Rash andmistaken ideas of the country—A few very Fertile Valleys—Valueof the Precious Metals to the country in whichthey are found—The Climate | [97] |
| [CHAPTER IX. SUNDAY IN CALIFORNIA] | |
| Manner of Spending the Sabbath—Mixture and Dissimilarityof the Population—Dance Houses—Mexican Women—Influenceof Female Society upon the Community—Churchesin San Francisco | [109] |
| [CHAPTER X. BEAR AND BULL FIGHT] | |
| Advertisement announcing the Sport—Mission Dolores—Anold Catholic Church—Preparation for the Fight—TheAudience—The Attack—Progress of the Conflict—TheFinale | [116] |
| [CHAPTER XI. SACRAMENTO] | |
| City and Valley of Sacramento—The Legislature—ShabbyHotels—Teamsters and Muleteers—Excess of Merchants—ContinualDepression in Business—Perfidy and Dishonestyof Consignees—California Conflagrations—The Three CentPhilosopher | [131] |
| [CHAPTER XII. YUBA—THE MINER’S TENT] | |
| Trip to the Mines—Modus Operandi of Single-handed Mining—Namesof Bars—Mining Laws—More Gentility andNobleness of Soul among the Miners than any other Classof People in California—The case of a Highwayman—Descriptionof a Miner’s Tent—His Diet and Cooking Utensils—Toilsomenessof Mining—Proceeds of three months’ labor | [147] |
| [CHAPTER XIII. STOCKTON AND SONORA] | |
| Situation of Stockton—The San Joaquin Valley—Trip toSonora—The best Hotel in the Place—A Lunatic—A GamblingProdigy—Shooting Affair—A case of Lynch Law—Descriptionof Sonora—Land Speculators—EphemeralCities—Excitability of the Californians—The Beard—Agood old Man—His Story | [161] |
| [CHAPTER XIV. VOYAGE TO CALIFORNIA VIA CAPE HORN] | |
| Embarkation from New York—A Terrible Storm—Loss ofMasts and narrow escape from Shipwreck—Wreck of aSwedish Brig—An unfortunate Little Bird—Patagoniaand Cape Horn—Stoppage at Valparaiso—Earthquakes—Appearanceof the City—A Delectable Garden—Two CatholicPriests—Beauty of Ocean Scenery in the Pacific—TheSt. Felix Islands—Arrival in San Francisco | [187] |
| [CHAPTER XV. VOYAGE FROM CALIFORNIA VIA NICARAGUA] | |
| Departure from San Francisco—Matters and Things aboardthe Steamer—The Passengers—A Hoax—Arrival at SanJuan del Sur—Novel Mode of Debarkation—LudicrousScenes—Trip across the Country—The Weather—VirginBay—Lake Nicaragua—The San Juan River—Bad Managementand shabby Treatment on the Isthmus—NegroSlavery and Central America—San Juan del Norte, aliasGreytown | [209] |
| [CHAPTER XVI. MY LAST MINING ADVENTURE] | |
| Projected Voyage to Australia abandoned—Trip to the Minesin Tuolumne county—My quaint Friend and Companion, Mr. Shad Back—Operations in Columbia—The Result | [225] |
| [CHAPTER XVII. THE VIGILANCE COMMITTEE] | |
| Disordered State of Society—Atrocious and barefaced Crimes—Organizationof Vigilance Committees—Salutary effect oftheir Proceedings—Defence of their Motives and Actions—Acase of Lynch Law in Sacramento | [237] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII. BODEGA] | |
| Trip to Bodega on a Mischievous and Refractory Mule—AChinese Encampment—Description of the country in thevicinity of Bodega—The Village of Petaluma—Cruel Treatmentof an Indian Boy—Serious Consequences result fromthe villainous Pranks of his Muleship—Ben, an eccentricold Negro | [254] |
| [CHAPTER XIX. THE DIGGER INDIANS AND NEGROES] | |
| Indolence and Insignificance of the Digger Indians—Whatthey eat—Means of obtaining the Necessaries of Life—TheirHabits and Peculiarities—An Incident at a Slaughterhouse—TheNegroes in California—The case of a NewOrleans Sea-captain and his Slave Joe—A North Carolinianand his two Negroes | [268] |
| [CHAPTER XX. ARE YOU GOING TO CALIFORNIA?] | |
| Resume of the preceding chapters—Arguments in favor ofthe Atlantic and Pacific Railway—Advantages of theSouthern Route—Abstract of the Report of the Secretaryof War on the several Pacific Railroad Explorations—Extractsfrom Letters—Conclusion | [280] |