Newspapers / Southern Weekly Post (Raleigh, … / Aug. 25, 1855, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of Southern Weekly Post (Raleigh, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
h Y POST. 158 THE S O H T H I RET : W the children idle, for they bare been a new .timlu8 U induatry. The farm Ppe than ever, and the farmer baa abandoned his prices' -gainst the various i-P " agricultural implement,, and baa obtained a ' eood insight into the advantages of agrtcultura chemistry. M. Burritt has become proud of her girls and boys -t and well she may be, for there are none like them in the neighborhood - g0 sensible, so refined in manners, so attentive to their duties, so anxious to excel. We should mention that the kind friend who had been the cause of this improvement, had so far recruited his health, that he had returned to his city business; but he never lost sight of the Burritts. Some ten or twelve years after our narrative begins, he spent a week or two with his old friends. How did he find things then ? Changed most agreeably changed. .James, the third son, wan obtaining a good j ractice as the best physician in the neighborhood ; Thomas, the elder, was the farmer, and looked up to as an oracle in all agricultural matters, and had exerted a happy influence in raising the char acters of all .the other farmers around him ; and Robert, the second son, what was he ! It i8 the Sabbath; many vehicles are on the road that leads to the stone church ; the house be- '- cornea crowded. In the front pew sits an anxi ous family it is the Buriits ; the cause is soon apparent Robert is to preach for the first time in the old church, and in the presence of many a one who knew hira when a little boy. Al though with some signs of timidity; he com menced the servicS, and before he had closed, there was many a moist eye in that assembly. He had spoken to them in an earnest, affection ate, and impressive manner- one1 of the most promising young ministers of the day. Elder" Duritt, for so he was now otneiaily designated, . and his kind-hearted wife were almost overcome with emotion, as many a strong hand grasped theirs, accompanied by hearty congratulations. Next day, the city friend smilingly inquired s of farmer liurritt why tie had not called on turn for the fifty dollars with interest in full i Willi a tearful eye, and a strong grasp of the hand, lie Raid. "Look at these sons, look at these beloved daughters, look at the old couple, look at. my j prosperous business, look in upon our minds j and changed heaits, and you will get the an- j swer."-r- Presbyterian. j AN INDIAN DUEL. j Long ere the ceaseless, ever-rolling tide-of the. pale faced Che-uio-kermin, had swept away J from their homes ami their hunting grounds ' the war-like tribe of the Miami while their I i -s. numerous campnres illumined the hills and; valleys of the West, when the biaves of their tribe passed to battle along the war-path, XI in-g'-nc-ke-aw, (the big man ) one of the gallant chiefs of the nation, felt his ire excited at the reputation viich a member of his tribe, a halt breed, called Francois Godfrey, had ol.taiu.d for courage and personal strength. Min-ge ne-ke-aw claiimd to Ire the bravest as well as the strongest man of his people, and would .endure no rival. He chafed like the wild boar when he heard the braves and red beauties extol the mar.hi bearing of hiw conTpet itor, and he resolved , to test the courage and physical power of Frank in sing e combat. He gave no challenge to mortal sttife with 'you humble servant' -at the bottom, but meeting Frsnk one day he accosted him with, 'Are you a brave man V 'Yes,' was the reply. 'Then meet me here to morrow morning at sunrise with your scalping knife in your right hand: we will jin our left bands, and he who kills the other is the best and bravest warrior of the Miamis.' Frank, though a man of dauntless courage and herculean strength, saw no good reason to test either in that way, but nothing but blood would satisfy the chief, and Frank replied. 'I'll meet you.' At the appointed hour the great chief strode along to the battle ground. He relied not only on his personal strength, but also on his great dexterity in the use of the sealping-knife, which he had tried on the pale faces at Harmer St. Clair's defeat, and all along our frontier. His dark eye flashed, as with the deep grow l of a tiger, he advanced to anticipated victory. He brandished his knife, and called on his antago nist to sing his death-song, ere his spirit was dismissed by the great chief to the distant hunt ing grounds of the dead warriors of their race . who had falleu in battle and gone to the far west, beyond the great rivers. Frank saw that there was no avoiding the deadly strife. To refuse was to be branded as a coward and a squaw. The only alternative was victory or sudden death; so he flourished his keen blade, gave a shrill whoop of defiance, and advanced. They joined their left hands, and there they stood, face to face, like Fitz James and Rhoderic Dhu 'Each looked to sun, aad 8k j and plain, As what they ne'er might see gnin.' They mustered all their strength for the dead ly thrust, raised their keen, knives aloft, but ere they fell, Frank, the grip of whose hand was like an iron vice, wrung the left hand of Min-ge- - ne-ke-aw 'with such tremendous force as nearly crushed the bones together. The chief, with a yell of anguish, dropped his knife, and tried out, C 'You are a braver and a stronger warrior than I am; let us shake hands and be friends for ever. TojCChixg Incident. A novel and touching occurrence took place in Alexandria on Friday. One of ohj venerable and wealthy citizens, -.vhose mind bas for some time been gradually yielding to age and infirmity directed his coachman to drive him to the depot of the Orange and Alex andria Rail Road. It was done. W:.th all his precaution, . however, vigilance of a devoted daughter and her affectionate husband, traced that parent to his stepping place. Calm, and resigned to the Divine will, the patriarch assur ed them that he was fully aware of his conditiou, 1 and that the asylum at Staunton was ' his place." His family would gladly have escorted him home ; but, with dignity and firmness, he insisted on going, and remained near lthe depot, accompanied by those who best loved hgn, until the night train started, when he left n the charge of friends who held unceasing eare over his safety. Alex. Gazette. Eat sparingly, and defy the physician. COMMUNICATIONS. METROPOLITAN CORRESPONDENCE. '1 Letteeb xcix. Providence, Rhode Island, Aug. 18th, '55. " Cosmos" in the country Greenness and Beauty Newport The Surf Its 'throngs Longfel low Providence and Newport by turns The Ninth Annual Meeting of the "American As sociation for the Promotion of Science'1 Ses quipedalian Word Tough topics Hobbies Agassiz A fossil Shark Reflections on the Society ! A Sleepy Subject The Savans at Supper A Billiard Party '-Dr. Wayland and Rrown University Dr. Mahan on Spiritual ism The late publication of Harper & Broth ers The London Publishers History of the War Bohn's latest issue GottschalVs Musi cal Compositions Hall & Son's New Muic. My Dear Post: Are your readers, any of them, asking the question, " What has become ofC ismos ?" Perhaps it is time that I reply to such a question, even if it be only an imaginary one, and none have cared at all to know the reason of the several week's inb rregnum in my correspondence. I have been away from the great metropolis nearly 'all the summer. My I sttwo.or three letters were written either away, oi if in the city, only while I was there for a day or two. Most of my summer, has been passed in New England amid its greenry and picturesque beauty. Of the former the whole country has had an unusual share this season. Meadow and garden and forest have wurn all emeral I colours since the first of June. The frequent rains have kept the earth moist and the verdure fresh to an extent that I scarcely recollect to have known equalled. Generally the country is parched and blaze 'with dust in the month of August, but now though the month is passed meridian, the foli age and the grasses are as green as they were in " leafy June." I have not roamed a great deal, content rath er to abide in a beautiful region, suburban and quiet ; when I have had, on the one hand, city stir and excitement, and upon the other, the two almost in each other's arms the repose and the charm of the country. An occa jonal ti ip to neighboring cities and to the watering places h is -afforded m all the var-ety I required to keep, life from stagnation. 1 have ikt'e relish toi the fashion and folly of our great summer haunts. A day a' Newport is qui. e enough for nie, except that I should like to enjoy an every day hithe with the fine surf that ro Is up on its triple beach f.r the routine at its hotels is ex cessively tiresome to all but the slaws of 1 sovi- ! ety.' I have Wen at Newport several times since 'the seas n' s-t in. Just now it is a grand centre of fashion and fancy. The nu Uieiou hotels aie crowded but the throngs which occupy them are not the only visitors to this sumtner-rei-re-it. The ' city on the sea' has a large number of cttagesand villas owned by families who regularly occupy them from June to September thus creating a permanent summer society in the place quite independent of tlie ordinary citizens. There dwells the poet Longfi l ow a quarter of the year, a'ways sur rounded by genial f iends, and !ut I will not trouble you with a list of the notabilities vho m ike Newport their summer home. Newport and Providence lie at "the opposite extremities of that pretty cxpau-e of water call ed Narr;ganset Bay. They are about 25 miles apart, and. as you may know, have each their lam in claiming capit lian honours in the lit tle State of " Rhode Island and Providence Plantatii ns." Just now Newport is in the as cendant, and will I e. while the waim weather c 'U'mu's. Providence is now only a half wav house, as it were, from from Boston to Newport, and. from Worc-ster to Newport. I said "just now Newport is in the ascendant.'' though I might really claim the palm for Providence this Week, inasmuch as the American Scientific Association is now holding its annual meetiug, in the halls of Brown Univer-i'y. This is the ninth year of this veiy erudite convocation which brings togeiher the Scientists profess ional and amateur from al! parts of the land. It is astonishing to a common. man to hear the amazing long and equally hard words which rod from the tongues of the Saans here assem bled, as they discuss " the atmospherology of the sun" " the paleontology of the carbonife rous region"' the " strntagrojhy of the earth," &c, fcc. I have learned within a day or two that abcut eighty years from th s dale (how much I mourn the impossibility of my living to see it !) ' the inner ring of the planet Saturn will touch the primary and jbe absorbed !' It is certainly delightful to see and hear such en thusiasts in science as Agassiz, Guyot, Rogers, Pierce, Bache and others whom I might name pouring out their knowledge and their specula tions each with equal confidence ! on their respective hobbies, for you know, my dear Post, that all these distinguished men ride hobbies, a good many of them are in the saddle all the time! Agassiz is a noble specimen of a man. His physique is supersb his face radiant wiih de light, especially ivhen he is expatiating (a3 1 saw him yesterday) upon a rare and. extraordi nary fossil, which he discoveis to belong to a new family of Ahe shark genus, and which he declares in his fervour is "as curious and impor tant an object as the remains of the icthyosou raus were when they opened a new world to the gaze of the naturalist. Of course, there is a vast deal of merely speculative matter pre sented to the society by some of iu ambitious members and I am iuclined to think that the more theoretical a paper is the more is it es teemed by the sections." In other words, 1 fear the tendency of these meetings is .decidedly towards the abstruse and obscure. The learned men who present the papers understand them themselves (or at least they Aithey do!) and they care very little whether the majority un derstand them or not ! Among the discussions there are, of course, some of great popular in terest, but I have seen within a day or two, not fewer than a score of people napping very com fortably beneath the drowsy influences of a dis sertation upon the law of parabolic curves! There are about a hundred and thirty mem bers of the Association tjow present. Many of these are accompanied by wives and daughters, so that the nightly levees whiqb. are given by distinguished citizens are thronged. They are certainly much more popular than the sittings of the sections are, and I have observed that Savans who are very dull in the discussion of strata and lamina? and fossils are amazingly earnest and effective when they come to discuss chicken. From the unceasingly active press of Harper & Brothers there have been several works of more than average interest First of these in interest, though among the last in point of time, is Sydney Smith's Life and Letters. This delightful work is in two volumes, and pre sents a full length picture so to speak of a most remarkable man. The memoir itself is from the pen of Lady Holland, but besides this there are copious selections from his correspon dence carefully edited by Mrs. Austin. No one who has a correct idea of the broad souled, warm-hearted and witty philosopher will rest contented until he has devoured these graphic volumes, sparkling as they do, on every page with the corruscations of hi& delightful humor, and veined all through with that unsurpassed kindness of heart which pre-eminently distin guished him. Sydney Smith was a better phi losopher certainly than he was preacher, but nevei thless his pulpit ministrations were and al ways must be memorable. Waikna is the title of a most beautifully printed and exquisitely illustrated volume al so from the press of the Harpers. It contains a graphic narrative of the adventures of its author, Mr. Samuel A. Bard, on that almost terra in cognita on the eastern coast "of Central Ameri ca, termed the "Mosquito Shore." The style is lively the incident varied and novel, and the information of the book well worth the ob taining by a perusal that cannot be dull. Six ty exquisitely finished woodcuts embellish the text. Art Hints, this is the sugejjestive name of a volume comprising a general view of the princi ple of Art. It is partly historic and yet chiefly a'sthetic, lucid and picturesque in its tyle, and exceedingly interesting iir the variety of its detail. It is evidently a book which has cost the author caie and toil in the preparation arid the result is creditable to his industry as well as to his intelli gence. It will take a merited place among the standard literature of the Fine Arts. The au thor of the book is Mr. J. J. Jewes, whose ' Pa risian Sights' are well -known to the general reader. Besides these three books the Harpers hive published in the'r paper covered series of novels the following woiks: The Heiress of Ilaughlon by the autl or of ' Emilia Wynd ham'' and a book which, in the opinion of good critics, surpasses that exciting and popular s-.oiy. Constance Herbert, a delightful story by Mis Jewsbu y, whose merits are everywhere Confessed, -j- must not omit to mention a!s the third qiiaiterly volume of the Abbott st"ry bo-'ks, the illustrations of which ate so pleas ing to tbe liltle p-.ople. The London publish -rs have been so greatly occupied in the issue of l&oks relating to Russia and the War, that they have published few other books-'of general interest of late. , The best manual I have yet seen of the war is one pub lished by Sampson, Low, Son &, Co., and by their ag-nts in this country, Bangs, Brother & Co., of New York. It is authentic, compre hensive, well written, and illustrated by really beautiful and reliable inaps and plans of the seat of war. It will doubtless be followed by another volume devoted to the further history of the war. Messrs. Bangs Brother & Co. have received but few new books from the press of Mr. Henry G. Boh n, since the date of my la-t letter. 1 would especially mention " A classified synopsis of the Painters of the Dutch & Fl mish schools; by Geo. Stanly, Esq.," a valuable addition to the Scientific Library, and worthy of an imme diate place in every collection of books pertain ing to the history of Art. Salads, ices, grapes or such like light subjects! A very amusing story is afloat in the' newspa pers, to wit : that the Venerable and learned Doctor Wayland, gave a biliaj-d party to the Association on the first night of the session. As you may readily divine, the telegraph con verted brilliant into billiard, and so gave rise to some very piquant jokes among the journal ists, one of whom supposes that the reason of the Doctor's retirement from the Presidency of the University may be a passion for' billiards ' Of course the Doctor enjoys the laugh thus raised at his expense. He told me yesterday that he had come to the conclusion that B.ip tist clergymen ought not to give billiard parties, and he should do so no more ! By the bye, of his resignation of the Presidential office let me remark, it is not a hasty measure, but one he has j long since' resolved upon. He is now sixty ! years of age, and has been at the head of the i University nearly half his life. He feels it to be his duty to retire, and in a less exacting rou tine of labors, husband his strength both of body and mind that he may speak through books to a wider audience than he reaches in the halls of a college. The Doctor is right. He ha a mine of rich philosophical lore in his great soul, and I earnestly trust that hemay be spared to work it for the benefit of the race ! He will not leave this city, and is now building a house for himself iu its delightful suburbs, where he will have both retirement and delight His income apart from his lately resigned office, is ample for all his needs. It is an important question who is to succeed him in his important office, and it is a question which I cannot answer, nt least positively. I will venture to express mv conviction however, that the choice of the Cor porators of the University will fall upon the Rev. Dr. Sears, President of the Board of Edu cation of Massachusetts a profound -cholar a ! noble man, and in many respects not unworthy ! to succeed the great Doctor Wayland. The 1 election is expected to take ph.ee ori Tuesday, j the 21st inst. The Annual Commencement will occur on the 5th proximo. I have a batch of notes upon the recent lite rature from the accumulations of which I must select, almost at random, a few p"aragraphs for this letter which would not be comme il faut without reference to the book world. Messrs. Jewett & Co., of Boston have published a thick duodecimo, called " Modern Mysteries Explain ed and Exposed." It is from the hands of President Mahan, of Cleveland University, and it deals with clairvoyance, Spiritualism and Swe- j denborgianism. Mr. Mahan attributes the actu al phenomena of Spiritualism to a polar force in nature which he calls the Odylic Force, and by which he explains all the manifestations of Spi ritualism without the supposition of the pres ence or agency of disembodied spirits. He ex poses the licentious and infidelistic tendencies of the Spirit theory, and administers merited cas tigation to its manifold and too potent imposi tions. The book is earnest, critical and deeply interesting, and will repay the closest attention of the reader. Messrs. beldon, Lamport & Co., of New York, are the great distributors of this at tractive book for the West and South ; as they are indeed of all the admirable books issued by Jewett & Co. Besides this, they have an addi tional volume of the progressing edition of Burke's Works (vol. iii) and the concluding work of Conde's " History of the Arabs in Spain" a work which I took occasion to com mend in high terms some months ago. It is comprised in three volumes of the Standard library. "' - 1 observe that Messrs. Wm. Hall & Son, the greatest musical publishers of this country, are about to publish the compositions of Louis Gottschalk, the Oreple pianist, who is said to have more musical soul than any of the great celebrities in the pianoforte sole. His playing is certainiy bewitching to. mortal ears, and quite unlike that of De Meyer, or Thalburg, or Listz. Of course his compositions will be all the rage everywhere, for a few months at least ; and Hall & Son will find their- hands fuller than.ever of business. Among (their most recent issues of new music are the 1R ;,?'?'?. popular' and, beau? tiful pieces Marcifc ly forjjieirV-jtfe;'ttir! Jha j JJe Meyer j, The , Hjaicnmans JroiKa-, tne Pepila Polka. Thrle songs" Want Wife," " Hope on, Hope &ver" and Sweet Kate of Norton Nole" will Xmmend themselves to the lovers of ballad music. i I have suffered th letter to run to an exeps sive length I kndwut as I have been silent for several walks, and may not write again for two or three weeks to come, I will venture to throw it upon the indulgence of your readers. . .. COSMOS. For the Southern Weekly Post THE LAND OF GOLD. Reality vs. t iction, by Hinton R. Helper. Messrs. Editors : Permit me to avail my self of your columns, to offer a few critical re marks on the above work, lately" ssued from the pi ess, and professing to tear a-ide the' golden haze w hich has hung over this land of romantic hope-, and deadly disappointments; revealing it in all its naked deformity to the eyes of a much abused and misinformed public." - What the author intended to do lie thus lays down in his opening chapter, and a careful pe rusal of his work, as well as an intimate knowl edge of the subject matter, acquired by a rei deuce of five years in that Stale, compels us to ac knowhdge, that in many respects he has accurate'- delineated life in California as it appeared during 1849 and 1853, inclusive. There are, however, a great many errors, mis statements and wrong conclusions, and these connected, w ith the tone of illiberality and bitter prejudice in which" it is written, seriously deirac: from its merits. To wiite a book on California is no easy un dertaking, and almost every oue who has at tempted to paiai h a slufteally is has faded ; some most signally. Talentstfcr accurate, un biased observation and disci imitation, kee-n pen etration and sound judgment, associated with a liberal education and im'proved by travel, are indipensible requisites to an author who w. uld describe California correctly. Few, if any who have undertaken that duty possessed these various requisites, and hence, wli.e book after book has issued from the press, pro fessing to describe correctly th tt anomolous land, scarcely any of them possess any merit except as highly colored; exagerated stories, lit only to amuse aud iuterest but not to instruct. This book is liable in a great measure to the same objection, but with this difference. They throw over everything an air of romance and exage aliou, pointing California in the most gorgeous colors, and throwing a dazzling misti ness over the whole Hi!ject,.which entices not a few to quit their, homes in the Atlantic States, dreaming not in their'ex'cite'iient that they are mentally and physically unable to struggle against and endure all the hardships and suffer ings attendant on life in California. This pur sues the opposite extreme, and paints her in the blackest, bitterest and most prejudiced manner, describing her as the abode of furies, or of devils incarnate. It is this high coloring, we object to, and it is this which reveals the want of those requisites we before alluded to : unbiassed observation and discrimination, penetration and souud judgment. Wtf-do not pretend to assert that the author is utterly devoid of these requisites, but we do assert that such as be has are clouded by his prejudices, which completely obscure the most important of them, -viz : discrimination and judgement. However, we pardon ihe author for his preju dices and. for -the nswj -bitter things he bus written of our State, for few men who labored in the mines of California, as he tells us he did at twd different periods, and made but ninety three and a quarter cents the first time, fad to borrow money to get away the second, and in the course of three years made almost nothing, could write dispassionately or without prejudice about the country or of their misfortunes. The book is written in a very pleasing narra tive style, though with scarcely any literary merit, and any one will soon became interested in it. There is however, a very great fault iu the arrangement, which, notwithstanding the author's apologies, we cannot permit to pass un noticed. Instead of telling us in the first chap ter how he got to California, he proceeds in the ardor of his impatience to unveil her, aud then without any warning we are in the latter part of the book suddenly presented with bis "Voyage to California." This is bad. To have the nar rative broken in upon thus abruptly causes an unpleasant sensation iu the mind of the reader, which should have been avoided. The " Voyage to California" should have been the first chapter, and then the reader, after grow ing sea-sick with the author on first leaving port sympathizing with him over the shipwrecked, emaciated seamen, shivering and star-gazing with him as he was tossed abou. off Cape Horn, trembling with him daring the earthquake at Valparaiso, and finally arriving with him in San Francisco, would have been in a fit state to see California unveiled. But passing from these minor subjects, we proceed to notice the author's remarks on the society, the agricultural resources, the mines and the future prospects of the State. But before making any remarks about the society, we must candidly acknowledge our in capability to understand, and conseqently to ap preciate the force of the author's figures and statements in the " Balance Sheet." The author's intention, as near as we can arrive at it, seems to have been to estimate the exact value of Cal ifornia to the union to the world. We h. pe he understood his figures and calculation, and finally convinced himself what she is actually worth, and, I hope his readers will be more for tunate than we have been in obtaining knowl edge from that chapter. Estimating the value of any one particular State, is a task more difficult than may at first appear; we doubt whether it can be done at all, and we think the Balance Sheet in its present form, had better been left ( ut of the work. Passing from the Balance Sheet, our eye nexi surveys the chapter entitled, ' Society in Califor nia." Much of what the author saysrespecting society in California is, or rather was true three years ago, but even then there were many ladie and gentlemen of the highest respectability in San Francisco; Sacramento, Stockton, and other parts of California, who formed a nucleus around which a society as pure as ever graced the most favored citka'bf the.Atlantic slope has been stejadjly imd ridly cocgatihg.;; -;' j Wvvwonfd Scarcely jieci that a man who has been ten steps from his paternal roof, would think that in the short space of three or five years, a society could be formed in California or any other State, possessing all the accomplish ments and refinements of the " Old North State" or of New York. Good and bad society can bj found iu New York and New Orleans, as weil as in San Francisco and other parts of California, and any one might write a book almost as bad, about the depravity of those cities, and yet not exagerate. While the author was writing his book on California, he should have remembered that many persons, who will perhaps read his book, have friends in that State who are in the habit of corresponding with them, and their letters differitig so much from what, the author tells us will excite a suspicion that his account is exager ated. And yet both njay be true. The author describes the very worst aspect of society in California, in the very blackest, bitterest term-, w hile they describe the society they meet with out attempting generally more 'than a correct statement. The author observes in respect to the ladies that the nn st of them desire to return. From a far more extensive and intimate acqaintance with the ladies of San Francisco and other citi' s of the State than the author of this b .i k en joyed during his three years sojourn in the " Land of Gold," I must assert that hjstatement is far too broad. That many of the ladies who have left their families in the Atlantic States to share the for tunes of their? husbands in California, do wish to return is true. So would they if they had been absent anywhere else than iu California. But bv far the greater number de-ire to remain. In no country in the world d ladies etij y betier health than in California, or improve so much iu beauty two strong inducements for their remaining. Many of the ine nveniences of life in Califor nia in 1850, '51, '52 and '53, are rapidly passing away, and before the end of the next decade will be remembered only by a few. Respecting the precocity of youth in Califor nia, the author tills some stories which may no doubt surprise and bonify the good citizens of this State. But to those accustomed to the'news bovs of New York aud other large commercial cities, they will not be-.considered at all remark able. It would, indeed be strange if these juve nile vagrants, who in times past perambulated the streets of New York city, crying out, ' here's your morning Herald, Times and Iribunc : only three, cents," had changed to quiet, we!l-beha cd -modest boys. Indeed, while we candidly ac knowledge the truth of the author's delinea tions, we are not a little surprised that heshou'd attribute to Califor nia the juvenile vices engen dered in the .Atlantic cities, and apply the saine terms to all the children in the State indiscrimi nately. 1 Women im California are in prcportion to men as one to ten, and children not more than one to thirty. The State is of too recent settiement to have many children " to the manor born," who could come under the author's observation, and hence his remarks must be confined strictly to the class he describes, viz: the newstbovs. The mining resources of California, j though conceded by the author to b gteat, are in his opinion, not so abundant as formerly. Statistics to controvert this opinion are uot at our com mand, otherwise we could show the incorrect ness of the statement The only means we have ar present for arriving at Ihe comparative yield of the gold mines during the years 1849 and 1854, are the f-hipmeuts of gold per steamers via. the isthmus. The amount shipped from San Francisco iu 1854 will be found equal, all things considered, if not greater than the shipments of 1849. The population has increased not more than one-third since then, and the amount of gold retained in California for domes tic circulation and manufacture, three times as great as it was in '49. That the gold mines are failing has been as serted almost every year since they were Ihst discovered, and every year has contradicted, the a-sertion. There is gold enough yet in tbe mountains of California, to supply the demand of this part of the world for the next century. Next in importance to the mining resources of the State are those of figricu'tute. There have been many conflicting opinions expressed on th s subject by hasty, inconsiderate and igno rant writers, the majo.ity of whom however, assert that California possesses fine agricultural resources, which only remain to be developed by the industry of her farmers. The author how ever, differs with them, and declares that Cali fornia without her gold mines would be the poorest State in tbe Union. That a man of sense and observation, who has travelled over portions of the Slate most highly esteemed for agricultural purposes, should entertain such an erroneous opiniou, astonishes us more than anything we have seen in his book, and displays his deep and titter prejudice against California in the most conspicuous manner. Now we do not pretend to assert that tbe agricultural resources of the State equal those of some of the Western States, but we do assert that she has fine agricultural resources, which are being rapidly developed. At present, farming in 'the State is confined almost exclusivel to the most fertile plains and valleys, situated in eligible localities, and requir ing but little labor and expense, comparatively speaking, to cultivate. Their yield even with poor farming, is unparalleled by the same amount of land in any part of the Union, notwithstand ing what the author asserts respecting the aridity of the soil and climate. Though he confesses there are rich spots of land, scattered here and there throughout the State, he asserts that they are but as oases in the desert. Oases they may be, but they are oases in the midst of a country poor only in comparison with them. j The great plain of the Sacramento and Sah Joaquin, is over fifty miles in breadth, and from one hundred to one and fifty miles in length. The soil is from two to four feet deep, and it is covered at regular intervals with oak trees. Nor is he right in a-serting that the plains and valleys are the only cultivatable places in the State. The soil-on her hill sides is far richer than the great er part r of the soil of North Carolina, and as soon as labor becomes cheap will be brought into service inp.rojedcapable ot producing "good cfbpSjof '-wheaii 4ats, TCraTlyrry"aTTli other grains. I The author.is well aware that they now pi-ofluce abundant -"crops of wild , oats, which afford excellent pasturage for cattle. No regu lar survey of the State having as yet been made, it is almost impossible to ascertain the exact amount of good farming land in the State, and compare it with the amount of uncultivatable land. ' Even the ground she cultivates she has to enclose with imported fencing wire." And why is this ? because the most of the timber is in the Northern part of tbe Slate, difficult of access, and too expensive at present to make fences of. The country is new, wages are exorbitantly high, and there are no conveniences for cutting and hauling it. These impediments in the way of procuring timber, render it much more econom ical for farmers who are anxious to commence raising grain at once, to purchase iron wire and fence their land, than wait until time shall have rendered farming material cheaper and easier to obtain. The northern part of California is densely wooded; one acre of timber there would pro duce iii' re wood than ten acres of the timber land of North Carolina, the trees averaging from two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet in height, aud being proportionally thick. Iu regard to the manufacturing resources of the State the author remarks, she is as destitute as the aboriginal settlements of America. Iudeed it would be a strange phenomenon if it were otherwise. A State six years old can hardly be expected to have the same manufac turing facilities as the Atlantic States. Yet, as the aboriginal settlements of America have been transf ii med by progressive increase of improve ment into great manufacturing States, we are at liberty to suppos the same may happen in course of time in California. The author in one or two instances, discovers an ignorance of-the geography and typography of California. Surprising to us when we remem ber that he describes only what he saw or did himself. But these errors we attribute more to careles-ness of description than actual ignorance. The valley of the San Joaquin says he, is un. cultivatable on account of the water. On the banks of the river and for some miles back, this is undoub'.edly true, but that the San Joaquin vajey pioper is too wet for cultivation is equally untrue. Again, in the chapter headed Bodega, the au'hor remarks, that wishing to see the celebra ted grazing .district of Bodega, he hired a mule at an enormous price, and sallied forth from San Francisco in search of new adventures. I took the high road along the Bay towards Bodega a small town situated on the Pacific coast, 60 mih s north-east from San Francisco. And then he tells us about the antics of his mule in the suburbs of the city, kc. Now when I was in California, Bodega was situated on the Pacific coast, in a north-north west direction from San Francisco, and the mouth of San Francisco Bay intervened. No high road could possibly lead from San Francisco, as any one can see by glan cing at the map of California. If the author had not been so minute in his discription of the antics of his mule in the suburbs of the city, we would have supposed that he first crossed tbe Bay to Soucelite, some twelve or fifteen miles from the San Francisco, and then took the high road, but he has precluded us from drawing such an inference. How he got over the Bay we would really like to be informed, for though during a residence of five years in California and Oregon, three of which we r spent- in San Francisco, we , saw and heard many strange and wonderful r stories, we must confess we never heard of a mule's walking or swimming twelve miles across a goood strong tide. In the same chapter, we are told the author intended to perform a similar exploit on his mule, but was prevented by an accident, viz : to go from Benicia to Mount Diablo. Benicia is on the North side of Luisern Bay, instead of a branch of the Sacramento river, as the author informs us, and Mount Diablo is on the south side, some fifteen or twenty miles inland. Now to go to Mount Diablo from Ben icia, the author would have had to cross Luisern Bay to Mortmas five or six miles distant, before he could ride his mule or find any road or path to the mountain. But the Bay was no obstacle to him and his mule, for he expressly informs us that he had ridden a half mile on his way when the rascally mule threw him. Wonderful rider ! astonishing mule! Tbe mule perhaps did not want to swim Luisern Bay. The writer of this article on his first trip to Sacramento came nigh being shipwrecked in that Bay, remaining for three days fast aground on a sand bar, and he can testify that it is a bad pface to swim in. Though w'e have been severe in some respects upon the author and his book, we have done it in a spirit of self-defence, required by his too severe remarks on what he saw in California. A great deal, by far too much of what he has written is true, and. if treated properly and lib erally would not have offended the most loving of California's sons. As it is, he has suffered himself to be carried away by the remembrance gold, as well as hi own misfortuneS) portraying them he has forgotten that Calif six years ago was a wildernessthat no S ever sprung into existence so rapidly as &h done that it would indeed have been si 6 if he had all the comforts and conven" "' New York in San Francisco, or tbe well'6"?8 f ted farms of the "Old North Siaw ; i ' 1JH Slat- so young, so anomalous. The book, however, taken as a whole'is table to the author, and cannot fail to ' the reader. fWe hope, therefore, it mav ha' extensive circula ion, for it presents adiff" picture of California from any heretofore' sented to the public, and may io-,!,u. r- i e " - Parent some few people from setting out for tht with- the sanguine expectation of g.",. six months, or a year, without do aavTl n V f :" i 1 . . ..".uouip as many wh" t.hfrf two or tUrfo vMn nmi.A. j .1 nt . ..... oun.,.-u u, e- MONT t;t.E. WILLIAM D. COOKE, f JAMES A. WADDELL, M. D. J ed'toss. RALPMJ)JdJGUST25,Ts TerW TWO DOLLARS PEE AJOnrttTinidvwcr ;--V CLUB PRICES: Three Copies,. . .85 full price,. igni copies,.... Ten Copies, Twenty Copies,. . .$6, ..16, ..20, ..40. .20 Payment in all eases in advance 9y Where aclnbof eight, ten or twenty suhncrihor.; sent, the person making up the club will be entitled copy extra. 10 Postmasters are authorized to act" as Acnt. i the Southern VVeekly Post. Rent' ,0f Mb. H. P. Doutbit is our authorizej aM for fh States ot Alabama Mississippi and Tenxessee. EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE, Hot Spki.vgs, Hath Co., Va:' Aug. 17th, 1855. ' l, As we have been tarrying for some days at this place for the benefit of the baths, we will endeavor to turn this letter to some useful ac count by some little description of the place and its waters. The Hot Springs establishment owned and stiil conducted by the venerable Dr. Thos. Goode, is on the main stage route to the White Sulphur Spring, ab"iit five miles south' of the Warm Springs. At the foot of a lull in a' con tracted valley enclosed by mountains, a number of bold fountains gush fn in the ground with a teiueia!ure reaching in some inst mces a verj Considerable , elevation. Over the-e natural wells the piopiie.or erected many years since several convenient hith houses where alt the possible benefit of medicinal thermal waters can be enjoyed by the invalid in a higher perfection than at any other watering place on this conti nent. Analysis shows thai these waters are highly charged wiih several valuable riiedicinal ingredi en's "such as th j Carlonate of Lime, Sulphate of Lime, Carbonate f Maguesh, Sulphate of Magnesia, Sulphate of Sod.i, Proto carbona:e of -Irou &c, and it is recommended that invalids' should drink freely of the water when ihey bathe, in order that the f u 1 med'c'nal effect may be enj yed. How far the extern n us3 of the baths m iv exercise a medicinal iullueuc- in dependently of the temperaUne. it is iiyji .sib'e to determine satisfactorily, but Dr. Goode is quiie confident in the opinion, derived from long ob servation, that they.do influence the sy-tem in a manner for which mere temperaime cannot ac count. There are three classes'of involids who appear to di-rire especial relii f fri m th-Re thermal Springs. Those who labor under the concu tions and distortions incident to chronic riea matism, in m my c-ises after patient trial, find their limb gradually relaxed and the concre tions absorbed, and ibourb they came here help less, often go away in - almost perfect, health. Still more marke I, in numerous instances, are the happy effects of the waters . upon cases of paralysis. We can see improvements guing on every day in cases of this kind, wi ere the most potent means have been before tried in vain. In chronic affeciions of the liver attended with tot por aud deficient secretions the effect of the baths is said to be decidedly beneficial, but e have not yet observed any examples. " e hear however of the waters arousing the liver to in creased action as powerfully as mercury, and have no reason to doubt their efficacy. ', There are many things about this celebrated watering phace deserving the attention of the traveler who seeks health rather than pleasure and prefers comfort to a crowd. It is one of the best regulated establishments in the Virgin ia mountains. The table is supplied, not with a luxurious variety of viands, but w ith gofcd bread, "good butter, and g.xd milk, abundanc of fresh meat for dinner, and delightful pastty. The rooms and beds" are neat and clean. Tbe servants are remarkably attentive, and the man agers polite and obliging. Some would like more gayety and excitement. For ourtelres we prefer the comfortable tranquility of a spot at once so public and so quiet, where the fnll stream of travel is constantly vis.ble, without creating a necessity for mingling with it We did not sit down to puff the Hot Springs but merely to state our impression of facts as far as they go. We would not in the least de tract from the merits of other watering p!a8 many of which doubtless surpass this place in natural attractions, and in some respects, o&i greater advantages to the invalid. There has been almost every day since onr arrival a succession of heavy showers. Tb high peaks around us seem to attract the clouds or at least impede their passage and their top are frequently ob-cured by rain or fog. Much of the benefit sou ght by invalids, at these ther mal baths is undoubted lost by exposure to damp night air, which neccessarily interferes with the process of cure. It is absolutely. tonishing to witness how carlessly the sick wi sit for hours after nihtfull in the open air, after laborious pains taken during the day to secure the influence of the baths. Nothing can b m8 absurd than to expect decided benefit from 7 remedy so employed. There are saveral clergyman of different de nominations now here for their health, and fre quent religious services have been held. Sunday last the Rev. Dr. Smythe of Charles ton, now recovering from paralysis, preache i Si pne ten lr, ! - ' vf
Southern Weekly Post (Raleigh, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 25, 1855, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75