The Arkansas Banner

The Arkansas to California.

A number of letters have by the late mails, reached here, from members of the various parties who have left this State to achieve a fortune more speedily than they suppose Arkansas will afford. This we are every day more and more convinced is a mistake. The same amount of money, employed in the outfit of an expedition to the gold mines, devoted to the development of minerals in various portions of this State, would yield as a general rule, more real wealth than can be obtained by the hard labor and exposure required there.

We need say nothing of the toil and privation suffered for months, of the dangers and difficulties to be overcome on the route from Indians and robbers—their dreadful trials have been fully made known in many a statement from the adventurers themselves, while accounts from the land of gold exhibit a life of absolute misery among the 'unlucky' portion of the miners.

We proceed to give extracts from letters recently received from acquaintances of most of our citizens. The latest date is the following from Dr. John R. Conway:

In Camp, July 25, 1849.

'We are now twenty-five miles below Socorro, where we will reorganize a company. There are here now 25 wagons and about 80 men, and the election of officers will take place to-morrow, after which we will proceed on our journey. The range is very fine here, and our teams are doing remarkably well, although, since we have been on this River (the Rio Grande) our health has not been so good. It will take us about two months to get to Santiago on the Pacific coast.

I send this by an express, who goes to Socorro for blacksmith's tools, &c.'

Extract of a letter to a friend from Mr. H. Crease, dated: Camp, 50 miles from Santa Fe.

'I have just arrived from Santa Fe, Murphy and myself having made a visit to that city, while the company pursued its way to Albuquerque. The population is about four thousand, and is certainly the meanest hole in existence. We had to keep in our saddles to prevent our horses from being stolen from us. On the way we passed two gold mines, at one of which a piece worth two dollars and a half was shown me. We are now not quite half way to the diggings, and how much further we will get, I am unable to say. Our mules are nearly all broken down, as it is almost impossible to obtain anything for them to eat, the grass is so completely burnt up by the sun. Our company is very much divided, some having packed while others continue on with the wagons. Dr. F. and myself are cooks to-day, and at this present writing he wants to know what I am doing in the wagon; my answer not being very satisfactory, he has dropped his tin cup and dish cloth and thrown the spade in the fire, and comes to see for himself. He is not at all satisfied, and very coolly remarks that every d—d bean would be burnt up, while the wood (?) would not make coals enough to bake bread.' I close at this.