The hydraulic press., August 21, 1858, Image 2

About The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??

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THE HYDRAULIC PRESS
B. P. AVERY, EDITOR.
SITI RDAY, - - Al t!. 21. 1858.
SALI’TATORY.
Having purchased from Mr. J. P.
■ Olmstead the material and good will
of the San Juan Star establishment,
we propose to issue, instead of that
journal, a qow paper to be called the
■ Hydrarulic Press, of which this is
: the first number. The name adopted
•was selected on account of its local
appropriateness, as well as- for .the
reason that it avoids the unnecessary
coupling with it of the long name of
our-town.'
v . Tfce endoifragement and patronage
! which have been extended to the
‘ furnish abundant reason for the
belief that its successor will not lack
support.
We shall endeavor to deserve suc
cess, by industrious devotion to the
moral and material - interests of not
‘ only our own towri, : but of the whole
contiguous country, generally desig
nated as the Ridge. . A village paper,
if its sphere he narrow, can be more
than a mere convenience to its patrons
it may be made Or constant benefit.
A frank and courteous expression
of opinions in themselves just and
proper and honestly entertained, must
have a favorable influence, ultimately,
upon those who will take the trouble
to consider them.
We believe that the object of the
Hydraulic Press can be best ac
complished by entirely excluding
from its columns the expression and
discussion of political opinions. Po
litical papers generally have but little
‘influence, even politically, except,
perhaps, in deepening the already re
ceived convictions of their readers ;
and they usually conduce but slightly
to the true welfare of the communities
which they assume to ei lighten. A
village paper, in our opinion, can, or
should, have no ambition beyond the
attainment of faithfulness as an expo
nent of local interests and being the
true reflex of local views.
It is impossible for a journal of this
character to vie with the great news
papers of the cities in the copious
publication of general intelligence, or
dn the attainment of foreign influence;
and doubtless such a futile eflort will
not be expected at our hands. We
-shall aim to be useful in our limited
sphere — tp make our paper worthy of
patronage, and to secure it popularity,
df that can be done without loss of
self-respect.
A Word abour Mining News.—
The limits of our piper will not per
mit us to record special instances of
success in mining, occurring outside
of the region embraced within the
circulation of this sheet, except such
remarkable instances as will prove
generally interesting. It will be
enough,therefore, to record, in gener
al terms, the character of mining re
sults thro’out the State, contributing
as largely as possible to the common
fund of such intelligence by publish
ing careful and accurate details of the
mining operations within our reach.
The Fraser River excitement has
had the excellent effect of attracting
the attention of the press and the pub
lie to the superior golden resources of
our own country, and we hope to do
-our share in noting the extent and
value of these resources. Communica
tions, faithful, to the point.and not too
lengthy, from the various miuing
camps along the Ridge, are solicited
and will be duly acknowledged when
received.
The W bather. —The country in
this vicinity, we know not for how
great a distance, was blessed a few
days since with one of the most delicate
little showers, such as jewel summer
meadows at home, leaving the atmos
phere delightfully fresh. Indeed we
are peculiarly favored this year, by
uniformly cool and breezy days,mere
ly exceptions enough to remind us
of thermometers and to fire additional
zest to the genet al coolness.
This comfortable weather, combin
ed wi h the unusual plentifulness and
low price of fruit and vegetables, has
made our mountain life tins season
even more pleasant and desirable than
ever. IJ
jggf*The P. M. General has dis
continued the Post-office*at Emery’s
Crossing in consequence of the resig
nation of the Postmaster and the in
expediency of continuing it.
The Approaching Election.
Amid the din of conflicting political
opinions which precedes now, as it
always does, the calming influence of
the ballot box, we hear much of Le
compton and Anti Lecompton, of
Douglas and Broderick, of Black Re
publicans and Popular Sovereignty,
but not one word of California. A
great deal is said about the wrongs of
bleeding Kansas, but hardly a whis
per breathed concerning the evils un
der which our own State is suffering.
One would suppose that California in
terests had been already amply cared
for—that her'Public School system
could not be improved—that some
Lycurgus had left us a perfect code
of laws, that all the administrators of
those Jaws were paragons of virtue,to
suspect whom would be slander; that
we were enjoying safe, frequent,cheap
and easy communication with the pa
tent States by transmontane and
ocean-routes; that the electric wires
were flashing every days report of good
and ill. across our broad continent;
that the private virtue of our people
had blotted out the stain of their ear
ly history, and that nothing remained
for us to do but to fall back upon our
felicity and enj >y a little Christian
quarreling over national questions. —
Yet everybody knows these necessary
things are still unaccomplished. Now,
although our duty to the State docs
not make it incumbent upon us to ig- ,
nore national politics, these should not
be allowed to swallow up everything
else. Of coarse, we are citizens of
the Uriion quite as much as of Cali
fornia, and should always take an in
telligent interest in federal concerns; I
but our first duty is to the State. If j
we make that great and virtuous we j
shall contribute more to the preserva- |
tion and glory of the Union than if
every one of us took the stump for
the Administration or for Douglas—
and what a different spectacle wo
should afford the world ! So long as
only a few men are found willing to
compromise their personal dignity by
making partizan harangues, the pub-»
lie contempt or ridicule is sufficient to.
neutralize whatever bad effects might
flow from them; but. if f e all run to
listen and mingle in the fcetty squab*
ble, there is no help fof us. Those
hermaphrodite minds wllch lack de
cided opinions neither Reserve nor
receive much respect; as little euti
tied’to respect arc those Jwho
all to party, and boast oianever
other than a “straight ticket.”
There is an Opportunity presented
by the coming election %r every citi
zen to do “the State sane service,”
without ignoring or compromising the
most decided opinions ot national pol
itics. Each voter ca. i sufficiently
assert bis principles in 1 iis regard by
casting his ballot in fa ?or thofce
candidates on the leadinj; State tickets
who most nearly represent his views.
The two candidates Ibr Supreme
Judge are alike ccftnietent for the
position, if there is any faith to be
put in the assurances of their friends,
so that political preference can be
consulted in this instance without sac
rifice ; and still more pointedly can
such preference be shown by voting
or refusing to vote for the Congres
sional nominees.
The integrity of our political con
science being thus preserved, we can
then consult tho welfare of the State
by voting for the best men presented
for office on the several county tick**
ets, or who may be in the field as in
dependent candidates. If it is possi
ble to discard men whom we know
would sacrifice the iuterests of the
commonwealth to those of party, we
ought to discard them. It would be
impertinent and futile in this paper to
attempt to influence the public choice
or to declare our own, but we believe
it is proper enough to say what we
have said, and to enter a protest,
however feeble, against the blindness
of partizauship.
Telegraph to Salt Lake. —The
Sacramento Union is informed by
Fred. Bee, agent of the company
which is now making arrangements
to extend the telegraph to Salt Lake,
that the prospect is fair for entering
upon the work at once. He has. gone
to San Francisco to purchase wire,
and will soon return to commence the
undertaking. lie understands that
O’Reilly, the well known telegraph
man at the East, is determined to
connect wrh Salt Lake as soon as he
can make arrangements to do so.—
When this is complete, the Atlantic
cable laid, the Pacific spanned, and
a few other trifling connections made,
we will -literally hang globe on
] wire and swing it as >#^leas«.
Bulletin Board Politicians.
At the double-headed meeting
which our Democratic friends held in
this place a short time since, we hap
pened to hear David Belden paying
his respects to the speaker on the
corner, who had announced himself as
the standard bearer of the Democra
cy. Belden said he would call him
more truly its bulletin board, on
which every party in succession had
posted its notices, and you could now
pull them off one after another as you
would peel-an onion. Not knowing
or caring but what Belden might be
obnoxious to the point of his own wit,
we thought the idea a happy one,and
the title of "Bulletin board politicians’
especially applicable in California,
which has been cursed by the pres
ence of so many of that sort, togeth--
cr with their near kin, the carpet-bag
politicians. The mere fact of chan
ging one’s opinions, where the change
is sincere, should be no reproach to a
man, but rather the reverse,ft>r it is a
sign of mental integrity.
We never had much sympathy with
the popular definition of consistency,
and are pretty apt when we hear of
a man who has never changed—who
has always been a Democrat, or a
Whig, or a Republican, to suspect his
honesty.
No one can be true to principle and
party at the same time, for principles
arc not fluctuating nor arbitrary,
whilst parties are inevitably so. But
there is a class of human chameleons
who adapt their colors to every change
in the atmosphere of public opinion,
real or fancied. They flatter, and
buzz and glitter in the pleasant air of
peace and imagine themselves per
ennial; hut when the storm comes—
when the conflict of true principles
with old errors and abuses rings lou
dest, they are swept into oblivion and
nobody regrets them. Such men can
bo of no real service to society, whilst
they may be a serious injury It ad
mits of no question, that the wildest
fanaticism proves ultimately less inju
rious to the character of a people,
than the insidious corruption of dema
gogueism.
From the Crusader! sprang chival
ry with its amenities, softening the
rudeness of the times and leading to
our modern politeness, which is only
the golden rule conventionalized; and
from Puritanism grew our modern
freedom,^
sal man which distinguisTi thiar age
above all others.
A man who has heart and brain
enough to be a fanatic, is apt to be
also, apart from his craze at least, a
good citizen—a lover and doer of the
right for its own sake, a tender sym
pathizer and an active philanthropist.
Your bulletin board politician, wher
ever you find him—and that is every
where—is a contemptible character
compared to such a Yet to
him is chiefly surrendered ths control
of our affairs and the directing of our
national destiny. If the American
people do not ballot such fellows
down they will need another revolu
tion one of these days to corao.
These reflections may serve to il
lustrate the truth that one may draw
wise conclusions from the most insig
nificant circumstances —aye, even
from political meetings and stump
speeches.
Indian Attack on the Overland
Mail. —lt is reported that the mail
C >ach which left Placer/illeßlstult-had
been attacked by Shoshone Indians,
twenty miles above Gravelly Ford,
and three of the men accompanying it
killed. The Placerville Register and
the Sacramento Union think there
are good reasons to doubt the of
the report, and every one must hope
that it may prove untrue. If true, it
may not he the result of any general
hostility amongst the Indians, and
such occurrances could" be speedily
prevented by the prompt establish
ment of military posts.
Anti-Lecompton
crats are nominating tickets in every
county in the State, and it is proba
ble that each wing of the Democracy
will be as distinctly and sharply sep
arated throughout the .State as ever
were Whig and Locofoco.
Many of the counties have also
nominated Independent tickets, and
some few we believe. Republican
tickets; so that, without' counting the
numerous self-nominated candidates
for office, voters will have an abun
dance to choose from. From all this
confusion it is to be hoped our citizens
will be able, by discriminating ballots,
to extract order and good government.
The State Fair. —Next week will
|be a great time for our Marysville
friends, and also, we believe, for their
visitors. The most extensive and
'complete arrangements ever known in
this State have been m ide by the
| State Agricultural S jciety for the
purpose of rendering the coming Fair
superior to all its predecessors. The
Executive Board of the Society has
even gone so far as to make provision
for the comfort of visitors and their
security against high charges for hotel
accommodation. They have arranged
. * O
with the principal hotel-keepers, ac
cording to the National Democrat , a
reasonab'e scale of prices, ranging at
from five to eight dollars per day for
board, lodging and room for two ner
sons, and three dollars per day for
board and lodging for one person; for
single meals and lodging the prices are
about as usual.
The twelve principal hotels can af
ford accommodations for 4,300 per
sons, the Merchant Hotel alone having
accommodations for 900 and the Ilaun
House for 500 persons.
Besides the above, says the same
paper, on the authority of the Execu
tive Board, there are numerous wood'*
eu hotels,which have superior accom
modations; also, many lodging houses
and restaurants, which will furnish
accommodation at the above rates. —
S > we think there need be no appro-•
hension on this score. Very many of
our citizens intend visiting the Fair,
and they will find enough to amuse
them, besides the central attraction,
in the Hippodrome, Theater, and nu
merous other amusemets which are
apt to be found at such gatherings.
Improvements— Th% foundations for
a couple of two-story fire-proof brick
buildings are now being prepared on
Main street, bebw the Restaurant.
Mr. J. W. Guthrie, of the Oak Tree
Market, erects one of them, which is
to be 22 feet wide by 60 feet deep,
with a front elevation of 30 feet. The
other bull Vihg. adjoining it, wjlj be the
property of .Mr. 11. Freudeuthal. of
the Star Bakery aid Boarding House.
It Will be two feet wider than Mr.
Guthrie’s building, but of the same
length and frontage. They will pre
sent when completed a uniform and
tasteful appearance, and be rjot only
*L£xiffiliii%rn x n? nt pr/T*
n to that portion of the street.
Both gent’emen deserve credit for
their wise enterprise, hope
to 803 frequently imitated.
The Architect of the buvHiijgs is
Maj. G. Welton, and the builder Da
vid L. Swain; both well known citi
zens of our town.
The bricks to be used were made
at the yard of Sears and Green, of
this place,_and are said by good judg
es to bo of excellent quality, v
Dancing School. —Mr Milling
ton of Sacramento, is stopping for a
few weeks in our town for the purpose
of instructing the citizens of this and
adjoining places in the Tcrpsichorean
art.
Never having had any other knowl
edge of dancing than such as we ac
quired involuntarily several years
ago, under a vigorous application of
birch, to our own music and without
particular regard to steps, we cannot
ourselves vouch for Mr. Millington’s
competency. But those who know
say ho is a teacher of weighty ability.
jggg“Tne consolidation of Sacra
mento City and county under one gov
ernment, has thus far produced only
good results, accordingto the Union.
It reduces the tax; renders it neces
sary to appeal to or from but one as-*
sessment; to pay taxes to but one offi
cer,the Sherilf; and gives a clean rec
ord, that any one can understand, to
which to refer.
The taxes levied this year are only
$2,85 on $lOO upon city property,
and $1,90 upon county property.
Overland Mail leaves
Placerville every Saturday. Persons
wishing to send their letters that way,
have only to superscribe them “iiy
the Overland Route,” and then for
ward to Sacramento.
The mail which left last Saturday
took nearly two hundred letters from
Sacramento, & Sun Francisco besides
a considerable quantity of newspa
pers.
The Republicans of Sau Fr countj
have made leading nominations which it is
thought will not be opposed by the People’s
Convention Generally the Republicans
have not made county nominations.
Overland Mail Route.
After praying and wailing for ton
long years, suffering meanwhile from
the extortion and capricious despot
ism of Steamship monopolies, the peo
ple of California have at last been
granted a mail line of weekly coaches
over their favorite route from St. Jo
seph to Placervillc. Several complete
ly successful trips have been made
within the stipulated time on each end
of and the beneficent re
sults all along predicted from this de
sired communication are beginning to
develope and shape themselves al
ready. We see in imagination, the
long lines of our flying kindred on
their secure and easy passage to the
Pacific, stopping to rest and refresh
themselves at the numerous towns
which have grown up around the nu
clei of way stations, and are surroun
ded by cultivated fields and blooming
orchards; whilst all along the route
the electric telegraph—that peculiar
achievement of the nineteenth centu
ry—draws its dark line across the
sky, conn cting two oceans by in
stantaneous flashings of intelligence.
Nothing is wanted to complete our
hopes and the picture drawn by our
enthusiasm, except the iron road with
its trains of freighted cars sweeping
along the horizon, to the surprise of
Indians and buffalos. Put even en
thusiasm, in view of seeming fo ler il
indifference to this great work, and
the retarding influence of heated
partisanship dare net predict what it
would fain believe.
It is perhaps enough for the pres
ent that we have the Overland line of
coaches, with a fair prospect of the
telegraph. Even for this we are mos
tly indebted to that curious affair
which is designated and satirized by
the name of the Mormon War.
From the Alta California we con
dense some information concerning the
Overland Mail Route, which will
prove acceptable to th se of our read
eis who do not enj >y access to fuller
sources of information than the village
paper.
The present route from Placerville
to Sait Lake is, after passing the Si
erras, by the way of Carson Valiey,
through the head of E tgle Valley to
Ragtown, thence to the Sink of the
Humboldt, 177 miles, which, with the
m [ivi- 'hij ii •
Froyaf'the Sink of the Humboldt the
“route passes up the south side of the
H urnholdt tothe Thousand Spring Val
ley, thence over the Goose Creek
mountains, and thence by the Fort
Hall and Suit Lake road, one hun
dred and twenty miles, to the city.
The total distance to Salt Lake
City by the [ resent road is Go! miles,
and from thence to St. Joseph up
wards of one thousand; making the
entire distance from the latter place
to Placerville by the road now follow
ed more than 1,654 miles.
But the new road, which is being
rapidly pushed to completion will shor
ten that distance considerable, and
lessen the travelling time by reason oi
its greater smoothness and superior
grade in places.
There will soon be stations along
the route to Salt Lake at average
distances of less th an thirty miles,
and it is confidentially asserted, that
when the stations are completed and
stocked with relays of four fresh hor
ses each, which they soon will be, the
trip can be marie in several days at
most. From Salt Lake to St. Joseph
toe route at present is upwards of one
thousand miles, but the new road will
cut off over a hundred miles. By go
ing through Provost canon fifty miles
is saved, thence to Green river,
thence to Pacific Springs, making an
other cut off of fifty miles: thence to
the Sweet Water, avoiding the dry
saudy creek, down the Sweeet Water,
passing Devil’s Gate; thence to Inde
pendence rock, keeping on down the
Sweet Water, when a detour is made
fir the Piatt river; thence down toe
Platt until approaching the Block
Hills, where a detour i» made to the
right, coming out at Fort Laramie,
which is about 1.0 miles. The pla
ces touched at then are Scott’s Bluffs,
Ash Ho.low, crossing South Fork of
the Platte to Salt Creek, and coming
up to Fort Kearney. Thence still
down the Platte; thence to the Little
blue; thence to the Big Blue, after
passing which, the outer settlements
of Kansas and Nebraska aie reached,
through whicu it will be an easy mat
ter to make shoit and comfortable sta
tions. •
The contract for weekly service
from to Salt Lake issloo
- from Salt Lake to St. Jo
sephs, $114,000 per annum.
The scedule time from Placerville
to Salt laake is 1G days, and from
Salt Lake to St Joseph, 18 days ma
king a total of 34 days allowed for a
through trip.
There will not be many passengers
carried until most of the road is stock
ed and stationed, as at present there
are not sufficient accommodations.—
The price of passage will probably be
fixed at one hundred and fifty dollars
for the entire journey, including food.
Strong Concord coaches are to be
used, with seats for four inside and
two outside; a baggage boot behind
for the mail and around the top aa iron
railing for luggage &c. and a falling
gig top to shade the drivers seat.
The cushioned seats will be so arran
ged that they can be let down flat for
beds. Each coach to be provided for
purposes of defence with four Sharp’s
rifles and abundant cartridges.
But these are not likely to be need
ed, at least for protection against the
Indians, who are so far professedly
friendly and can doubtless be kept
really so it not molested or insulted.
It is confidently stated by the par
ties in charge cf it, that the journey
over this maguficent route can be
made regularly in twenty days, and
within the three months.
Any amount of enthusiasm would
be justifiable over the facts we have
detailed above, and especially
amongst those who have “crossed the
plains” by the tedious moans of
ox carts, and witnessed the signifi
cant mounds of earth marking cvetj
few rods of the journey.
TiicSews from llae East,
By tho Gulden Gate, which arrived
on Sunday morning is singularly un
interesting, excepting the unwelcome
intelligence of the failure of the At
lantic Telegraph enterprise, after
tnroe attempts being made in mid
ocean. The attempt to lay the cable
will probably be renewed this year,
the recent accident not being looked
upon as irremediable One interes
ting item ot English news is worth
s parate mention. The long struggle
for the admission of Jews to member
ship in Parliament terminated on tho
30th June in tavorof the persecuted
Israelites; so Lord Rothschild, who
has been -persistently returned to the
House of Commons for years, without
being able to take his seat, can now do
so.
From the States there Is not much
of interest,
The General Govermient is exerci
ting its influence, in favor of the open
ing of the Nicargua route. The bark
Rapid sailed from New York, with
engineers, mechanics fedd laborers for
the purpose opening the Tehuantepec
route. General Quitman is dead, as
aho Wm. J. Porter cf the Spirit of
the Tines. The Minasota folks are
afflicted with the Fraser river fever
to the extent of calling public meetings
and forming emigration parties to
cross the plains t» ihat rich stream
by a route 1650 miles long.
Walker Fillibusterism has reared its
hateful head again in Alabama.
Gen. Jim Lane has been unfortu
nately acquitted. -
The late Utah reinforcements are
ordered to Fort Walla Walla to assist
in putting down the turbulent Indians
thereabouts.
Diplomatic intercourse with dis
tracted Mexico has been suspended..
The night train on the N. Y, and
Erie Railroad was thrown off the
track by a broken rail at Glen Hollow
and precipitated down a steep bank',
kiiiing six persons and wounding forty
more.
Politically there is not much going on
beyond the triangular fight which
Douglas is waging in Illinois with the
Republicans and the Administration
Democrats—whom ho denounces aS
boh era.
In Europe, France is talking spuh
kily to Turkey, and Spain to John
Ball in regard to insults uttered
in the British House of Lords. San
guinry conflicts were almost daily oc
curring between the French and Ro
rnansoldiera in Italy.
Poor Italy certainly has no reason
to love Napoleon 111.
A\ \OI \CEMEXTS.
Wo are imtboilzod to announce the name of
HEXRY EVERET
a» an Independent Candidate for Supervisor of District
Number 3
Wo are authorized to announce the name of
C.W. CORN tLL,
as an independent candidate for Constable of Bridge
port Township.
<3*>Veare authorized to announce
MAJOR G. WELTOJf,
as an Independent Democratic candidate for Constable
of fii i-Jgeport Township. (3Vtd]
We are authoriifed to announce tlie name of
€. WILSON HILL,
an independent candidate for the position of COUN
TY JUDOJJ. 35td
At Nevada Hotel, in San Juan;
OPEN FOR A SHORT TIME ONLY.’
B. JAY ANTRIM & CO.