The Gazette Davenport, Scott, Iowa Jan 10, 1850 Alfred Sanders, Editor FROM THE CALIFORNIA EMIGRANTS Quite a number of letters, from those who went overland from this county to California, were received in this place last week. A letter from Mr. Thomas to Mr. Crossin, of Davenport, dated at Sacramento City, the 18th of Sept., states that his party arrived there on the 5th of that month. Mr. Hires, of Princeton precinct, Scott county, preceded him several days. Cheever & Fry of this county and Dr. Brackett of Rock Island, had arrived previously.-- John Fisher, formerly of this place, who was reported to have been shot, was at work on the American Fork. Mr. Thomas speaks of the hardships of the route, of the quantity of gold in California, wages, provisions, etc., in the same strain of Mr. Lambert in the following extract which we are permitted to make from his letter, dated at Sacramento City, Oct. 2d, 1849:- "We have all of us, who started from Davenport, got through safe, with our two wagons.- Dr. Brown, Daniel Hawley and R. Scroggins with one team; and David Rogers, S. Stockton and myself with the other. We six have messed together and traveled together, from Davenport to Sacramento City, at Sisters Fort. We have traveled over all kinds of roads, and mountains of the roughest kind; the dust of the roads in many places over our boot tops. But, thank God, we have all arrived safely in Sacramento. We have not lost an ox or broke a wagon since we left home, or any of us had serious sickness on the route. But there are thousands who have died and been laid beneath the clods of the prairies, away from their wives and children, from father, mother, brothers, sisters all the heart holds dear. And there are thousands who left the States who have lost their teams- some died and some stolen by the Indians- and a great many have been obliged to pack through on their own backs. what is to become of those who are behind us, we are said to number eight thousand teams, some of them four or five we eks behind! God only knows what will be their fate. There is not feed on all the roads over the mountains for one-half of the cattle.- God save the families of women and children that are yet behind. Although the government has appropriated one hundred thousand dollars and sent over cattle and provisions to assist the back emigrants, yet many must perish. We should have got through three weeks sooner only we took a new trail from Mary, on Humboldt river, and crossed the mountains up near the Oregon line, which made our road two or three hundred miles further than the old road; but we were obliged to take the new road on account of scarcity of food for our cattle in the old road. There is plenty of gold here if it will not all be got in fifty years. It has been very sickly in the mines this summer, but it is said to be now more healthy. I cannot tell what I shall do at this time. Carpenter's wages in the city are from 15 to 20 dollars per day, and any kind of labor, from 8 to 10 dollars per day. Pork sells for 40 dollars per bbl; and flour 16 dollars per bbl; sugar and coffee 15 cents per lb; cheese 1 dollar per lb; butter the same; potatoes 50 cents per lb; onions one dollar per lb; fresh beef 25 cents per lb; dry goods are cheap. It is now six months, within seven days, since I left home. There is the best opportunity here now to make money that I ever saw or heard of. Some make fifty thousand dollars in a few months, and some make nothing. We have been very busy this day getting ready to go up to the mines. We start to-night at 12 o'clock. We are going on the south branch of the American Fork, about 50 miles from Sacramento City. There are four of us in company, David Rogers, Robert Scroggins, Daniel Hawley and myself. We are taking up a load of provisions with our team. I shall write again soon. G.W. LAMBERT. Cathy Joynt Labath Scott Co, IA USGenWeb Project http://www.celticcousins.net/scott/index.htm