Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/364



A wag  published  in  the  Herald  of  June  6,  1851,  a caricature  model  business-letter  of  the  day,  from  a California  correspondent  of  an  eastern  shipper. The receipt of  several  hundred  ship-loads  of  goods  is acknowledged,  most  of  which  were  sold  at  half  their cost, and  the  remainder  of  the  invoices  wei-e  closed  by the  regular  fire  of  the  4th  ult. "Some two  hundred of  your  vessels,"  continues  the  letter,  "have  cleared for  China  and  the  East  Indies;  the  balance,  say  five hundred,  remain  in  port  from  our  mability  to  negotiate further  drafts  on  you.  Most  of  them  are  less  liable  to sink,  as  they  now  lie  on  the  sand  flats,  than  they would  be  if  sent  to  sea,  and  we  would  advise  their  re- maining as  they  are  some  forty  or  fifty  years.  We would  advise  the  immediate  shipment  of  some  five hundred  assorted  cargoes  as  the  supply  in  the  market is  not  more  than  sufficient  for  fifteen  montlxS.  Any article  quoted  at  high  prices,  the  consumption  of which  is  limited,  should  be  shipped  in  large  quanti- ties, in  order  to  compete  with  the  host  of  other  ship- pers. In  shipping  dutiable  goods,  you  need  never provide  for  the  payment  of  the  duties,  as  w^e  are  at  all times prepared  to  advance  the  amount  i"equired  at  ten per  cent,  per  month  interest ;  or,  if  you  prefer  it,  have the  goods  stored  in  the  celebrated  U.  S.  fire-proof bonded  warehouses,  at  the  trifling  expense  of  seven dollars  per  ton  the  first  month,  and  three  dollars  each succeeding  month.  An  anniversary  fire  is  confidently expected  on  the  14th  inst.,  when  we  hope  to  close most  of  our  consignments."

Looking at  the  fleet  of  vessels  at  anchor  in  the harbor, one  wondered  how  it  was  possible  for  three hundred thousand  men  to  consume  the  cargoes  of them  all. But these  three  hundred  tlu)usand  were equivalent  to  a  million  of  mingled  young  and  old, women,  children,  and  men.  Cities  were  to  be  built, farmes  stocked,  and  mines  developed,  and  all  this  re- quired immense  supplies  and  material.  Little  or nothing  was  then  produced ;  even  lumber  for  building,