The travails of the journey west to the gold fields...

Item # 703936

November 03, 1849

NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER, Washington, D.C., Nov. 3, 1849 A page 3 article begins: "Vessels For California" which gives the details of the large number of ships leaving from the East and bound for California. The first sentence sets the stage: "The trade between the Atlantic cities & the Pacific has increased to such an extent that but few persons are likely to form a just conception of its amount...".
Page 2 has a very lengthy article: "Railroad To The Pacific - Mr. Benton's Speech in the Convention" which includes talk of Col. Fremont's comment on getting through the Rocky Mountains. This would not come to fruition for another 20 years.
But the best article is: "From The Western Plains" which is a great account of the trials many underwent during the wagon train journey across the Plains to California. A great letter is from: "Green River California Ter." which notes in part: "...dead cattle & fragments of wagons came in sight, and...I have counted about 1,000 wagons that have been burnt or otherwise disposed of on the road...Wagons have been wantonly sacrificed without occasion by hundreds...From Deer Creek to the summit the greatest amount of property has been thrown away...amount of valuable property thrown away is astonishing...reason of so many wagons having been disposed of was he apparent necessity of packing, in order to insure a quick & certain transit to the mines...".
This is followed by a letter from: "Fort Laramie" with talk of of the huge number of California immigrants needing to spend time with the Mormons.
Four pages, never bound nor trimmed, very nice condition.
Note: The issue was previously folded at the midfold, so the folder-size indicated assumes the issue will be folded as such.