Locomotive, Volume 7, Number 5, Indianapolis, Marion County, 30 December 1848 — Page 2

The Old Man Passing Away. There was an hour, but that hour is past, "When the sun of his life no shadow cast, '.' But hanging in noon-tide glory shone, , On a past and future alike unknown. . What was the past his earliest hours, ' "Which had put forth in beauty fragrant flow'rs 1 Like dreams half remember'd they had fled, ' Their fragrance was gone, their leaves were all dead. The future veil'd was dark as the night, Emitting no beam of air-castle light, . E'en the lone star of hope was lost and gone, And falsely no longer lured him on. That hour is past ; his sun has declin'd, And a long dark shadow Jies on his mind, His ev'ning has co me, his twilight closing, The gloom of death's dark night is disclosing. He feels it, but yet does iiot repine, That his sun is moving on in its decline, For a glow rises up on his sky, Like the light of a smile o'er sorrow's sigh. This world he leaves with a fond regret, -Its joys he has known he would not forget, And ling'ring still in love on the past, -He would that still longer his life could last. But his day fast mingles with night's gloom, And soon he must fall to sleep in the tomb, Oer him the sky, griev'd at his death, Bending and weeping its cold dewy breath. Oh soft may they fall, those cold dew drops, When lifeless his form and his last pulse stops, Sweet be the rest on pillow of clay, Of the good old man who's passing away. -. - - Juan.

T il l LOCOMOTIVE,

TO CONTRIBUTORS AND CORRESPONDENTS. B'hoy Can1 't publish anonymous communications, P. M., Scipio, Will write to you soon; Jiad intended to do so before this.

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 148.

The Govenor sent in his resignation to the Leg

islature on Wednesday last, taking effect on that

day. Paris C. Dunning, Lieutenant Govenor, will

fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation.

' In the House of Representatives nearly an entire

day was spent discussing whether the Lieut. Governor should have the title of Governor. The contest was spirited and those on both sides of the question nearly extinguished themselves it was decided that ho should be considered Governor.This is an important decision,especially as he would have been entitled to that name without one word from our. honorable representatives.. The next subject for debate in the House, is the difference between tweedleduwt and tweedlecfee.

. Gold. The gold fever appears to be raging throughout the entire Unionthousands have already started, and thousands are preparing to start to this terrestrial Eldorado. In this community the subject is now creating great interest ; we hear

of young men making preparations in every quar

ter, and should not be surprised if 300 left this coun

ty in the spring for California. For the information

of those, and others, we publish the following extract from a California paper, which was sent by Mr. George McDougal to his brother, Capt. J. McDougal, with the assurance that it was an under estimate, and urging his immediate departure for that country the Captain started some weeks since. The country . from the Ajuba to the San Joaquin rivers, a distance of about 128 miles, and from the base towards the summit of the mountains, as far as Show Hill, about 70 miles has been explored, and gold found on every part. There are now probably 3000 people, including Indians, engaged in collecting gold. The amount collected by each man who works, ranges from $10 to $350 per day. The publisher of this paper," while on a tour alone to the mining district, collected, with the aid of a shovel

pick and tin. pan, about 20 inches in diameter, fromf

$44 to $128 a day averaging $100. The gross amount collected will probably exceed $600,000, of which amount our merchants have received about $250,000 worth for goods sold ; all within the short space of 8 weeks. The largest piece of gold known to be found weighed four pounds. The following is from the Philadelphia Sun, and contains information that all who contemplate going should know. Route to the California Gold. Our cotemporary and namesake, of New York, says the California fever has perfectly obscured the Cholera' and every other terrestrial consideration.. From indications, not less than twenty thousand persons in that city are preparing for the gold region. The same excitement prevails in every city and town in the Union." We are deluged with communications and personal inquiries as to the best, shortest and cheapest routes of getting to California, and believing we have superior means of information, we will give a general answer to correspondents and all others interested. There are at present three modes of reaching California, the passage round Cape Horn, the Panama passage and the Overland, Santa Fe route. A Texas route is being explored, but its practicability is not yet known. The passage around Cape Horn requires six months in sailing vessels, and a vessel must be a good sailor to make the trip in that time. The expense of passage will average $200. The Panama passages by steamer, providing there is no delay, will require three months, and the price of passage will average $250. This passage is made by steamer to Chagres, by canoe 40 miles up the Chagres river, and twenty miles with mules to Panama, and from Panama to San Francisco by steamer or sailing vessel, as the chance" may be. A steamer is being fitted out in this city to sail for- Chagres on the 16th inst., to navigate the Chagres in connection with the mail steamers, reducing the time of passage across the Isthmus to less than a day. N It is not uncommon to be obliged to wait a month

at Panama for a passage up the west coast, so that this delay may be looked for. The overland route via St. Louis, Independence, and Sante Fe, may be

made by those who are able to bear the rough and

tumble of wild woods travel in three months, at an expense ranging from $100 to $200. - A stout, hearty man with his rifle, ammunition, buckskin suit of clothes, and a mule, will require little else

after he leaves independence. He can. even go without a mule. This route can only be travelled

in the spring and summer with mules and wagons

A party leaving Independence in March might reach

the gold regions some time in July. If families arc

going, the best method is to organize a caravan with Wagons and mules". From March to Septem-

Der me muies can suDsist on praine grass. The individual expense of a caravan of 100 or more persons, would be from $50 to $100. A person may take advantage of a caravan, and these are constantly starting in the right season from the frontier and hire a seat in an emigrant wagon, though persons able to bear fatigue can foot the whole

route more rapidly. -'

The western hunter and trapper carries nothino

but his buckskin dress, rifle and ammunition; he kills game for a livelihood. -Those who intend going by the Panama or Santa Fe route with baggage, should secure it in parcels weighing not more than

150 pounds each, for male transportation. Larger packages, especially in crossing the isthmus in canoea and with mules, cannot be transported to advantage. The Panama route is the shortest and pleasantest, though the overland route may be made from Independence in about the same time. Those who go with goods, especially heavy merchandize, for the purpose of trade, will probably find Cape Horn the cheapest, if not the quickest passage to California.

We do hope all who contemplate going to this

country will make an early start and get well estab

lished in their operations before Congress interferes, which it certainly will do at an early day. When

this news reaches England, Germany, France, and all European countries, thousands and tens of thousands will start. We -should not be surprised if California was as thickly settled in three years from this time as Indiana is now. -

Fire. On Wednesday morning at daylight a

fire broke out in the workshop of Joseph I. Stretch

er, in the rear of his cabinet wareroom, and before

even a bucket of water could be brought, ( so com

bustible was the building and its contents, ) the whole building was enveloped in flames. The entire buildings,-with some outsheds, and its contents,

consisting of a large amount of unfinished furniture, lumber, tools, machinery, a steam engine and fix

ings, were a total loss, and the whole was destroyed m about 20 minutes loss by Mr. Stretcher from 2

to $3,000 ; by Mr. Colestock, in tools, $200, and

other workmen in the shop lost their lot of tools

the loss will be more heavily felt by the workmen than by-any others no insurance.

The flames extended to the warehouses of 0. &

J. Cox, and destroyed it with part of its contentsloss $300 no insurance.

S. V. B. Noel & Co's. warehouse on the East,

containing wheat, provisions, &c, was entirely de

stroyed (except some potatoes in the cellar) los3 $600.. Noel & Co. were insured, but since the policy was taken out the building was removed to

the rear of the lot, and it is now a question whetn

er the policy will hold. Total loss about $4,000.,

The firemen and citizens deserve great creou for the gallant manner in which they workedeach citizen seems to be a natural fireman, and on occasions like this, to their exertions, and nothing else, is owing the preservation of our city. These buildings were burnt out of the very heart of a block of frame buildings, and it is really wonderful the whole did not go. A Citizen,' in the Journal, says A Mr. Bowman foreman in Messers. Blythe & Iledderly's VQ house, who was requested to manage one of tn hose pipes, was knocked down by Wash Smith, on? of the Company, who wished to manage it himself such an act cannot be too strongly reprobated.-' We are as much opposed to rioting as any one--We think it disgraceful alike to those engaged in