Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/122

 one who

requires a  driver. Hundreds of  associations  were formed on  various  plans,  some  to  go  out  by  water  and some .by  land. Usually they  were  composed  of  from ten to  fifty  persons,  though  I  have  known  companies  c  f 100,  and  one  of  150  men. Each member  contributed so much  capital  either  in  money  or  its  equivalent, which was  expended  before  starting  in  provisions, clothing, utensils,  medicines,  or  whatever  in  the opinions of  the  officers  would  yield  the  largest  profit, or tend  most  to  the  amelioration  of  the  condition  of the  members. In Augusta,  Maine,  a  society  was formed of  thirty  persons,  each  contributmg  $500, which capital  was  employed  in  the  purchase  of  a ship  of  200  tons,  and  freighting  it  with  wooden houses, machines  for  washing  and  separating  gold,  a mill,  and  merchandise,  of  which  a  portion  was  to  be sold  in  San  Francisco,  and  part  to  be  used  by  the members of  the  association  in  mining  and  milling operations of  their  own. Another similar  copartner- ship was organized  at  Utica,  New  York,  with  a  capi- tal of $30,000;  and  many  others. The ships  were to be  sold  or  abandoned  at  San  Francisco,  and  seamen eagerly shipped  to  be  discharged  there.

But these  associations  were  mostly  failures. They were too  cumbersome,  the  men  too  inexperienced,  tt»o little acquainted  with  the  country  and  with  what they proposed  to  elo,  knowing  neither  each  other  nor themselves. The inefficient  members  cramped  the energies of  those  who  might  succeed  alone ;  cumber- some associations cannot  move  with  the  promptness  and celerity of  individuals  ;  they  are  unable  to  act  ineli- vidually, to  seize  occasions,  and  the  best  men  belong- ing to them  are  usually  most  rejoiced  to  be  free from them.

Codes were  sometimes  adopted  and  by-laws  signed ; but from  inexperience,  and  the  festerings  arising  from new and  strange  abrasures^  overland  parties  frequently broke into  helter-skelter  scrambles  before  the  jour- ney was   half    completed. Frequently  the   means