Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/241

 children.

Not one,  nor  ten,  but  thousands,  have  thus  lived  and died. The disappointed  mhier  would  not  write  until he had  something  pleasing  to  communicate;  the  suc- cessful one preferred  to  carry  home  his  own  good  news to sending  it  in  a  letter,  which  he  did  or  did  not ;  and thus many  a  poor  heart  at  home  ached  on  to  the  end. Some, and  as  a  rule,  the  most  pusillanimous,  crept back, spectre-like,  to  their  old  homes,  broken  in  body and spirit ;  some  few  returned  in  health,  successful, and joyous;  but  by  far  the  greater  number,  heart- broken and remorseful,  laid  their  bones  along  the  dis- turbed, water-courses, on  the  canon  sides,  in  upturned gulches, or  scattered  them  unburied  over  the  wilder- ness of distant  hills.

Some of  the  mountain  towns,  after  having  been dried up  in  the  summer,  were  literally  frozen  up  in the  winter,  thus  leaving  but  little  time  comparatively in which  to  dig  and  wash  out  the  gold. A frozen-up mining town  in  these  daj^s  would  be  a  curiosity. Work and business  are  at  a  standstill. Every day  is  more like Sunday  than  any  Sunday  the  prosperous  mining town ever  sees. All is  idleness ;  gaunt  forms  flit  list- lessly about the  streets,  sometimes  gathering  in  groups to swear  at  the  times,  and  breaking  out  in  spasmodic sports when  grumbling  itself  becomes  unbearable. Even vice  stagnates. Men have  not  the  wherewith to play  for  money  or  whiskey,  and  so  shuflle  and  deal the cards  for  fun. Money disappears  from  circulation, and a  dun  is  looked  upon  as  a  man  partially  insane. Medical men  drive  a  fair  traffic  as  long  as  the  liquor lasts, mending  in  the  morning  the  broken  heads,  and setting the  dislocated  joints  of  the  night  previous ;  but when the  fuel  for  that  infernal  fire  is  spent,  then  peace and good  fellowship  usually  prevail.

It was  by  no  means  all  chance  that  led  to  success or failure  in  the  mines. Industry and  economy,  here as elsewhere,  were  nine  times  in  ten  to  be  rewarded in a  greater  or  less  degree. Multitudes of  croakers sitting on  their  haunches  encircled  the  valley  of  Call-