Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/277

 wheezing

rattle lifted  it  up,  planted  the  point  in  the  proper place, bringing  the  large  end  under  range  of  the  iron block or  hammer,  which  was  lifted  up  and  dropped upon it  in  successive  blows.

The sorriest  of  all  sink-holes  was  the  old  city  hall. Originally the  Jenny  Lind  theatre,  which  proved  to  be  a bad  speculation,  it  was  by  potent,  grave,  and  reverend city fathers,  for  a  proper  consideration  of  their  pockets by the  seller,  converted  into  a  municipal  building. The price  paid  was  $200,000,  to  which  must  be  added $40,000 for  alterations. It was  a  place  that  few  re- spectable persons would  care  to  enter  except  as  driven there by  necessity. It was  connected  with  everything unhappy, unholy. The basement  was  a  vault  filled with drunkards,  vagabonds,  thieves,  with  the  usual attendants on  the  fraternity. On the  first  floor  were the municipal  offices,  the  mayor's  court-room  being the most  sickening  place  of  all. Up one  fliglit  were the rooms  of  the  city  council,  the  city  treasurer's  office, and the  district  court  chambers. In the  third  floor were more  offices. Subsequently were  added  to  the main edifice  the  old  gambling  shops  on  either  side,  of one  of  which  was  made  the  hall  of  records,  and  of  the other, offices.

A. motley  crowd  was  ever  thronging  the  streets; the tatooed  islander,  the  solemn  Chinaman,  and  the slovenly Chilian  mingled  with  the  more  decided  wliite and black  from  Europe  and  Africa. A mighty  tahs- man had  transformed  a  wilderness  into  a  place  of  busy industry, a  barren  peninsula  into  a  blooming  city ;  and the same  subtle  influence  was  still  at  work,  blending: national antipathies  with  kindly  spmpathies,  and  har- monizing the antagonistic  elements  of  this  strange brotherhood. Blessed be  gold  when  it  can  be  broucvht to such  uses?

Thus rapidly  was  an  orderly,  intelligent  population replacing the  hurrying  gold -seekers. Those who  now purposed to  make  CaUfornia  their  home,  were  resolved that the  scum  from  eastern  and  European  cities,  and