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would fill  fifty  thousand  volumes,  each  as  large  as this. And then  the  subject  would  not  be  fully  pre- sented, unless into  each  of  these  fifty  thousand  vol- umes the breath  of  inspiration  might  place  true  and living soul  ;  for  the  winds  of  California  were  redolent of soul,  and  every  morning's  sun  kindled  new  fires  of energy  that  went  not  out  at  night. The 1849  of California,  of  America,  of  the  world! It was  the pivot on  which  the  frame-work  of  human  progress turned a  fresh  side  to  the  sun,  a  side  breeding  mag- gots hitherto, but  now  a  new  and  nobler  race  of  men.

Since the  days  of  Adam,  whose  eyes  were  opened to behold  himself  by  his  maker,  there  never  has  beea a mirror  held  up  before  man  which  so  reflected  him in his  true  light,  stripped  of  all  the  shams  and  con- ventionalities of staid  societies. Leaving^ in  their  old homes every  restraint,  every  influence  that  bound them to  ancient  forms  and  traditions,  the  latter-day argonauts entered  the  mines  with  name  and  identity sunk. They were  no  longer  their  former  selves ;  they were born  and  baptized  anew. Hence arose  a  social organism at  once  complex  and  peculiar,  whose  growth is at  every  turn  a  new  development.

In dress  the  people  of  California  were  as  inde- pendent and original  as  in  everything  else. Free thought and  free  habits  pervaded  the  whole  domaia of society. Even those  who  dressed  genteelly  de- clined slavery to  fashion. They claimed  the  privilege of exercising  taste  in  preference  to  bowing  before French law. Hence it  was  that  the  streets  of  San. Francisco presented  every  variety  of  style  in  dress  the world had  seen  for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.

An English  writer  speaks  of  "some  forlorn  indi- vidual exhibiting  himself  in  a  black  coat  and  a  stove- pipe hat,  looking  like  a  bird  of  evil  omen  among  a flock  of  such  gay  plumage." But the  ancient  miner of early  days  prided  himself  to  the  last  in  his  rags  and patches, in  his  torn  hat  and  boots  awry,  and  open- breasted woollen  shirt  with  up- rolled  sleeves,  display-