Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/366

 ptember.

There they  hired  a  team  to  take  them  to  Coloma,  at which  place  they  encamped. He whom  Mr  Taylor calls his  partner  went  over  to  the  middle  branch, where he  met  friends  whom  he  joined,  and  was  soon making one  or  two  hundred  dollars  a  day. Being thus left  alone,  Taylor  returned  to  the  fort,  arriving the 25th  of  September,  and  having  in  his  pocket  about twenty-five dollars. While considering  in  just  what way he  would  make  his  fortune,  his  money  being pretty well  spent,  he  was  accosted  by  his  old  friend Barton Lee. ** Chris, what  are  you  going  to  do?" "Well,"  said  Taylor,  "I  think  I  shall  go  into  business here." "You  are  just  the  man  I  want,"  returned Lee.     "Come  and  dine  with  me."

Now neither  of  these  individuals  had  capital  suffi- cient to pay  a  week's  board;  yet  each  thought  the other possessed  of  abundance. Both, however,  were enlightened before  dinner  was  over. Lee had  a  little the advantage,  as  he  had  begun  a  large  business  by renting  a  room  in  the  fort  for  a  store,  though  he  had nothing to  put  in  it. For this  he  had  promised  to pay  a  rental  of  $100  a  month;  the  first  month's  rent was still  due. These interesting  facts  came  out gradually between  courses,  as  they  might  be  told without affecting  digestion.

"What do  you  think  of  it  ?" asked Lee  after  dinner. " I  think  I  shall  go  into  business,"  said  Taylor. ' ' Where is the  stock  to  come  from?"  inquired  Lee.  "Do  you know any  one  at  San  Francisco?"  "No  one,"  re- sponded Taylor.  "But  we  can  get  goods  enough; we will  buy  them."  There  were  at  this  time  con- stantly arriving  from  the  bay  small  sloops,  laden  with such  goods  as  the  miners  required.  Assuming  the attitude  of  senior  partner,  although  Lee  had  the  room rented  before  him,  Taylor  said,  "While  I  sweep  out the store,  you  go  down  to  the  embarcadero  and  buy out the  first  vessel  that  arrives;  buy  everything  on board."  "  But  where  will  I  get  money  with  which  to pay  for  it  all?"  Lee  wanted  to  know.     "Leave  that