Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/371

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purchase was  necessary,  the  auctioneer  claimed  the rig lit  to  cliarge  the  same  as  if  132  different  deeds had been  drawn  up. This exorbitant  demand  the purchaser refused  to  pay  and  the  lots  were  resold  by the  commissioners'  ao;ents.

Thus matters  progressed. From a  savage  wilder- ness there soon  emerged  a  settled  community ;  fortunes were made  and  lost ;  cities  arose  like  magic  and  were destroyed by  fire  or  flood  in  a  breath ;  one  day  the noisy industry  of  a  busy  population  echoed  through the hills  and  ravines,  and  the  next  all  was  deserted  as if  smitten  by  the  plague  ;  speculative  excess,  gamb- ling, and debauchery  ran  riot,  while  decency  stood by helpless  to  restrain. Unworthy and  unprincipled men usurped  the  highest  offices,  and  by  their  nefari- ous schemes filled  their  pockets  and  those  of  their abettors with  the  ill-gotten  gains  of  pilfering  and  dis- honesty, and all  this  time  the  press  was  either  silent through fear  of  personal  injury,  or  basely  sold  itself to uphold  iniquity. Then came  a  change  for  the better. Vice was  compelled  to  retire  from  public gaze; the  gambler  and  the  harlot  were  no  longer allowed to  ply  their  trades  on  the  most  public thoroughfares in  the  broad  light  of  open  day,  and the bench  became  in  a  measure  purified.

Yet public  and  private  enterprises  of  a  substantial and permanent  character  were  projected  and  carried out in  greater  numbers  and  more  rapidly  than  hith- erto. Formerly, such  only  were  attempted  as  would immediately yield  a  rich  reward,  and  these  were  ac- complished with the  least  possible  expense,  and  in  such a manner  as  to  last  only  for  the  time  being. Tents, huts, and  log-cabins  were  the  homes  of  the  miner,  a raft  was  his  ferry-boat,  and  a  scratch  upon  the  hillside his water-ditch. The towns  and  cities  were  of  mush- room growth, merchants  cooked  and  slept  in  their split-board stores,  and  guarded  their  goods  and  treas- ures from thieves  and  fires. Farmino- life  was  no  bet- ter, and   exhibited    few  evidences  of  that   spirit   of