Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/378

,   new

speech, and  new  names. Conventionalisms, creeds, and politics  were  left  at  home  in  coming  hither;  here were new  conditions  for  a  fresh  unfolding. New con- ventionalities arose, crude  and  strange,  born  of  the necessities of  the  new  society;  for  intellect,  volition, and passion  must  of  necessity  develop  form  and fashion.

Some trivial  circumstance— anything  which  hap- pened to strike  the  fancy  of  the  dominant  spirits among his  new  associates — as  likely  as  not  fastened upon each  new  comer  an  appellation  which  adhered to him  through  life. Thus the  dress  of  one  suggested the name  of  Frippery  Jim,  the  complexion  of  another that of  Black  Bill  or  Red  Bover.

Almost every  mining  camp  had  its  Yank  and  Sandy, its Little  Breeches,  Pike,  Boston,  Mississippi,  Mis- souri, Brlcktop, and  so  on,  names  significant  of  pecu- liarity or place. There was  no  one  to  vouch  for  the truth of  the  stranger's  statements  concerning  himself. It was  scarcely  to  be  supposed  that  he  would  give  his past character  exactly  according  to  the  record;  and  who knew but  that  he  might  also  have  changed  his  name? "Who are  you?" in a  tone  by  no  means  likely  to  place a timid  man  at  his  ease,  was  the  first  question. "Sturgis, Deacon  Sturgis,  they  used  to  call  me  in Connecticut,  where  I  came  from." "You a  deacon," with an  ominous  step  forward,  "Hell  is  full  of  such deacons  I"  Another  quick  survey  for  a  salient  point, and a  sanctimonious  air  seems  predominant,  which together with  the  report  given  of  the  new  arrival  de- termines the matter. "This is  Pious  Pete,"  and  if the  christened  one  was  wise,  he  would  gracefully  ac- cept his new  name,  and  invite  all  hands  to  partake  of the  new  communion.

San Francisco,  as  well  as  Athens,  had  its  Diogenes. Philosopher Pickett  was  his  name. Between Pickett and his  Athenian  prototype  there  existed  certain  dif- ferences incident in  some  measure  to  differences  in age  and  country. For example,  instead  of  rolling  in