Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/384



lives there  was  no  record  nor  current  report ;  men  of tastes  and  habits  the  most  opposite, such  as  the  phil- osopher and the  charlatan,  the  missionary  and  mur- derer, the merchant  and  the  highwayman,  were  forced together in  one  incono-ruous  mass. Nevertheless, there were  traits  common  to  all  of  them,  promment among which  were  extraordinary  energy,  and  acute- ness. It was  a  land  of  romance,  the  natural  atmos- phere of youth  and  inexperience,  a  land  devoid  of the  dull  sameness  that  overshadowed  the  lands  all  had left behind.

It was  curious  to  see  how  proud  were  the  success- ful Californians of  the  country. The man  who  had spent but  three  months  here  was  entitled  to  the  honor of calling  himself  a  Californian — on  returning  home. Whatever his  opinion  of  California  while  there,  and howsoever much  he  had  longed  for  home,  once  back among his  friends  and  words  could  not  express  his admiration for  the  land  and  the  people. It was  the only place  fit  to  live  in,  the  only  place  where  people knew how  to  do  business,  the  only  place  where  men filled the  ideal  of  manhood,  and  as  a  matter  of  course he was  going  back. In everything  Californian  he took  a  keen  interest. First of  all  he  was  proud  of himself  for  having  gone  there,  proud  of  the  old  clothes and shaggy  beard  and  gold  dust  which  he  had  brought back, proud  that  his  eyes  had  been  opened  so  as  to take  in  a  view  of  the  world. He regarded  with  pity his old  comrades  who  still  plodded  along  at  the  rate of a  dollar  or  two  a  day.

Never since  the  great  Egyptian  exodus  have  the Hebrew race  found  a  soil  and  society  better  suited  to their  character  and  taste,  better  adapted  to  their  pros- perity and propagation  than  California. All nations having come  hither,  shades  of  color,  of  belief,  pecu- liarities of physique,  of  temper  and  habit  were  less distinctly marked. Gold was  here,  and  in  common with the  gentiles  the  Jew    loved  gold. For the  rest,