Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/402



carry him  to  San  Francisco  for  $700,  liired  himself  as butcher  to  the  steward  of  the  same  steamer  for  $100 the passage,  bought  a  pick  in  San  Francisco,  and  fol- lowed the crowd  to  the  mines,  turned  up  gold  the  first blow he  struck,  took  out  $9,000  in  the  course  of  a few  days,  sold  his  claim  for  $2,000,  and  returned home to  marry  Hannah  and  set  his  traps  for  a deaconship.

Probably there  never  existed  a  community  more prodigal in  their  generosity,  and  more  munificent  in their  charities  than  the  fortune-hunters  of  California, It is  nothing  new,  it  is  nothing  paradoxical,  to  see lavish expenditures  attending  successful  ventures ;  and often it  is  that  the  more  men  risk  for  money  the  freer they will  spend  it. With Spanish  conquerors  human life was  held  in  low  esteem  as  compared  with  gold, which once  obtained  was  flung  about  as  a  thing  of little  value. Winning gold  with  sword,  shovel,  or cards,  does  not  breed  economy.

Few camps  at  the  first  were  without  their  quarrel- some cut-throats, who,  like  Achilles,  preferred  an early  death  with  glory  to  a  long  and  quiet  fameless life. It was  the  assassin's  paradise. In the  faces  of some  were  painted  the  colors  of  debauchery. Rude- ness was their  rule  of  courtesy.

The sun  contains  neither  gold,  silver,  tin,  lead,  nor mercury, and  yet  the  lusty  diggers  loved  the  sun. They slept  on  the  gently  sloping  hill-side,  or  down  in the  dry  beds  of  the  rivers,  roofed  only  by  the  timbered banks, and  lighted  only  by  the  dim  cathedral  light  of the  stars,  which  slid  their  rays  through  the  rents  in the  foliage  overhead. Chaste as  Diana,  the  yellow metal seemed  to  possess  her  power,  and  turn  intrud- ing Acteons into  stags. Boys still  in  feeling,  their locks began  to  silver,  and  soon  they  were  old  men.

As regards  gold,  for  which  these  men  had  come  so far,  and  toiled  so  hard,  and  sacrificed  so  much  ;  gold, for which  loved  ones  far  away  were  even