Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/99



the men  maintained  their  lordly  dignity,  and  left  all the gold-digging  to  the  women. These obtained sometimes two  or  three  dollars  a  day  each,  and  with the proceeds  of  their  labor  they  bought  food  and finery.

One would  think  that  with  thousands  of  acres  of valuable  land  stocked  by  immense  herds,  with  gardens and orchards  and  fields  of  grahi,  the  influx  of  a  vast gold-producing and  agricultural  population,  requiring food and  farms,  would  have  made  the  great  grant- holders monarchs  of  wealth  and  mdustry. But such was not  the  result. The old  Mexican-Californians hereupon proved  themselves  a  community  of  children. No sooner  was  the  discovery  of  gold  announced  than hired laborers,  mechanics,  herders,  and  retainers dropped their  implements,  abandoned  their  trust,  and rushed for  the  mines. No amount  of  money  which the landed  proprietor  could  offer  was  sufficient  to hold  them. Thus left  defenceless,  he  was  overrun  by swarms  of  adventurers,  who  drove  off  his  cattle,  shot his Indians,  and  took  possession  of  his  ground.

Even the  sedate  gente  de  razon  caught  the  infec- tion, and taking  with  them  their  servants  and  retain- ers, hastened to  the  mines,  and  selecting  a  favorable spot, put  their  men  at  work,  while  they  sat  in  their tents in  state,  or  strutted  about  from  camp  to  camp, or louno^ed  down  amono-  the  boulders. The relations of man  and  master,  however,  were  soon  severed  in the  mines,  the  one  casting  off  old  ties  and  and  affec- tions and setting  up  for  himself,  and  the  other  return- ing home to  mourn  to  the  end  of  his  days  over  the rapacity of  the  Yankees,  and  his  loss  of  opportunity and loss  of  property,  which,  after  all,  were  due  for  the most part  to  himself.

The soldiers  in  the  service  of  the  United  States were also  seized  with  the  gold  fever,  and  abandoning their posts,  ran  off  to  the  placers. It was  almost impossible to  retain  crews  on  their  ships. The pioneer steamship, California,  on  her  first  voyage  lost  all  her