Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/22



4       CALIFOaXIA  JUST  PRIOR  TO  THE  GOLD  DISCOVERY.

mind. Intermediate between  these  races  and  the native Californian  stands  the  pure-blooded  Spaniard^ wrapped in  the  reflection  of  ancestral  preeminence, and using  his  superior  excellence  as  a  means  to  aflirin ]iis foothold  among  humbler  race  connections. An approximate affinity  of  blood  and  language  here  paves tlio way  for  the  imaginative  though  superficial  French- man and Italian,  no  less  polite  than  insincere,  yet cheerful and  aesthetic. A few  Hawaiian  Islanders have been  brought  over,  and  are  tolerated  until prouder people  press  them  back  and  under.

Even now  events  are  giving  a  decisive  predomi- nance to the  lately  inflowing  migration,  by  reason  of tlio  energy  displayed  in  the  rapid  extension  of  iudus* trial arts,  notably  agriculture,  with  improved  methods and ]riacliinery,  and  growing  traffic  with  such  standard- bearers of  civilization  as  the  public  press  and  a  steam- boat. So far  this  influx  has  confined  itself  to  the (MMitral part  of  the  state,  round  San  Francisco  Bay  and northward,  because  the  gateway  for  the  immigration across  the  |)lains  opens  into  this  section,  which  more- over presents equal  if  not  superior  agricultural  features, an<l greater  commercial  prospects. The occupation  of ilio  south  by  a  different  race  serves  naturally  to  point out and  affirm  the  limits.

San Jose,  founded  as  a  pueblo  within  the  first  dec- ade of S])anish  occupation,  and  now  grown  into  a lespe/tabfc  town  of  about  TOO  inhabitants,  is  the most  prominent  of  the  northern  settlements  wherein the  His{)ano-Californian  element  still  predominates. Notwithstanding the  incipient  greatness  of  the  city  at the  (jate,  San  Jose  holds  hi^h  pretensions  as  a  central inland  town,  on  the  border  line  between  the  settled south  and  the  growing  north,  with  aspirations  to  sup- plant Monterey  as  the  capital.  This  accounts  in  a measure  for  the  large  inflowing  of  foreigners,  who  have lately  acquired  sufficient  influence  to  elect  the  alcalde from  among  themselves,  the  present  incumbent  being James  W.  Weeks.     The  fertile  valley  around  counts