The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1849-05-26

that the people that are goin' to Calaforny
ain'r arter gold-they're all goin' for their
health, more particularly them that has fam
lies; and il is distressin' to see the number
of married men that have just found out
they are 10 fair way to git the gallopin'
consumption, and nothin' but trip to Gala
forny win cure 'em. But nobody can tell
what this world is a cumin' to, there is so
many revulsions recurring.
| But what is most surprising to me, is to
hear ofpreachers-ihem that have pretend
ed to renounce the ponps and vanltes of
this world, in order to prepare other people
for the next-to hear of them fittin' out for
Calaforny, 'zamining pistols and bowie
knives, and rifles, and talkin' all the time
bout preaching the gospel to the ignited
Mexicans and lnjuns that work in the golt!
mines, and expatiatin' on the good they'll
do, the moral effect their presence will have,
and all that! They amt gon' for gold
of course not. Mr.. Skinkle said he met
preacher the other day. who was on his way
to Calaforny He had rifle and all the
other fxings, including patent gold-wash-
err, and bohstail mule. He told Mr.. Skin
kle, that his health was declinin' with great
rapidness, that his DR.. had tod him to travel
in more gentle climes, and he thought he'd
cross.the Rocky Mountains and pay flynn
visit to Calaforny. He made Mr.. Snkle
promise to call OH him afore he left. Mr.
Skinkle did call, but the preacher was gone,
and he'd left behind him bundle of tracts
and Bible in the room at the hotel-b4t the
goid-,rashin' machine acas gone!
| lido believe that MIR. Smith has gone clean
crazy about Calatorny. The other mornin'
aXed him at breakfast, IF he'd have sugar
in his coffee, and be sed he'd take thirteen
pound lump.
notus that most Of them that are goin' to
Calaforny, talk about the excitin' time they'll
have on the plains, the buffaloes they'll kill,
the lnjuns they'll scare with their six shoot
in pistols, and the nice, amusing time they'll
have cOokin' their own vttals, and dom
their own washin'. NJ, who HAS been
to Santer Fee, says, its all very nice to talk
about, but when you come to dOin' it, that's
quite another thing. When you have SON. E.
times to carry wood two miles, and water
jest as far, arter MAXIM a fire, and upsettin'
the coffee pot once or twice and puttin' all
the fire out; arter forgetting the bread in the
skillet till it's burnt up, and arter fryin' the
salt pork till there's nOthin' but cracklins
and grease left--'bout the time you've done
all this, you wish you was home, where you
could get Some Civilized vittals and feinin-
inc to cook them.
If Mr.. Skinkle had went to CalafOrny,
how I'd like to seed him settin' on log by
the river, washing his own clothes, with his
green specs on the tip Of his nose, a piece
of -Ialler zap in his hand rutoiDg away for
ife-what a picture he'd make!
Ar!e: all, geld don't make people happy;
men will work. and scuffie, and toll, day
and night, for years and years, sacrifisin'
comforts. and every sociable tie--and for
what? That, in their old age, the children
they have neglected. the relations they have
sighted, NAV count the hours that may re-
main before hey may come into possession
OF the money thus obtained. You tell me,
my dear boy, that you're goin' to Ca!aforny.
Take my advice and stay at home. If you
can get rich without sacrifisin' the comfort
of them that depend on you, without losn'
your responsibility, and without making a
miser of yourself, then your money will be
blessin' to you, and not curse; then you
would be really happy-for take it, hap
piness is is derivated from consciousness of
having done what was right towards men,
and what is your duty to your Maker!"
Mrs. Scruggins never looked so much like
an uncle as she did at the conclusion of this
homily. (.