Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1849-02-28
A TRIP TO CALIFORNIA

There is an hour between sunset and
lamplighting-the hour when Wight is Just
melowng itself into darkncss-the hour
when with the curtains drawn, and no other
light than a clear seacoal tire-in dressing
gown and slippers, you throw yourselves into
an easy chair, to watch in pensivc, melan-
choly delight, the smoke wrcaths from n
good cigar, as they roll aud tumble, and
mount towards the ceiling; forming now
some magnificent castle; which the next
puff knocks into superb landscape, then
into chariot and four, then into the girl
you love, and finally into a cooked hat.
II is dreamy hour when you loose your
self in thought of the things that have gone,
and things that are to come Of long lost
and absent treads-of tho worlds perGdy
of blighted hopcs-disappoinled ambition
-unrequited love the rise or fall of stocks
or the more material question, whether
in the long run you will turn out to be a
Bull or Bear--majestic specimens of both
which animals n vivid fancy can perceive
among the rising smoke Of clouds
My room was snug and comfortable
one i was q smoker, and loved the hour
my chair a very easy one an extension
chair but alas j, could not extend to Cal
itoruia-I left it ike a Whit Of smoke and
on no more solid foundation, started for that
FL Dorado.
1t was a dreadful moment when utter
ed " that last sad word, farewell when
in well meant attempt to kiss the tear from
the check Of young and pretty wife, |
found oul made it worse. My little
daughter, too-so young s. lovely, 80 en-
gaging they we're all IN all to me, those
two But there was the tempting, glitter,
ing gold Of California - be had for the
picking up---a life Of happiness, Of mdepcn-
dence IN store for them aud mo-a splendid
house, superb furniture horses aud servants,
petits soupers fancy balls cashmere shawls,
rare Burgundy Feur dc Busy Champaign,
country seats aud bowling alleys. blood stock
aud pointer dogs-al crowdiog for preco.
dence in my Imagination, no wonder was
intoxicated, and started
The voyage to Chacres was as prosper
Gus as | could wish. The steamer, though
crowded to excess; dashed proudly and
merrily along, aud with the bouyancy Of
boyhoad and spirits as elastic as my India
rubber boots, | yaultcl on a noble mule
and accompanied or rather, followed by q
crowd Of my fellow passengers and n small
army o. noisy Heucaus, yelling aud shout
ing all thoughts Of nome, Of wife, Of ltd,
BesSy, vanished from my mind aud at q
slappiug pace | dashed across tho Isthmus o.
empty dust bags flowing in fcstoons from
the pommcl and back Of ny saddle making
very much the same sort Of appearance that
one John Gilpin made on less important
occasion
1t wonld be useless to occupy time witt
description Of the voyage from Paulm,
TO san Francisco Suffice it to say IT wat
a speedy run much shorter than the ordi.
nary passage, and | was soon at The FL DO
RADIO, surrounded by all sorts Of strange
looking people. Me1icans, Indians, spaui-
ards Sandwich Islanders, and Down East
Yankees But the Gold never was any,
thing ike it, Il was not only in the earth
under your feet, but in the waters below
Not emily in the hands and pockets Of the
verieSt lcafers, bat it glistened in their mat
ted hair, it fen IN showers from their latter
ed garments as they walkcd-and when they
condesccnded to shake the dust of THEN
shoes it rested there ia little heaps; it wa.
indeed glorious and dazzling spectacle.
| gathered it in dust. IN flakes and in
fragments filed not only my bags but
my most exaggerated anticipatons
And now the moment arrived when was
TO start aud bear all this treasure, and nv
valuable self TO the longing arms OF my
dearest wife and charming little Bessy.
/ A, san Francisco | found vessels Wilh
ouI crews nv chance Of returning By wa
Ter wss doubtful improbable, NJ iesG for
months 10 come, ami reluctantly d tsrmm
Cd 10 take the Overland rouse My arrange