The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1850-01-09

1 sfooling with tho rifle of any mark they
fancied, withthe bull often but half home
and rammorin. @ Otherywonld leapin.
ftotheS saddieand yelling with excitement,
Igallop fnrionsly In every direction, re.
gardlcss Of all obsluclcs, frequently being
| thrown and nearly killed .$ 3,.,s,> i, I, ,ts =
81 Profanity of,he vilost desc ription, oa,hs
such as we never conceived could be ut.
ltered by human lips, necessarily filed the
uir, ill Nature herself, awcd into silence,
Withheld her echoes. Though accus,o,n.
ed 10 the common vice of swearing in the
United States, and even 10 hearing il from
the lips Of fashionable young gentlemen
OF respectable familics, we doubt if, they
arc aware how extensively their yocabu.
larry, in this particular, mny be increased.
Learned in boyhood, like tho use Of to.
bacco, tor the sake Of nping premature
manhood, both these vices would be wan.
ting in their host of followers at mnturer
age, if il is true, as the giant Of tho British
classical writer's has said, that "ririue is
the best proof of understandings" Yet
! many indulge in them from mere habit,
who are quite ready to assent to these
opinions. independent Of The moral ,urpi
tudc OF the one, and the indeccncy and
exPenslvcncss of the other, wo confess, as
Americans, with thrill Of shame, 10 have
forgotten sometimes the opinion and tho
example OF our rcvered and immortal
Washington, in relation 10 these vices.
The deep disgust, however, experienced
n. tho revolving profanity Of life in the
gold regions we can never forget; and
thousands Of our young countrymcn who
have gone there, will, doubtless share in
this opinion
With some Of these men, who appeared
good na,ured in their exccsscs, we ventu.
red to rcnonstratc. We said, "This dig.
g'ng gold is toilsome md hard labor, why
do YOU not try and keep some for rainy
dny?' Aud their reply was, ooh, we
know where there's plenty more, and
when We want it we can dig it,"
! AS further proof OF The general waste
tulness Of the gold, VIC frequently saw
miners lying in the dus, helpless with in
loxica,or, who, il was known, had hun.
dreds Of dollars in gold always upon their
persons; and ono man in particular, who
had dug with bis OWL hands and obtained
OF Indians some $4,000 in gold, VIC saw
IN this condition two or three days, and
he had now bu, about $1,000 remaining.
Old Grcchwood's little boys, and 9TH
crs, came daily to our tent sometimes
twice or thrice, with gold dust tied up in
the corners oflhcir hnndkcrchicfs amount,
ing cnch time 10 fractional parts of one,
two, or three dollars, which they obtained
by gathering and blowing or washing OIL,
the dust about the countc rs or doors Of the
traders and groggcrics.
Among all the rowing and reckless
characters by whom we were surrounded.
were two special curiositics, named Bill
and Gus. Now, Bill and Gus had come
over from the Middle Fork, Tor par,icu.
lar, general, and universal "bnst" Be.
ing well known diggcrS, they had no, only
plenty Of The dust, but, when that was
gone, they had ubundnn, credit, both n,
the traders and groggcrics. As bosom
friends they were never apart; and with
hearts soflcncd by The fumes Of liquor
they loved all around them, attaching
themselves as fixtures 10 our tent. This
wns annoying; bu, like many other things
in California must he borne Bill was
wlry ms an Indian, and with his Jet locks
and tnrilive eyes rescmblcd one nola lit.
lie; while Gus, with his sleek and roun.
dsd limbs, was like an elder uncle to him.
Ono of our party, after being strongly So
licled, sold Bill bottle Of French brandy,
laid in for medical purposes. at half an
ounce, or eight 1olars.--IIc Immediately
insisted on our drinking with him; hui ON
our refusing several times, he dashed it
violently against tree, thus throwing
away his half ounce md his brandy both
In paying for something. he dropped
small lump Of gold, worth two or three
dollars, which VIC picked up and Offered
him. Without taliin. it. he looked n, us
with .comicnl mixture Of amaZcmcn, and
ill-humor, ard at length broke ont with,
"Ncll, stranger, You are II curiosity; |
guess you hant been in The digg,ns long,
and better keep tha, for sample" Bill,
tlndng one of our party to be n Philadcl.
phlan. nt once gave him The soubrpuc, Of
"Old Philadelphia, and having learned
trade there londlv claimed fellow
townsman. They finally purchased u
barrel Of nlc al three dollars per bottle,
and sardincs q. a hafonncc per box; and
with II bottle and with box under each
arm, and glass in hand, went about for.
cling everybody to drink, finally arrang
ing themselves under our tent fly for
general entertainment.
Beside these characters, we nlso cx.
tended our acquaintance hy the addition
of several notorious individuals. One Of
lhesc was young man of respectable
family, who hoas'cd OF his participation in
The bloody and disgracciul riots in one of
our c'''cs, a few years ago, and displaying
h!dconS scar said, 81 go, TINT from an
lrIshmnn just MS was setting fire to the
church" II lisphysicnl development was
extraordinary, md his youth and pleasant
disposition make such career more TO be
regretted.
One evening of the previous Winter n