The Sierra citizen. [volume] (Downieville, Calif.) 1854-185?, 1854-12-02
For the Sierra Citizen.
Letters from Major Downie.
NO. XIV

Letters from Major Downie.
NO. XIV.
/ am getting too far along with my his
tory of Downieyille, without introducing
the pioneer ladies.
A Missouri lady, lately from Oregon,
came up with J. F. Foster, for the pur-
pose of opening boarding house; about
the same time Mr.. Galloway and lady ar
rived. The report of the arrival reached
as where We were at work up the river,
and we forthwith resolved to 60 to town
and celebrate this remarkable event in q
becoming manner. A celebration of this
sort was attended with considerable cir
cumstance.
Arriving in town, we commenced dill
gent search for the fair strangers. looked
carefully all over Jersey Flat, then crossed
the foot-log to Vineyards Saloon, and
after obtaining little refreshment re-
commenced our search by going round to
all the new tents and cotton houses that
had been put up the day before. 1t would
have amused you, had you been there to
zee us turned out of some of the houses
when we had got nearly through. We
had been 80 accustomed to 60 straight
from the foot-log up to our cabin, that it
was sometime before we got accustomed
to the streets; it was too much trouble to
20 round, when we could cut across lots.
In addition we may have been slightly
incapacitated for walking straight street.
1t was sometime before we could find
the ladies, and Bill began to be very in
credulous. He thought woman might
find her way up here in year or two, or
perhaps in ten years, but the possibility
of her being here then was not to be
thought of. Just as we had given up the
search and started home, we missed one of
our party, who had stopped to examine q
tent with stove-pipe sticking through
the roof. He soon came running after US
with his face big with Importance, and in
formed US that he had found the "critter. +"
He knew all the time that the tent with
the stove pipe was the place to look for
the woman. In a day or two afterwards
Mr.. Galloway put up a boarding house,
and we found out there was another lady
there.
Every one had money then. and gam
bling and drinking was very general all
over town. The first monte table was
kept in Fosters store, on the Upper Plaza,
by one Biglow-rather gentlemanly look
ing chap withal, but he used to have
fight with some of the miners almost every
day, which made his stay at Fosters short.
In the meantime gambling houses were
built, and the business was reduced TO .
system; in these houses most of the week
day rows originated, but on Sunday there
was generally a free fight all over town, in
which any body could take hand, who
thought he could stand the punishment;
and l believe that Downieville then had
the credit of offering greater fighting pri-
vileges than any other place in California.
People uniformly got fairer play and
sounder beatings than anywhere else. The,
fights were conducted sailor fashions
ring was formed, and nobody allowed to
interfere until the combatants were salts
fed. When one was knocked down he
was allowed time to rise, without gouging
and biting, as we sometimes see now, in
these civilized times. After the fight the
antagonists shook hands, took drink to
gether, and it was all over till they got
drunk again, or fell out about claim. /
don't know but that was better plan
than to go to law and loose the matter in
dispute, and all they had besides.