The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1855-05-11
Misrtllantuns.
THE sANCTUAaY
GOLDEN CALF.

On the Plaza OF San Francisco, mob OIL
halc.bu,y, halc.idle beings va, wandering
back and forward, engaged in chaherins, or
else in sowing an unlimited quantity Of
"grapc seed" New arrivals, fresh from
the vessels below, who, in silent surprise,
or with loud ordinations Of admiration, TO.
glrdcd all the miracles Of the New World
Of that FL Dorado which they had pictured
to themselves so diasrent-and who were
not yet capable Of forming comprehensive
idea Of all that presented itself in such
rapid succession the weather beaten care.
les,ly.attirod forms Of the returning gold.
washers, who quietly louugcd through the
streets, with the little heavy-laden bag, in
their waist-bclt,-amopg them the Califor.
MIA Spaniard in hi, gaudy ,erdpe and heavy
jinslins spurs; the pis-tailed Chinaman,
with his thin loose blue jacket, and with hi,
neck that 'purned every artificial bondage !;
the crowds of clsanly sailors from an Amer
lean frigate in The bay, Frenchmen, Ger
mans, Anslo.SaIon,, Arscntincs, spauiard,,
South Sea Islanders, Negroes, and Mulat.oes
all swarmed upon the PlaIa-sold the
magnet which attracted every one, gold the
object the masses were striving for, what.
ever their country or their complexion might
be.
The first wild excitement which had driy-
en- them madly and blindly to the noun
tains for the sake Of Judging and digging for
themselves was however, now past; the
majority had "seen the elephant. and had
returned perfectly satisfied; they had not
only found no gold up above, but had ex.
pended the little they took with them, and
appeared to have eventually formed tho con.
victiOn tha, there were other ways and
means in California to "gct their pile"
These men then had rushed TO the towns
and become merchants or brokers, artisans
or laborers, boa,men, roadmakers, policemen,
cooks, wood cutters, bakers, hotel.tsepers,
walters, clcrks-iu short, everything that
could be conceived, in order 70 earn money
rs rapidly as possible, and-then return
home withit. No, but to 60 once again to
the mines, for they chad not sos about it
right at first"
Only one class Of men Of oil those who
had aocked to the new FL Dorado did not
apply themselvc, 10 working or trading, buy.
ins or selling. With cards, possessing Ger.
tain marks on their backs, expressly prepar.
cd for their purpose, they came to Caliior.
MIA, and did nothing from the moment they
landed, o, even when they went aboard ship,
save shuttle tho cards, and count or weigh
gold. These were and are the privileged
gamblers, who hold their head quarters In
San Francisco, and thence divcrse to the
various mines in all directions-men who,
with cheating a, the FIRST principle Of their
trade, came to California to earn money and
grow rich. and who ever follow their career,
even II murder and robbery might be called
in to help them. From the splendidly dec.
GRATED saloon at San Francisco, with its pic.
turesque byou,srit, and hundreds Of tables
srOaning beneath the burden of gold, to the
scanty tent in tho fur.hest mountains, where
the ssraps thrown over rickety box must
serve as cloth by night, and as bod and
blanket on the approach Of dawn, they aro
everywhere to be found, ready a, any mo-
ment to plundcr tho poor miner Of his hard.
lly earned savings, and the Spanish cloak
serves to cover the money they win, as we'll
as the siI basreled revolver and sharp bowie