The Georgetown news., 1856-02-28
The Ghost of San Francisco.

The Ghost of San Francisco.
A few years ago, San Francisco was
merely a town of tents, as everybody knows,
and as many have sad cause to remember.
The hardships of four or six months vOy-
age in search of this gold-growing region,
were but the beginning of sufferings. tire
quired hardy constitution to endure the
test of climate and camping out" yet in
store for the voyager. The most robust,
after few months exposure to the hot,
midday sun, the chilly, searching night
winds, and the drenching rains which often
fOated away his tent, was constrained to
wrap himself in his blanket, lie down in a
| corner and shiver himself into shadow
He had little sympathy and little aid, for
his companions were too much occupied
with their own doleful battles with the
''shakes," to do else than laugh at their fel-
low-sufferers.
The lily-handed gentlemans son, who had
thought to gather gold without labor, grew
disgusted and dispirited, and was an easy
victim to disease; and the hearty worker
unused at home to more than paper finger
ing, soon exhausted his strength in his new
callingS of cartman, carpenter, painter or
well-dgger, as the wants of the hour de-
manded. Fevers were ready for such. The
new corners who arrived almost daily in
scores, were as impetuous as the old, and
passed through the same routine of labor,
sickness and death, till at last the underta-
ker's profession was the most thrifty of all.
So great was the mortality, that, as during
pestilence, the dead were often rolled up
in their blankets, boxed in rude pine cofins,
and hurried away in carts for burial, with
out friend to know or care whittier they
were taken.
Sometimes few followed on foot, tramp
ing slowly along the sandy road that led to
the cemetery. Its site was long valley
reaching from the bay to the ocean, and
walled in On either side by barren sand
hills 1t could boast no shade but few
scrub oaks, and it's countless mounds had no
other monument than wooden tablets, upon
which the names of the Sleepers were rudely
carved with a jack-knife, or painted in
black. Grave-diggers were always in the
gloomy valley, making homes for the dead
faster than houses for the living could be
fashioned in the young city Of tents.
The black wagons in which the dead
were brought, were drawn by mules; and
the driver, astride Of coffin, whistled as
he went, or was not loath to Chamber down
from his ghostly load and beat his stubborn
mules with sticks, and howl curses in their
unheeding ears. Arrived at the open
graves, he tumbled out his fearful freight as
roughly as if life had never rendered it sa-
cred; and the receivers, with feelings equal
ly callOused, pushed the cofins one by one
into the narrow cells, and let them drop
with heavy thump that seemed enough to
wake the dead.
AT this period of mortality among the
gold-seekers, there came down from the
mines New Englander who had so well
lined his wallet with the yellow scales that
ne wisely determined to return home and
invest it in Berkshire farm. While ma
king preparations for his return voyage, be
found temporary home in wooden DOM
icil, respectfully kept by two shriveled SIS
ters. One was TALL gaunt woman who
looked as if she might have prowled along
a storm-lashed beach by the side of a
wrecker husband. The other, of less stat
ure, was sullen iu her nature, moving about
like mummy with revived power of loco
motion, and forever brooding upon some
great wrong. But Zed Wheeler was a
| great talker and his hostesses were the
best of listeners. 1t was not long, there
fore, before they knew Zed's history from
the time he was little tow-headed urchin
turning somersets in the mud, till he had
arrived at his present six foot stature; and
delighted with his own account of himself
he did not cease till duly established in his
own opinion and in that of his auditors, as
the princely hero of his placer.
Before the ship in which he expected tc
embark was ready to sail, Zed had lost his
strength and volubility on sick-bed. In
week his face was pale and pinched. Nc
strangers could be more studiously atten
tive than these antiquated maidens. They
prepared nourishing delicacies for his taste
bathed his burning temples, administered
cordials, and resorted to their own valuable
store Of medicine aud their own experimen