The Placer herald., 1856-06-28
The Californian's S Method of Business.

The man of business, upon his arrival
in San Francisco, is more astonished at
the original manner in which business is
transacted, than by anything presented to
him for examination as novelty. Whatever
section of the world he may have hailed
from, the contrast is sure to be striking
Accustomed and obliged (as all men are
who transact business in large cities) to cal
culate by pennies they become gradually,
but surely honest embems Of their fractional
calculations; and as it is admissible that the
mind of man, like the cameleon, takes the
color of its nearest associations, who can
doubt or wonder at the once generous heart
being contracted into the smallest possible
heartless meanness, when it is exposed to a
competition which, with its avaricious grasp,
will inevitably crush his best efforts, and
finally consign him to the oblivion Of bank
ruptcyl The merchant of an old city, like a
snail, carries his business with him, wherever
he goes-his language is stercotyped-his
profit and loss the only tenants of his mind
his expenditure of money under all circum-
stances only dictated as an investment for
profitable resut-busness is his religion, his
ledger, his bible, and his treasure, gold, the
gold of bis idolatry. TO SUCH then, how
great must be the surprise, when they dis
cover the air of liberality, which hangs cob
web like around the counting room Of Cali
torna merchant, and partakes of the gene
rous entertainment of his dwelling. If the
stranger be advanced in life, and his habits
Of business too much confirmed to change
by example, this exhibition of freedom and
hospitality, this volatile spirit of activity, this
lcapng JOY and fraternal feeling, in keeping
with our young and beautiful State, is pain
fully embarrassing to his affrighted economy.
lie tarrics with us but short tme--retulns
to his rigid principles and pcayune policy at
home-crushing as well as he can, the credit
Of men, whose mercantile ability he knew
was too brilliant and dazzling for the weak,
short-sighted eyes even Of his mind to ex-
anime.
On the other hand, if the stranger be young,
the novel method of transactinG business
here is a relief to him, he throws off at once,
the restraint which has so long fettered his
ambition and ability the atmosphere of bust
ness is as much changed to him for the bet
ter as the air he breathes is more conducive
to his health than that from which he emf
grated The eternal sunshine which greets
him at bis rising, gilds his hopes for the
future, giving him happiness for the present
which becomes the handspring Of his cXer-
tions and enables the accomplishment of his
greatest undertaking. His correspondence
to his friends at home meets in conflict with
the statements of the disappointed, and in
measure only counteracts them, for although
but feeble description is ever given Of the
blessings and advantages which Nature has
so lavishly bestowed on this, her favored
spot, yet but one half of that is dared to be
believed, and such incredulity cannct but be
excused, for there lis but one way TO satisfy
us Of the maguiiceuce and wealth Of our
State, and that to intersperse the tales Of the
Arabian Nights with truthful sketches, geo
logically and geographically, of the State Of
California