The Trinity journal., 1856-02-16

CALIFORNIA AND HER FoLLIEs California
has been the fastest courser on the pathway
of nations-San Francisco, the most furious
ly fast of cities There bave been the fast
est people here that ever were congregated
on a race course. Men have lived fast
dressed fast, drunk fast, drove fast horses
gone in debt fast, speculated fast, failed fast
and gone to blazes fast. Few have pulled
the reins, all have used the whip and applied
the spurs. in the saddle or out of it, bare
backed or in sulky, on a wager or for pleas
ure, nothing but velocity would do. No ra-
tional joy would do for banker merchant
lawyer, doctor or clergy. "Whew! get
along! ip-pa! go it while you're young"
They have rented better houses and more
costly, have bought finer furniture, have
lived more luxuriously, squandered more in
eating, drinking, and pleasures besides, than
their means allowed or the state of the coun-
Try rendered necessary Th2 women have
delighted in many expensive, worthless, un-
necessary servants. Costly furniture and
household ornaments at home have been
their passion, costly morning dresses, costly
fripperies of all kinds They have swept the
streets with costly satns, silks, vevets, ct
Ctt6U, lIOul lIclI richly cdIDclCu
rooms elegant brocades and returned them
after stroll for admiration, batch of mud
spittle and dirt.
With the same style of living and luxury
which many of them purchased cheaply at
their former homes, their husbands would
now not only be easy in their business, but
in the enjoyment of competency, instead of
broken up in the one, and bankrupt in for
tune. For few months of foolish eXtraya-
gance-for few admring gazcrs at their
new dresses, a few enyious sneers from their
less fortunate or more rational acquaintances,
they have bartered the business success of
their husbands, the quiet Of their homes,
the prospects Of their future An expensive
party, without a heart in it, has cost the la
Dor and anxiety of month, year. A gor-
geous saloon for a month has led to a shan
ty for years.
The stupid ambition to be thought stylish
by crowd who know little of what really
good society means, to be considered the tan
by ignobe souls who have but one quality .
of respectability, viz: wealth, has ruined .
thousands, has driven away from us many
who were desirable, has kept away many
most fit to come here To make a tempo
rary display they have bartered present
means, future prosperity and the respect of
the only portion of community whose good
opinion is worth having And this not only
upon their own means but that of others
Of that frightful amount of debt which the
bankrupt act has settled how large a por
tion was incurred to adorn the body with
brocades, hats and rich broadcloths and sup
IL, Il lit-I
ing. Speculation has not been the only |
cause of failure here. Nor has any decrease |
in the value of real estate and business
Luxury, fashion, diseased public opinion,
a false society," have ruined hundreds if not .
thousands of our citizens. Men as well as
women have thus ruined themselves and dis .
graced the city. Fast men with fast horses |
and fast wives are not the men to prove re-
liable merchants, trusty lawyers, safe traders
and bankers To spend the means Of others
is not the highest honor. To live beyond
ones means is to rob him whose means are
thus filched from him.
OF all countries within civilization this
one needed less the introduction of the fool
ish, vain and wicked luXuries Of the east
We were by ourselves We might have es-
u
that instead Of quiet style OF home life
simple style of dress, reasonable style OF
living, of house, of furniture, OF life before
the public, all the vanitles OF the rotten Gus
toms of the older cities have been introduced
and doubled And now, even a servant girl
cannot walk in the streets without fifty
dollar brocade and twenty-five dollar hat.
Our ladies! who shall calculate the cost OF
their trimmings! Who the cost of the rig
of our gentlemen!
With such wretched ideas Of life and its
objects, Of fashion and its qualities, OF DO
mestic life and its requisites; with such sub
serviency to the dictates of a brainess as
well as heartless fashion, with such weakness
and vanity which prefer to be considered
fashionable to being honest and honorable,
who can wonder at the ruin which has fallen
upon the business and prospects, the fortune
and happiness of so many among us! W no
can wonder that hard times have come, that
so many have come down to the firm basis
of bankruptcy? The mines have not failed,
the earth is as rich and productive as ever,
and nearly all the demands that make good
business are really as good as five years ago.
What then has brought hard times and stag
nant? Nothing but folly-such follies as
we have limited at being large part of the
trouble When reason shall supersede yani-
ty, good taste take place of silly idea Of
what responsibility and good society are, we
may anticipate better'times less bankruptcy
and more happiness.-.S. f. Chronlclc.
Ton THUMB-The correspondent Of an
Eastern paper says:
Tom Thumbs papa is dead He went