Oroville daily Butte record., 1856-12-08
Migrants.

worthless beings prowliug about Orovlle, q
large proportion of whom, are boys, with
their faces and wits sharpened by dissipa-
ton, want, and rascality. From morning
until night and from early night until curly
morning the drinking saloons are infested
with these idlers, ready at all times to en-
gage in anything but what is useful, and
everything that is knavish, mischeyous and
Improbable. They have learned that to be
sharp" that is, to possess an intimate
knowledge of all that is vicious, disregard
ing all that partakes of virtue, honor, and
honesty, as an evil, or rather an encum-
brance to be avoided and despised by all
whose chief ambition is to be considered an
fat in what pertains to the popular vices of
the day. To be thus "men Of the world +"
in precept anl practice, openly in their pre-
cepts and stealthily in their practice, is the
sole aim and means of support of these
wretched men and boys. The men derive
their subsistence by putting their knowledge
into practice when chance throws a victim
in their way, and teach their ready pupils
that the weaknesses of honest, unsuspect-
ing men, are their rightful :" stock in trade"
their lawful plunder, whom, to use one of
their own expressions, +" if they don't pick
up, somebody else will" All that falls short
Of their standard of shrewdncss, they are
taught to regard with scorn and contempt,
and an honest miner" is term Of ridl-
cule and contempt, sneeringly applied BY
the vicious teachers and sneeringly re-eeh-
oed by their vicious pnpils
Boys, scarcely in their teens are made
familiar with the brothel and the gaming
table, and regard them and their occupants
with an air of nonchalance and easy init
macy. These instances of pYecocity in vice
are by no means rare, they are painfully
common Keen, shrewd looking lads, with
cheeks pale and wrinkled with habitual ex-
cesses, sleepless nights, and days spent in
Incidence or misehevousness, are to be met
with at every corner Parent!ess and house
less, they have been turned loose upon the
world, and alured by the vices that sur
round them. have become the pitiful, wretch
ed creatures that they are.
1t was to be hoped, that when the law
prohibiting gambling was passed, this state
of society would have been partially obvia-
ted, and so perhaps it is in some of the largs
er and older cities, bat driven from those
places by the progress of Improvement IN
morals and the consequent difficulty to OBJ
tain living without work, these vagrants
flock in crowds to localities where they are
unknown and where there are better
opportunities for living in incidence and
practictng their rascalities
The existence of these serious evils is to a
certain degree owing to their toleratiGn Vnd
consequent encouragement by ourselves as
community Such should not be the case
idleness and vice merit rabuke, and should
receive it, both from our citizens and the
authorities We have law whereby these
vagrants may be punished, and it ought to
be enforced in every instance where it is ap-
plicablc. BY such measures we could at
least rid ourselves of these pests, ond per-
haps in some instances by proper manage
ment, reclaim the younger ones from their
Incidence and viciousnes.