The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-09-23

ships Skylark, Raduga and Willets, and the schooner
Alice. On Friday the fine half clipper Vest Hind
will take her departure for the same port, to be fol-
lowed shortly by the Rapid, which will touch at La
haina with passengers on her way to China. l take
advantage of the sailing of the West Hind to etdrop
you a line'' about California matters and California
people.
The great topic of interest during the past week
has been the State Fair at Marysville. The river
boats to and from the fair were crowded with people,
and the hotels and restaurants of the favored little
center of all the excitement reaped a rich harvest of
dollars from the pockets of their visitors. Three dol
lars a night for the privilege of sleeping on a thin
layer of straw, spread upon the floor, reminds one of
the flush days of '49. The fair, though not equal to
general expectation, was nevertheless a decided sue
cess. The exhibition of cattle was especially fine and
did credit to the State. There were some excellent
horses also; but the display of other animals was
very meagre, and the show of vegetables, &c.. was
inferior to that in the Mechanics Fair held in this
city last year. 1t was voted to hold the next annual
fair at Sacramento-a more central and in every re-
spect a much better place than Marysville.
Speaking of agricultural matters, let me congratu-
late your farmers and agriculturists upon one advan-
tage which they possess over some of our California
producers, in their immunity from gophers. The
gopher is a little animal about the size of a large rat
and very similar to the rat in general appearance
which infests some parts of the State, and is partic-
ularly abundant in the beautiful valley of San Jose
one of the most fertile sections of the country. Within
the last two or three years the number of gophers has
multiplied astonishingly in this valley, and as a con-
sequence the grain and root crops have suffered seri-
Gus injury from their depredations. The earth is
honeycembed with their holes, which connect with
- H.. 81 fa., n cr,oI ~ 81 s,It~,o.ao,
communication, utterly impregnable to assault by
any other means than water. The only way of de-
stroying them is to flood the and-and this, of course,
affords but a temporary relief, as the deserted under
ground city is soon filled again with a new and
equally mischievous population. If the gophers con-
tinue during coming years to multiply as they have
in the past, they will eventually take entire possess
sion of the valley and drive the farmers away.
Fraser River is decidedly below per in San Fran
cisco at the present time. The excitement which two
or three months since swept like a tornado through
the country and carried away SO many thousands of
people has been succeeded by a calm. The returning
immigration at the present time considerably exceeds
the outgoing, and the intercourse between San Fran
cisco and Victoria is fast settling down into a legiti-
mate business connection. There is no doubt respect
ing the existence of gold in, large quantities in the
Fraser River country, and when proper channels oil
communication are opened with the mining region,
and the Indian trouble appeased, a great tide of
wealth will flow forth.
San Francisco has not yet recovered from the re-
action of the Fraser River fever. The city is full of re-
turned adventures, out of cash and destitute of re-
sources, who have cause TO rue the day that they ever
left California; and, judging from the news by the
last mail from the East, the number will be soon aug
mented by an influx of Adventures from that quar-
ter of the country. The general air of monotonous
dullness, however, which has characterized the city
was relieved a few days since by a duel between two
rather prominent ~(perhaps notorious is the better
word) citizens of our State. Mr.. W.. Penn Johnston,
the editor of the .National, and Hon. W. Ferguson,
both being slightly tight at the time, had a quar-
rel in a bar-room, which resulted in a challenge and
a duel on an island in the harbor. The duelists
proved themselves very poor %marksmen. Perhaps
their hands shook n little. At all events, three fires
were exchanged-the first at ten and the other two at
six PAGES distance-without injury to either. A the
fourth fire Mr.. Ferguson was wounded in the leg, and
Mr.. johnson received a slight wound in the wrist,
and thus the affair of honor terminated. Mr.. john
son was the member of the Legislature who originated
and introduced the law against dueling, passed in
1850. Buncombe'' has a great deal to do with
California political matters.
On Sunday evening last I attended the church of
the Rev. DR.. Scott on Bush street, and listened to one
of the best efforts of that distinguished divine. The
church was crowded with people. His discourse was
nothing less than a familiar discussion of the unfor-
tunate social condition of the San Francisco popula-
ton, caused by the great preponderance of the mascu-
line element, and the fondness for outside pleasures
in preference to the true happiness of domestic enjoy
ment. He urged that, as the only remedy for these
evils, men who came to live there must bring their
wives and families with them; and those who had left
their wives at home should either go back and rejoin
them there, or send for them to come to California.
begged all young bachelors to look forward to
matrimony as the great contamination of human hap
piness, and by their participation in, and apprecia-
of, the delights of the home circle, to do their
part in el~evating the standard of California society.
DR.. Scott is a great preacher, and his scrmons-espe-
his 9 occasional sermons, as they are called
always produce an effect. One secret of his success
as a popular speaker consists in the familiar treat
meut of his subjects. He addresses his audience as
if it was composed of brothers-not inferiorsIand he
speaks in such a common-sense way and takes such
,ommon-sense views of the great subjects of religion
and morality, that he rarely fails to carry conviction
10 the hearts Of his hearers. His sermons upon local
are filled with lessons from the scenes Of eyery
life.
In regard to the observance of the Sabbath. Cali
ornia resembles q French city. For while q portion
If its population are listening to the words of the
ministers, the billiard halls, saloons and theaters are
.hronged by the pleasure seeking community. The
with his dog by his side and his game bag
lung over his shoulder, devotes the day to the indul.
yence of his fayorite ~pastime, and patient fishermen
vend their way to the rocky shores in the neighbor-
OF the Preside, and by dint Of untiring perse-
Terance sometimes succeed in reaping 4 reward in
he shape of a few cod fish. On every pleasant Sun
lay the omnibuses and ferry boats are crowded with
'xeursionis'r to the suburban villages and places of
esort.