The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-03

is yet regular hotel, with its office, its bar, It's
readlng-room, its barber-shop-where YOU are
charged lit is of the Sfush.times" that we
write) five dollars for being subjected to that
delectabie operation hight sbampooing-a
all the other usual accessories to " first class y
house. AT this hour in the evening. say about
nine CLOCK, the hotel is thronged, and, if dress
makes the gentleman, there are precious few Of
that description here present. Flannel shirts
red, blue, and yellow; coats, if any, of toughest
beaver-cloth, or sorry oiled sail-cloth, patched
and greasy; kerseymere cassinet trousers,
buried in tallest cow-hide boots-for San Fran
cisco streets would have taught the toilers at
Balaklava to know that there was 'deeper
depth than even they had experienced--and
hats OF the most eloquent individuality, and ut
terest disregard OF fashion, composed the garb
OF nearly all present. A. Fine clothes soled
quickly, and having to pay twentyfour dollars
per dozen for washing, made clean linen as
rare luxury as ice used to be in Calcutta
Il here tcere some VINO wore white shirts, we'll
BACKED boots, and brushed broad-cloth, but
these were three-button mandarins, who had to
assert officiality in this way, and who managed
to make the Government support the assertion
by very lavish disbursements. Neither in the
bar, nor in the reading-room of the P
house, however, is the body of the throng gath
cred, though in one they make the choicest of
cocktails, and in the other are fresh files of
Herald and Tribune and Alta, full of news
about Kossuth and Benz and G0rgei abont
new gold discoveries opportunity" great fires
in the villages, and large sales of corner-lots.
The saloon" beyond contains the centre of
attraction; and there the crowds of strange
nationalities, complexions and characters, are
gathered, for there are banks" and tables"
appropriated to everything that looks like
gambling, from billiards to seven-up; here a
four handed game of euchre is being played
there spins the rafting roulette ball here the
taittetr turns up his cards for rouge-et-noir;
there another is calling out make your game,
gentlemen" in front Of faro table in one
place is private party, absorbed in the fasci-
nation of bluff; at another table an eager
throng risk their piles upon the king, seven,
five, and boss of monte, which is the favorite
game, because the most swift; while others
play at loo, lansquenet, kino, rondo, &C., and
many more look on, longing, loungin, or philo-
sophizng. 1t was an exciting scene, this, as
well to the hG6itue as to the novice but it was
not one that tended to strengthen our confidence
in that position assumed by philanthropsts and
ethical dreamers-the natural dignity and in
nate integrity of human nature. n
If a spectator here, who happened to be ac-
quainted with the various faces that presented
themselves to his view, and with the histories
and the circumstances of the men wearing these
faces, should have CHANGED to be at the same
time a believer in that very probable and very
painful doctrine, that no man who CANDLES can
be honest, he would have been compelled to pro-
nounce the society of San Francisco rotten to the
core, and hopelessly corrupt For all gained,
from the silver-haired dotard to the runaway
lad of sixteen, who dreams even yet, at nights,
Of his mothers visit and kiss, when she comes
to his bedside to see if he is nicely" tucked in :"
from the Governor, stout and cordial in his
broadcloath, to the Sydney convict, whose ankles
are yet sore with the chatting of the gives he has
not long escaped from. All gamble See that
man WHO'S stalking that glittering pile Of doub-
looms upon couleuy in 1rente-et-ua, with such ca
ger fingers and keen eye. That man was brought
up folthe ministry, turned politician has swayed
mighty crowds by his eloquence, has had Con-
gressmen gather throngingly about him in our
National Halls, enchanted by his matchless
power of speech has been picked up drunk in
the cutters has moved the quiet Judges Of the
Supreme Bench to applause; has raved in the
tnrles of detuium hemens In public mad house,
may yet be returned Senator from his adopted
State But now he is simply and purely gam
bier. watching for the turn of card with hand
on his revolver lest they cheat him, and himself
as ready to cheat if he have the chance to do
So 4onder rough blusterer, halfdrunk rash,
and losing, was erewhile quiet farmer in
Pennsylvania, where his poor wife and children
are now waiting his return, full of golden ex-
peetations. He will go to the mines again to-
morrow, penniless, and may die there ofrheuma-
tism and rum. Is it possible you do not recog-
Mise yonder fellow, who, with bloodshot eyes,
Is hercely glarlng upon the tauieuT, as that wor-
thy rakes down his winnings into the bank
N L.. L IL. J i
who took hearts by storm, and made more con-
verts than any other man who lectured to
thrilled throngs from Maine to Georgia in ad-
vocacy of the sublime principles he is now in
person so effectually trampling under foot
There is NJ too, one Of the highest of our
officials can you guess who that is he is hob
a-nobbing with across the bluff-table? Why, who
indeed but the notorious pugilist, upon whose
heavy and ruthless hand is the blood of more
than one victim slain q" in the ring" But
NJ cares not for his dark malign counte
nance and scowling eye, SO long as he can win
his money. Besides, it is very useful to have
such men for acquaintances, especially to pol
itician, since they ARE well versed in all the
ruling arts of 8 primary elections" and are per-
feet in the science of buster, buffer, and bal
lOt-box suffer" And il, perchance, one should
wanth enemy knocked down, beaten, disabled,
or -. There, too, is the banker of whom
you bought cornerlOts this very day, playing
eingt-et-un with the most ferocious bandit that
ever rode down traveller; aye, despite his
laughing eye, his gallant air, his picturesque
dress, that is =, the Sonora highwaylnan,
whose fame would equal Dick Turpins, were it
not SO bloody his stakes now are, perhaps, the
plumber of some poor murdered miner
Women, too? Aye, this slender disguise of
mems clothing is form for we do have some
form and rule here at the P house. pre- |
tending to rather more modesty and selfres pect |
than You will be likely to find at the Bella |
Union, or at Washington Hall-but of course, |
every one knows they are women. Dashing
and beautiful creatures they are, too, despite |
their wicked eyes, shameless air, and vile pro- |
family; but STILL by far the wretchedest creatures
of any here tonight Yonder woman, fading |
already, and with gray strand here and there
in her hair, years ago left her quiet Northern
home in shame and infamy, to become the AS |
pasta of Metropolis. Long reigned she, queen of
courtesans; and the highest and greatest in the |
land--authors, statesmen, dplom atists-have |
not disdained to attend her superb pctis sou,ers,
or visit her famed pare dar certS. Adroitest
of deceivers, and most abandoned of her sex, |
she too win be deceived, defrauded of her i'll |
gotten gains, and left to die, poverty .stricken |
and idiotic, in Charity Hospital in foreign |
land. That corallipped brunette, with such
flashing black eye, whom they style Ninon, see
her, how she leans upon the young mans
how his cheek Pushes up under the
fire of her touch-trust her not, for there is
blood on her hands, and her father died from
very shame, while she was Haunting in the
streets before his door, Others there are, more
modest in appearance, and therefore the more
TO be dreaded; others, again, who try to quench
the fever of their haunting anguish in wine
ali, let us look away the sight too much sad