Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-01-21


an editor remarked, "Young ladies who
come here without any cncumbrance.
soon get promoted" l don't think
much of the promotions. hardly think
there is more than one young man in fif-
ty but what drinks whiskey, and not one
in twenty but what drinks liquor, plays
cards and billiards Sunday. The better
half is not very plenty here. at any rate.
| know widow lady who came here last
fall with four daughters. Two Of them
are already married, and really believe
nearly every young man in town has Of
fercd his hand and "gizzard" to the 9TH
or two. don. think they will stand
the "press" much longer. Girls get
"spliced' any time after twelve years Of
age. But still there are some sensible
couples. know a man ,out forty .fv c
whose "lady-love' is thirteen, and now
going to my school-he is going to wait
a year or two. There is great need Of
a Temperance reform in this State. There
is considerable doing, and plenty of
grapes growing, which will make man
drunk three days if he gets fairly dosed.
Well now, few words more particular
ly to my schoolmaster friends, and then l
will close this letter which is now much
longer than intended when commenc-
ed.
In 1858 there were fty-three schools
and ifty-six teachers; now there are
three hundred eighty-six schools, and
over four hundred teachers, with over
thirty-fve thousand scholars between
the ages Of four and eighteen. There are
plenty Of teachers such as they are.
but so many are unsteady, that a good
and steady person can generally get a
good chance. Many teach for so per
month small schools. Most of the
schools are small and very backward.
Board is not very high. l have a nice
room, fire &C., for $500 per week. l
have taught one term near where now
am. l have one of the two largest
schools in the county. l have sloo per
month; that is twenty Dollars more than
they have paid for three years. The
public school funds will not pay enough
to support a scho ol, consequently each
pupi muskPa0 tu5tfoa. sss ssffn Z pssts
ty village-thcre are considerable many
Spanish people. Not many oftheir chill
j fdrsu, 60 to school. Monterey, about
twenty miles round the head of the bay,
is aregular Spanish city. There are a
few Americans there, just enough to
take particular care of the Court House
and Custom House. This is where the
American flag was first raised. where
the first and last U. S. Consul 10 Cali
fornia lived, where the first paper was
printed in California; mot having type
enough, they made funny looking papers.
They had no and had to take two
w w and several other letters about
the same way. And here is where tn e
Constitution Of C~a:Is..;~-was adopted.
This city is situated at the head of the
bay, and is surrounded by pine woods,
California pine nearly fie-same kind
that grow SO large. The buildings are
low and are built of adobes and stone,
some of wood. The inhabitants get
their living mostly by stock raising. and
are rich. 1t seems as if this country al
some period might have been subject to
violent earthquakes. The papers speak
of little ones now occasionally. 1t is
said there was one the might of the 2Sth
inst. ). the heaviest there has been for
several years:-fwas too deapfy wrapt
in slumber tc notice it; but it wa. so Sc
we're as to make some sick, and shook
the bricks off from some of the chimneys.
But must close. l shall be please,frto
hear from my friends any time and if
can-aas them any questions in rela.
ton to tho country. I will cheerfully
do it as far as kaog. s~A5-<e!iixess u
Watsonville, Cal.
Very Respectfully Yours.
| II