The hydraulic press. (North San Juan, Nev. Co., Cal.) 1858-18??, 1859-02-12
Communicated.
In eorpoIa ito n.

MIR. Editor: There are to be seen
around the town, petitions waiting sig
natures, addressed to the Hon. Board of
Supervisors for this county, asking that
this town of North San Juan may be
incorporated, under the statute in such
cases made and provided.
| must admit Sir, that upon first
thoughts, it seemed as though it would
be good thing. The expenses neces-
sarily attendant where men crowd to-
gether in villages would be less, for
there would be some system adopted so
that every dollar spent would count to
the best advantage. The Waterman
would do his duty; the officers of the
law, now derelict, with some excuse for
being so,) would be rendered efficient;
and brazen-fronted vice, instead of faun-
ting through our streets at midday,
would at least be driven out of sight.
Beside these, there would be a gradual
drawing together, as we came to see that
our interests were alike, and we should
gain what we do not now possess, ho-
mogeneousness and solidarity
But, Sir, after looking further into
this matter, must confess that my first
thoughts were rather hasty. 1 find up
on inquiry, that the expenses once
thought necessary, no longer are so;
that the town can get along very well
without Waterman that the mud in
the street is good thing, as it keeps
the married women at home; that the
officers of the law are strict enough now,
indeed much more attentive than they
ought to be-for don't you see, Sir, that
if they were to arrest all the hombres,
that are drunk, ranting, roaring, whoop-
ing and yelling, and firing off pistols in
the street, and fine them, or put them
in the calaboose, that these hombres as
aforesaid, would become indignant at
such treatment, and hereafter hen they
had any money to spend, go somewhere
else to spend it. Besides, Sir, if we
had the town incorporated, a large num-
Der of the gamblers and prostitutes
would go away, actually depart; for they
have too high sense of honor to stay
where they would be watched. Many
of the saloons in town would have to
close, and respectable people would be
thrown out Of a living. 1t is true, it
might be all the better for some of the
larger saloons, but what right, l would
like to know, have they to flourish at
the expense of the smaller ones? But
the most important consideration is,
that if the town was Incorporated we
should have three or four men to rule
over us !! Have you ever thought of that?
to rule over us! Shades of free born
Americans! whose blood and hair lie
scattered on every battlefield from Que
bee to New Orleans,-who fought and
died for the purpose of obtaining and
preserving our liberties, shall your de-
generate descendants slavishly surren-
der what you so gloriously won, and
allow three or four men to rule over
them? No, never! Great Jupiter, and
the American Eagle, forever forbid =
Only think of it,-they might do
thousand horrible things, and we could
have no redress. They might declare
stove-pipes nuisance, unless under GER
tain conditions, and almost force people
to build brick chimneys; they might
spend four or five hundred dollars, and
from the flume lay an iron pipe through
the street, in such manner as to have
an abundance of water any where along
it, at hand in moment; they might
use their influence to have fire compa-
ny established they might even think
that the majority of the citizens would
like to see the street made passable, and
thereupon contrive some plan by which
those persons who had not kept the street
in repair in front of their property could
be induced to do SO; possibly they might
do it themselves, say from the saw-mill
through to Helfrich's, and allow those
who had expended money on the street,
proportionate amount for what they
had done. But it is impossible to tell
what they aoould do. The probability
is, that five men as trustees, taken from
the property-holders on the street, within
the points designated above, selected
with especial reference to their honesty
and intelligence, would, as their first
official acts, levy and collect tax of six
dollars on each and every dog; poll
tax of one dollar on every person liable
to pay one; tax of one per cent. On all
the property; licenses of at least hun
dred dollars month, twelve months in
advance, on every bar for the sale of
liquors; borrow three thousand dollars
on the credit of the town, and then
spend all the money for whiskey and
cigars. I understand that to be the