Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-06-02
nnr San Franeisco Correspondence.
SAN Francisco, May 81, 1865.


Mexican expedition, Of which I will speak
hereafter, had variety Of other matters to
weary me. In fact, l may say that there was
a regular concentration Of circumstances
so to speak-to harrass, distract and embar-
rass me. To begin with. / didn't feel we'll.
Now you doubtless know what il is to 20 to
bed feeling sloriously and wake up not feel
ing very we'll Pity me then, for I was
there! Again, was building house. l
say building" one, although 1 only pro-
posed to repair it. Once upon q time. l got
bad debt paid me in GreenbaekS At so cents
on the dollar, when they were worth but
about 50 cents. II was Legal Tenders at that
price or nothing, and I'm not 90 tender a. to
greenly throw Of the chances Of getting
even that near coin on old scores Well, in
the course Of time, As my friend, old Pollock,
used to say in NV school boy days, the green
backs stiffened to 20 cents on the dollar, and
hastened to "realize," and found myself
almost capitalist. Then the momentous
question arose in the house Of Amigo:
"What viii he do with it :" took the money
home with me and put it under my pillow.
Uneasy lies the head that has $40 lawful
money of the United States under it. had
got about half asleep, when heard an ami
mated discussion going on under the house.
Burglars! shouted, and seized my revolver
nervously. "M-e-a-o-u-W" came with long
drawn distinctness from the internal regions
below. Then l knew that no burglars could
! be about, for am statistical duck and have
| long since come to the conclusion that mem
berS Of the feline race invariably abandon the
war path and take to elevated positions with
rapidity on the appearance Of the human
| species on the premises. Ny courage rose at
| once, and arose from my bed, determined
on diabolical revenge. Placing my revolver
so that the front end Of i'll disremember
the technical term for that part OF the weapon
stuck through the floor, deliberately
pulled the trigger. The result OF this
! tragedy was immense. l never supposed
up to that moment that l could shoot 80
hard. The report was startling; 1t startled =
| policeman who was sleeping quietly under
| an awning like good citizen half block
of, and caused him to boiler Murder "
and blow his whistle for assistance. heard
two distinct spits, coming from opposite di-
rections under the house, and A.sudden scat
tering, as If at least one hundred cats, badly
demoralized, we're hieing in hot haste away.
Then all was silent for . moment. Next
came the sound Of marching men, then con-
sultation outside, then rap on my door. 10
make long story short, my house was sur
rounded by the Armed Police Brigade, and
was 4 prisoner, arrested on the charge Of
misdemeanor by shooting within the city
limits" went down town and gave bail for
my appearance for examination next day.
Going home, heard an alarm Of IRE, and
on arriving at my house found that the wRd
from my pistol had set some shITings under
the house on FIRE, the flames had eommunica-
ted to the palztiAl redwood structure which
then inhabited, and the Fire Department,
with its usual promptness and alacrity," had
turned out. Ny wife had eItinguished the
fire with pail Of water before their arrival,
but that was no guarantee against new FIRE
being kindled somewher else on the premi-
ses, so the gallant iremen" washed every
thing down from roofto demonstrating
the greater part Of the plastering. Ny bed
was damp when I returned to it, and Of
course caught cold. Next day was troubled
with a sweiled head from toothache, and my
neighbor Brown reported around town that
the swelling was caused BY = lick given me
with broomstick BY my wife Elizabeth Jane.
/ spoke to Brown about it, and the discussion
ended in nv giving him . blow, from the e.
feet Of the reeoil from which fell on my
back and brought Brown on top Of me. Not
outstanding the fact that got much the
worst used in the discussion, was again ar
rested, this time on the charge Of assault and
battery. The net results Of this affair, so
far, are as follows:
AMIGO FIIz CLARENCE SMITH, DR.
To lawsuit By. landlord for damages 10
premises compromised ..........-.ol30 80
Fine for shooting within limits. ..-..-.... % %
Fine for assault and battery 30 90
Fine for carrying concealed weapon $3.50. 80 90
Total. %
lam also threatened with suit for dam
ages for personal injuries on Browns eat,
which has broken fore leg; but think
can get rid of that By introducing testimony
to show the notorious bad character OF the
cat, and the probability Of his having got his
leg broken BY trap while on thieVlng ex-
petition. Brown says if do this he will sue
me for SANDER, and on the whole don't
know but l must compromise the cat suit
also. However this is question for the
future. "Suficisnt unto the day IS the evil
thereof" and won't borrow trouble in ad-
vance. The next night buried the remain
ing S604 40 In the garden,
"By the struggling moonbesmS misty Light,
And the lantern dimly burning"
and an hour later, hearing steps all around
the house, on the roof and in the next yard,
went out and dug it up, and sat up and
guarded it all night for safety. In the morn
mo, Mrs, A. Fitz C. Smith said to me,
/" Amigo, hubby, get rid Of that money at
once II YOU have to throw it into the bay"
I FASTENED to obey. did not throw it Oh
Vallejo street wharf. / bought dilapidated
mansion, and two lawsuits, on Telegraph
Hill with it. / requested = gentleman
in the house carpenter line to fit it up for the
reception Of my family. He agreed to do so,
and went to work. My bills for putty to fill
| UP the cracks with, has already grown to
a size which swamps entirely the original
outlay for the property, and "the end is not
yet" have suggested to him the adylsa-
bility of discarding the skeleton framework OF
wood, which fondly imagined was house
when bought it, and building new house
entirely out Of putty only but even this plan
will not work, it seems. He tells me that IN
ordinary times he would have jumped at the
idea, and could have accommodated me. but
since the war putty has gone up tremendous
| ", and the project 10 not now feasible one.
| Now, was in the midst Of all these little
difficulties and annoyances when wrote last,
and that accounts for the small inaccuracies
which appeared in my letter. Having gone
thus far to define my position, / will now
proceed to write my this weeks letter.
sETcHBLL
Still draws like Spanish fly blister plaster,
and Maguire's Opera House is crowded with
the beauty and fashion Of San Francisco.
Low comedian that he is, find that the
charge Of gross vulgarity and besstly double
entendreism," il I may be permitted thus
to coin = word-to which Coppin was 30 dis
gustingly liable, can not be urged against him
to any great extent, and some Of his charae-
tiers are decidedly good, might say remark
ably good, and not often excelled even oy
men Of the Burtonian stamp. His Captain
Cutie is not to be compared with Burtont,
| affpr which Il In nnnied hut hin ttMr Beetle."