The Shasta courier., 1868-01-11
SHASTA COURIER
Letter from Petaluma.
PETALUMA. Dec. "a, 1867.

.
EDITOR SHASTA CoURiER:-You will recog
nize by the signature of the writer one known
to you by many intimate associations, and
your many intelligent readers will, 'by the
same token, read understaudingly of him
who was once of them. l write not to instruct,
but to amuse. By this do not mean to ad-
NIT that could not write SO as to make you
all as wise as Solomon, but wish simply to
concede that you are all sufficiently wise for
your generation, and claim that you need
amusement because of your isolated situation,
where nothing but "solo, pitch, :" COM
mercial," and an occasional dog fight makes
the locality bearable. @
| l am in the city of Petaluma, a stranger in
strange land, the daily looker-on upon
things around me, which have brought me to
the conviction that here is more of life and
business than in any place in the State out
side of San Francisco. The population is
large, numbering, say, 5000 souls, (which
is not an over estimate, with very small
ratio of bummers and loafers. Every one
seems busy and thriving, and l have come to
the conclusion that it is good place to be-
| The weather has been such since my arrival
here that | have not been able to look at any
portion of the country that supports this busy
| mart; but l am told that il is everything
that could be desired-rich enough and big
enough to ins;re much larger growth Ct
this city.
But prefer 10 leave this writ upon the
solids of the country, aud drop to that which
amuses me, as gaze upon the passing null
titudes that throng in every direction-go-
ing. coming, crossing, and whirling in
eddies. Of course the feminincs make
large ingredient in these crowds, and as
have sort of weakness for watching the
styles and fashions, | cannot refrain from
giving you my impressions. If what I've
seen fails to instruct, it may amuse.
To my surprise iad that dress is not con-
fined to any particular style or length. Some
wear dresses long at one end and short at the
at both ends; some well up at the top, but of
very short comings below. IL is not rare
sight to see, walking side by side, couple
of the young and witching creatures, the one
in flowing train. sweeping many yards of the
walk, while her companion is dressed in a
short saw tooth affair that only reaches down
to the neigbborhood of the bottom OF the
elaborately embroidered! skirt, which leaves
fha oil anI L. A
gentleman who proiessed to know, sageIy told
me, in answer to my inquiry as to the cause
of this difference in style, that all who wear
those long trails, and particularly those who
affect delicacy about raising them we'll up
in front, had feet that were not considered
presentable; and the others, of the short
dress style, had something they arc willing
and axious to show. As you sec, made
note of that, and give it for what it's worth.
My own observation justifes me in taking
some stock in what was told me-
But the real wonders of this town country
fashions are waterfalls. | don't mean Yo.
semitic or any other cataract but the ladies'
waterfalls-the fashionable array of some
body's hair that daily parades Montgomery
street, San Francisco. and Main street, Peta-
luna, and now l am going to ,ell you some-
thing about them.
Some wear them projecting directly out
from the back Of the head, in the shape of a
bob tailed horses dock shaved, and red
ribbon tied round it, others make itup
in the form of a big fat turnip. and by some
mysterious process fasten it squarely on the
back of the head some let it drop little
into the neck, while others hoist higher and
higher, even on to tho top of the head, and
strain the natural hair back to it SO intensely
tight as to give grand arch to the eyebrows.
The effect is magnifcently beautiful, remind
ing one Of the stare of stuck pig" as one
receives glance from the wearer's witching
| eye.
In this connection l have only to remark
that the shortest women wear their waterfalls
the highest. However paradoxical this NAV
seem, am prepared to prove the truth of nv
assertion.
But to go back to long dresses. They seem
to be worn more for the purpose of exhibiting
the skill of the wearers in the hosting of
them thaa for any other purpose. 1 have
been instructed in watching the various 6e
grees of proficiency and grace manifested by
the various wearers. When the dress is
worn long, the general wearer of such gives
greatest elevation to that part in front, which
is--peculiarly suggestive of cleanliness, though
this morning l saw lady fashionab.y at
tired who employed both hands in the eleva
ton of her costume above the dirty walk
one behind and the other in front. She
walked rapidly, and having eyes only in
front, she probably was not conscious of the
W f%shiopable raise aft. Everybody else was.