The union Democrat., 1869-01-23
LETTER EaoH san FRANCISCO.
.ar RssalAr c. -, enleu,.
San FRAxcisco, Jan. 18th, 1869.
THAT SKELETON.


Clay and Leidesdors streets is being torn
down On the first day Of demolition the
Bulietin discovered in the cellar under pile
Of rubbish. a skeleton. bag of money and 4
bowie knife 1t was a dramatic discovery.
The Bulletin in few words drew the prooa-
bility of hasty murder between gamblers
1.-THE building in old times had been noted
gambling saloon) and buried secretion OF
the body. II is not usual 10 fnd money by
Skeletons Hurry, friendship between sports,
flush times. Put these three in connection
with hasty murder. at late hour, an I'M
perative necessity for getting the corpse out
of sight as quickly as possible and you have
a reason for the presence Of the money bag.
Al! of US scusationalized that evening over
the skeleton. Next morning 5 Alta oil but
gave its identity and the history Of the atfray
raked from the musty intellect Of the oldest
inhabitant The Frank johnson skeleton was
cleefully produced at social gatherings. rs
such blessing to have something to ill the
nav of that tiresome question, whats the
pews?r We read to ourselves little sensa-
tonal dramas founded on the fact Thus
Time, 1851. Tho whirl. rush. excitement OF
the early days at its height At four clock
in the mcrning, the New World monte ia bies
have ceased operations for that day. Inc
doors are closed. y knot of four or hive gam
b,ers remain inside, discussing the fortunes
of the evening over a g lass OF punch. lhere
arises the merest trife of dispute. 1t is the
faintest spark of antagonism. Suddenly 1t
flashes into conflagration. Nerves braced
up tor hours in resistance to the excitement,
commotion and disorder of gambling saloons
and brains held concentrated for similar
period on the game are subject on being re-
laxed to these little spasms. There Is blow,
a knife thrust somebody is badly hurt !
somebody falls, bleeds, gasps, dies. Aston
iShment succeeds to rage. What Is TO be
done? There is no time for delay. Put the
body out of the way-down cellar-cover 1t
with lime-wash the floor. The knot separate.
The light dawns. The excitement OF another
day commences. There are but few to miss
him. The knot know their own secret. Soon
they are scattered, some North, some South
The skeleton sleeps-grasping his bag of
money, the heshless hand still closing on the
bowie knife. Above and around him for
years there is buying, selling, eating drinking,
living. voting, stealing births, marriage deaths.
Era succeeds era. The city Is revolntlonlzed
bv the vigilance committee. The Great Re
hellion comes and goes. Still he sleeps. The
city rocks with earthquakes. The bones clat-
ter a feeble response. The rusty coins clnk
together. Still he sleeps. Men few feet
above would sell their souls for few pieces
of money from that bag. Still over it the
1 81 lDS ST
old building comes down a board rs raised,
a heap of moulderlng rubbish pushed aside
and Lo There is no skeleton there There
is no money nor money bag there There is
no rusty bowie knife The story Is hoax.
The Bulletin was fooled. So was the Alta.
20 were we all after that waste Of imagina-
ton. There are no real rusty skeletons IN
strange places. They are all In the Hash
noyels Are we thus to be cheated out OF our
sensation? No. We will buy one yet and
secrete it in the basement OF some church.
TIE Rev. Mr.. HAMILTON.
Mr.. Hamilton was Presbyterian minister
of Oakland. He discovered one day that be
had mind Of his own. His creed told him
that all men unless they observed certain
forms and ceremonies would be punished by
an eternal, whole or partial, ,submersence IN
combuStible lake and that infants and heathen
to whom for various reasons it was impossible
to convey the orthodox plan of salvation must
suffer a similar fate. Mr.. lIamilton's reason
and Mr.. Hnmnton's creed quarreled. Mr.. ii.
sided with his intellect. He kicked the fiery
lake and eternal damnation out of his pulpit.
lie advocated more liberal and more agreeable
doctrines. They were too pleasant however
for Preshyterianism. The true blue followers
of Calvin are not comfortable unless somebody
is roasting. \ few months ago the Presby-
tery of San Jose ostracised MIR. Hamilton Tor
teaching heretical doctrines. And now the
SYNOD Of Alta California have just confirmed
the verdict of the Preshytery OF San Jose.
1t is n most fortunate occurrence for Mr. IL.
\ portion of the wicked press have espoused
his cause. lie has been brought into notice.
His Oakland congregation like his elimination
of He'll. They Intend building him new
church The world is moving. Forty years
AGO. a man daring to advance such ideas con
trary to the othodox belief would have been
shelyed with the Tom Paine of that period.
For e7en the Tom. Pane of 1929 and that OF
1859 are two different men. The disposition
to taNNr broader anu 4lotS iihCi iot ''N"' -
everywhere cropping out. Even some OF the
soundest clerical orthodox lights in this clty
Get astraddle of the fence of their orthodox
pound about once fortnight The minds
not of the few but of the people double IN
activity every ten years. People will persist
more and more in thinking. We deem 1t not
such an honor to he the mere reflex OF another
mans opinion as formerly.
CIVILIZED TnoRNs.
One feature in the coming millenimn, will
be partial cessation of street improvements
in this city. Some Of our thoroughfares have
never ceased being improved for years. AS
write. look upon kearny between jackson
and Clav. 1t is chaos of brick piles, NOR
tar beds. scaffoldinE, hod carriers and cobble
stones. To-day, the Nicholson ravement is
lust down. Tomorrow it is ripped up. Some
thing is always being done 10 the street car
tracks. Gas pipes never cease being laid.
Sewers are always being built or repaired.
Then there comes temporary lull, lumber-
ing frame building snails along. One Is
I re