The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-17
T'TAE ARGoNAUTs OF 49,"
]sBret Eaate's'' Lecture Last Evening NJ
Steinway Hail,

s'Bretj; Harte's' Lecture Last Evening NJ
Steinway Hail.
LAST evening, though the weather. was iRcement
ana the walking very bad, SteInway Hall was well
tllcd by an audience in which refinement and IN
telkgence were dac'dedly marked TO listen TO the
lecture OF Bret Harten on "rAe ArgonAuts OF H9."
An organ concert was given before the lecture.
The audience waited, for some moments, and
aurnJ.hGTe was an echo OF applause as the
about five feet 1fhep Chinee,"a gentleman q
distinguished dark face, osff.'n height WIN
DARK hair soplng down on his forefee W nishefs'
moving and SILKY black mustache, and attiredhge
ceptionable evening dress, white tie, having gold
STUDS in his shirt bosom and watch chain depend
| ing from Ills vest pocket, walked on the platform
| accompanied by the President OF the MereaD tile
| library Association.
Mr.. Harte spoke from notes with a converse
tfonal ease, here and there touches OF pathos and
sadness appearing, interspersed with flashes OF the
canyons, from King TAN Gulch and from Murderer's
| Flat. The title OF the lecture half classical,
half rowdyish, and, though he spoke nothing OF the
1 heroes OF the Greek world, OF Jason, Castor and
Medea, or.of the goddess Thetis who saved the
| Argonauts at Corcyra, yet the lecture more
| stepped with sandaled feet on the stage "Bret
Harte''spOke OF the early California, with its ran
chos its presidios, its missions the pastoral sim
plicity OF It's early Inhabitants who carried their
patents Tor their lands In their pockets, guaran-
| Ieed them Dy CnarieS w., ana through the thought
OF the lecturer the audience heard the ringing OF
| the Angeus bells in the oden time, when the
1 Spanish Armada was not and when poker playing
had not been discovered. He said the descent
OF the Argonauts OF ls4s on California
| was crusade without an exodus, without
! prophet That state OF things existed no longer.
| The first attention was drawn to California when
| the treasures OF some Philippine galleons were
discovered. Here the lecturer told humorous
| story about Alcalde Philippe Gomez ana the
owner OF seductive guitar at Santa Barbara.
| Strange to say, the pioneer Churches of Call
fornia were the Oldest and youngest in the world
| the Catholic Church and the Mormon Church. One
OF the first houses built in San Francisco by the
Argonauts OF 1S49 had for its foundation boxes OF
| plugged tobacco, for then lumber had its fabulous
price.
The lecturer Illustrated the manners OF the ArgO-
| nauts by story OF Mr.. John Oakhnrst, raised in a
Puritan land and fOstered by Puritan parents with
Puritan principles and transported TO California
in the Hegira OF the .ronghs." He had been taught
that cards were sinful from early youth. One day
he sat down to a game or faro and as he rose, the
winner OF $4,000, he leaned the table and look
ing around at the large assemolage In the gambling
saloon he said, In his characteristic way, '.And
some people think that keerds Is waste OF time ~
Other stories were told, fully as humorous this,
4 particularly the one about giving the bull a
4 show" and the lecturer ended with very eo-
quent description OF the Chinese in California their
habits and customs and their ways that are dark
and tricks that vain.'
| Throughout the evening the audience listened
1nfently, with appreciation of the fact that Mr..
Bret Harte combines the language OF a poet with
the form and color Unborn In an artist. He repeats
his lecture tonight in the Brooklyn Tabernacle.