The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-02-28
A STRANGE CITY.
A Graphic sketch Of Flush Times i'm
san Francisco I'm 4 s5s, as Told by Bret
Hsrte--A singular Condition Of society
TruIhfuIly DRAWN.

Harte--A singular tOhui'ion Of society |
Truthfuiiy Drawn.
The streets were flooded from the |
heavy rains, flour was fifty dollars per /
barrel, and times were hard Men were
ready for any excitement, and found it
in the most singular ways. carriage, |
one of the six in the city, stuck in the |
mire, was dug out by them, and they
felt amply rewarded by chance glimpse
of its female occupant, painted though
she might be. The cry of baby Mt the
theater was the signal for universal APP
plause. The long line winding for
half n mile from the postoffice upon the
arrival of the Eastern mail, when $50
and 500 or 500 would be offered for a
good place in the line. A street row and
n man shot was hardly an excitement Mt
that time. The gambling saloons were
as quiet and orderly as could be wished,
and men visited themat the close of their
days labor without any unusual excite
ment. Any noise of n cane falling or
! loud laugh disturbed the quiet OF the
place, and caused remark. You met
every one there as II matter OF course,
and men who parted ut the church door
at home in the East met each other
without reproach.
A man slipped from his chair one
evening, dead from heart disease. Three
physicians present examined him ms
left hand neighbor, Coroner, impan-
eled the rest of the players at the table
rs jury, who laid down their cards a
few moments and found n verdict III ac
cordance with the facts, and resumed
their play. A man having just come
II. L., EnG f
strolled into gambling saloon, won,
lost all, left, and, ashamed TO write home,
lived miserable life of want, until his
wife, hearing of his whereabouts, came
to find him. The man had all the time
haunted the gambling house, and ven
tured all he could in to- vain hope of re-
turning fortune. His wife arrived, and
met John Oakhurst, as the first person
of whom she inquired the way. He
learned her story, met her husband that
evening, bought his chance for the next
play for 5000, lost the play, and drove
the man to his wife III waiting outside
Upon being consoled for her loss, John
replied "Well, I've got tired of see
ing that fellow around, so You see l have
Just fixed it, but it's the first time as |
played game as was not on the square.
Social life was peculiar also. Gentle
men made calls i'll long boots and red
flannel shirts.
Ladies' went to balls and danced with
a new partner each change III the quad
rifle Ladies apologized for holes in the
chair seats from the explosion of re-
volvers of awkward visitors The best
dressed men are gamblers, and the best
dressed ladies have no right to the name.
Ladies were escorted home by platoon
of admirers, and realized the full mean
. ing of the pleasure of your company.
4 change was observable when fine clothes
began to appear, and men swore less.
Bolts began to be used, and portable
property was not left carelessly about.
In the mountains, it seemed as if the
people had come to occupy it thousand
years before nature was prepared for
them, and the character of the men was
| represented by the landscape ; there was
, nothing pastoral about it. The miners
first lived in tents and then in huts, but
, chimneys were already used, rs they i'm
piled II too settled character to the shelter
to correspond with the hkings of the
T residents. The frying-pan was the usua
cooking utensil, and served all the pur
poses of the miner who travelled with il
dashed TO his back like the guitar of {
, troubadour, and might be tracked from
2 camp to camp by the empty cans, witt
3 labels specifying their contents to b,
, oysters, Boston crackers and othel
! things. Although they had som,
Q variety, their reliance was beans. Thei
dress was peculiar, and they were Sc
handy with their needles that the amend
ments introduced to their clothing fire
4 quently became the most prominent par
( of their costumes.
Flour sacks were their principal reli
\ ance, and two men lost their identit,
a from being named after their favorit,
n brands. "Genesee Mills" and "Eagl
: Brand" The low crowned soft felt hat
: wide brimmed, and known TO this day a
= the California hat, was universally worn
n and none but gamblers or clergymel
n wore the tall hat. They were mani,
+ young men, and hair-cutting and shaw
v ing were alike unknown, consequent,
: the long love locks and the full curl,
II beard were common. They were loya
4 in their friendship, and the absence o
), women made the friendship of partner
o to take the place of that between MAJ
Il and wife. and these business relation
G were kept more sacredly than those o
g married life often are. They were no
e sentimental, and this had tendency t.
= eliminate everything utfacts from thei
e conversation. Lynch law was resorte'
e to as a necessity. A man having beer
e tried, the jury hesitated about their yer
n dict, when the leader of the accusin,
y party opened the jury-room door am
n informed the foreman that, though Their
$ was no immediate hurry about the yer
l. dict. he should need their room soon T.
), lay ont the corpse. The slang of tn
If times is easily traced to its origin
"Dry up" came from the half-yearl
drought. Played ont" from the uni
versal gambling practice, as, also, "Pas
10 in your checks" Taking stock"
- - also easily accounted for. man bein
y y asked what he thought of Thomas Star
= King, very naturally replied that ''h
g took every trick" Engineers spoke of
:, - mans dying as having run slower an
NJ slower till he stopped right on the cen
l. ter, and surveyor advised another q
= the same trade to Z" theodolite a man on
"a of camp"
- A teamster being demonstrated wit