The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-01-03
BRET HART.
The Author OF the HeaInen hinee Lee
lures in Boston-AbOut 40.
Prom the EostOT1 POST

BRET HART.
The Author OF the neaInen Chinee Lee.
lures in Boston-AbOut 40.
Prom the Boston Post.
At quarter before eight Nj. Harte
appeared upon the platform accoriipa.
MED By Mr.: Ja1pes T: Fields, and was
greeted with applause. AfteF d fe7f 1ho-
ments, Mr.. Fields approached the desk
and introduced the lecturer:
LADIES and, Surely.
Bret Harte needs no Introduction To any
audience in Boston. He has made Sc
many beautiful and lasting additions to
American letters that he is no longer a
stranger anywhere. I have great plea
sure this evening in asking your otter.
ticc tc lecture from the author of the
T" Luck, of Roaring Camp" and the
" Heathet1 Chinec."
The audience received the lecturer
with applause, and he commenced lis
lecture, of which the following is an alb
straet
THE LECTURE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN-Ip propose to-
night to tell you story of the Argona-
uts of 49, 1 propose to talk to you of
an episode in American life as quaint
and typical of the Greek adventurer
whose name / have borrowed for its IL
tle--a kind Of crusade without cross;
an exodus without a prophet. 1t is
not a pretty story. / do not know that
1t IS even instructive. 1t is of life of
which perhaps the best that can be said
is that it exists no longer. Let me first
give you and idea of the country which
this recreated; of the civilization that
displaced it. For more than three
hundred years California was of ali
Christian countries the least known. It
was set down on old English maps in a
very strange locality, and the history
of its discovery was wrapt in Spanish
tradition. One Spanish discoverer re-
ported that he found it ON q voyage
from the Pacific to Lake Superior,
where he found Yankee vessel from
Boston whose Captain informed him
that he had come there from the Allan
tic only few days before. Along the
line of centuries the old freebooters had
cruised along its shores and captured
their booty and plumber, and within
ten years band of gold-diggers came
upon large piece of wax in the broken
ribs of a rotten ship California beard
and was at once fired with discovery,
and in a few weeks they were searching
the ruins for the lost treasure of the
Philippine gallon, and at last they found
a few cutlasses with the Queens broad
arrow on their plates, which only
showed that the enterprising and gal
liant Francs Drake had been there before
them. These were peaceful pastoral
days of California, when the angeles
bells rang out peacefully and summoned
the good people to prayer and sleep
before 8 o'clock every night. They
were happy, tranquil days. But po-
litical and social earthquake more pow
erful than any convulsion ever known
shook the foundation of the land, and
in the disrupted strata of the land the
favorite treasure suddenly glittered be-
fore their eyes. Then a change came
upon them suddenly, which had been
strengthened by change of circum-
stances. 1t was not the finding of
few grains of gold, but for years tile
way had been slowly opening and the
loors unlocked for the people who were
to profit by the discovery The Argo-
nauts were lawless, irreligious band of
men. They were given to no supersti-
5ious rites, enthused by no high ambi-
ion, and skeptical events of existence
IF the golden fields until they saw them.
in an adventure, they accept
I'd, with a kind of calm philosophy,
whatever it might bring. '5If there is
10 gold, what are you going to do with
hose sluice boxes said a newly-ar-
lived fortune seeker to his friend.
g They will make first-class coffins, -
vas the reply of a man who had calcu-
ated all his chances. If they did not
Durn their vessels behind them, they at
east left the good ship Argo to lie idle
1t the wharf. The sailors were shipped
'nly for the outward voyage. Nobody
to return, even if he antici-
oated failure. An Argonaut thought
le recognized in the boatman who pulled
lim ashore and charged him $50 for the
avor brother classmate of Oxford.
Were you not, he asked "senior
in the class of 1882" eyes"
aid the other, significantly, /" but was
llso stroke oar in the regatta" At
ny first beakfast at restaurant in
San Francisco ~ saw a man whom
had looked upon as a perfection
# politeness talking with the guests.
The waiter remarked. "He's mighty
landy and can talk eloquently to Gus
omer as he is waiting for his cakes, and
an make him forget that he is starving.
asked him if it would be possible to
i'll his place &c I am afraid not" said
he proprietor, with tone of suspicion,
nd he added, significantly, "I don't
hink you would suit" It was this
EOnderfu1 adaptability, perhaps it was
he influence of the climate, that pro-
Iuced in them this element of success.
duch of this adaptability was due to
he character of the people. What that
was perhaps it would not be
er to defer criticism until / had arrived
t safe distance from the historian. In
listant parts of the country they had
eft families, friends, and in some cases
fficers of justice perplexed and bewil- |
Iered. There were husbands who had |
leserted their own wives, and, in some
xtreme cases, the wives of others. Nor
Tas it possible to tell from their super
cial exterior whether they were or were
ot named in this general Indictment. |
'ome of the best men had the worst re-
ord, and some of the worst reioiced in |
spotless Puritan pedigree. "The |
oys seem to have taken fresh deal all |
ound, said old John Oakhurst, "and |
here's no knowing whether a man will |
urn up jack or king" 1t may be said
f John Oakhurst himself that he came |
f family who regarded games of |
nance as sinful, and who had never be-
Ieved man could be successful by
hem. 'To think, said Mr. Oakhurst,
fter game of ten minues, by which |
e made So, 000-''to think as folks be-
Ieve that keerds is waste of timer
uch was the character and such the I'M
erstanding of the men who gave
ominant tone to the life of that period |
Iut would not have it inferred that
here was no respectability in morals
mong people of that time; but their
haracter grew, and the strongest was
OF always the best. Let me bring
hem nearer to and sketch for you two
ictures, one in their city by the sea,
nd one in the little scattered cabins in
ne camps of the Sierras Mr. Harte
aen described beautifully scenes in the
ierras and in San Francisco in the
inter of 1852, when -four was worth $50
er barrel, and hard season had been
he rule for the winter: when, perhaps