Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-12-05
A CITY OF A DAY.
A California city which grew up and
then Vanished.

California City which grew up ana
then Vanished.
a writer in the Overland Monthly
says of Meadow lake, which is called
the Californian Pompeii
In two months, May and June, 1856.
over 1000 people larriyed Every
sleeping place was full even to over
flowing. Twenty, thirty, forty persons
were sometimes crowded together in a
vile room, appropriately called " cor
raj" Men who happer ed to be belated
walked the streets ali night, or lay on
benches If they were able to resist a
low temperature in the morning paid
81 for biscuit, a cup of muddy coffee,
and leathery mustang steak; then
perhaps slept an hour or two on the
sunny side of house. For lot sixty
by eighty feet on any OF the principal
streets, 81, 500 to 81, 500 was asked, and
not unfrequently paid in gold coin. A
small structure on G street, eighteen
by twenty-four feet, rented for 5000 a
month. The possessor of few corner
lots counted himself a millionaire, and
condescendingly hobnobbed with the
San franciscan who owned only few
blocks of brick buildings within a
stones throw of the bank of California.
Four saw mills had been running at the
top of their capacity all the spring, and
as soon as the weather permitted, some
400 or 500 buildings were knocked to-
gether with amazing rapidity, making
about $50 in all the city. A thin she'll
of boards, with "rustic outside,
paper inside, and ceiling of "white
domestic 1T is astonishing how little
it takes to make comfortable house in
California.
But it is more astonishing how great
and complete was the infatuation of the
people. A young acquaintance of mine
who was there explained thus I" 1
never should have gone into the thing
if I had not seen the Oldest and best
merchants in the State of Nevada-men
in whose judgment I had perfect conf
dence, who had often been at the fore
front of excitement like this, and who
ought to have been able to Judge
whether the town had any substance to
it OF not-going in up to their ears, in
vesting for all they we're worth. When
saw such men putting all their capital
to the touch, I thought it was safe
enough for me to follow"
In June, 1866, q stock board Of thirty
nine members was established In
view of the fact that there was not q
solitary mine which had yet more
substantial existence than the name
engrossed on the recorders book-not
even a ledge sunk upon, and its proper
tions developed-this transaction was
as refreshing to mems heated brows as
as Sierra breeze. Day after day, with
countenances as solemn and as placid
as ham of bacon, these valuable mem
bers of society assembled together, and
the secretary sonorously called u. S.
Grant" "Comet, Confidence" emo
hawk and Montreal" Enterprise, I"
and the rest of the long list, and not q
soul responded. Except for the pomp-
GUS braying of that official, there
reigned the silence of the grave. Like
Cicero's priests of Rome, when they
were behind the curtain, they looked
in one another's faces and laughed.
This stock board was the laughing
stock-which was the only actual stock
dealt in--of the whole district. 1t was
regarded by everybody in Meadow
Lake as a very broad and attenuated
farce. A few sober and sensible men
of the town regretted these proceedings
of unmitigated futurity, for they knew
we'll, what the others could hardly have
been ignorant of, that they would bring
the new district into contempt, and
confirm even greenhorns in the belief
that the whole matter was intended fol
a swindle. It is difficult to explain OF
understand this thing, except as a piece
of that reckless gaiety and bravado with
which Californians seek to smooth over
a rough place and escape from bad
situation. For even thus early it is
highly probable that there had begun
to dawn on many souls a great and
bright light, and that they were begin
ming already to mediate on the sweet
uses of adversity. For a graceful and
mastery retreat from an " almighty
SELL" commend me of all men to Cali.
| fornian.