Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-10-29
EARLY DAYS In CALIFORNIA.
Bret Harte's Lecture on the ArgOnauts
of 70.

of 40.
The Opera House was crowded last night,
upon the occasion of Mr.. Bret Harte's inst
appearance as a lecturer in Nashville, the
audience being made up OF the best people
OF our city. The lecture was "The Ar
gOhauts of 49, and was about an hour and
a half in delivery. 1t was a finished pro-
duction, and was listened to attentivelv
throughout, but at least one-half the au-
dience were very much disappointed by
reason of their inability 10 hear the speak
er, although the Opera House has not been
heretofore complained of on account of its
acoustic properties.
Mr.. Harte was introduced by James B.
Craighead, Esq, who said that IN so doing,
he was merely following the custom which
prevails upon such occasions, as, though
not known personally to those present, the
famotss author and stoFy-teller Of the Ser
ras was not stranger to the people of
Nashville.
The lecturer gave, at the outset, some
very interesting particulars relative to the
settling Of California by the Adventures of
1919, whom he denomihated the Argo-
nauts, borrowing the name from the myth
illogical account of the ArgOnautic adven-
turers under Jason, who sailed in
search of the golden fleece. The
narrative, which was necessarily dis
connected, involved the recital OF the
rough and peculiar customs which grew
out of an association of men who, banded
together as they were in the search aud
struggle for gold, with no restraining influ-
ence Of statutory law before them, no So
cial refinement or feminine Establishments
to Offset or round of the rough angles Of
isolated manhood, Iapsed into state of
semi-barbarism. Yet, in spite Of all this,
the better features of sUciality apparently
predOminated, and common interest was
the means of showing up although in a
crude form, those strikingly good masculine
qualities which are so marked q character
iStic Of the sturdy pioneer. IL was cru
SADIE without cross, as the speaker ex-
pressed ii, whose influences were destined
to bequeath good and lasting results when
the actors themselves had passed away.
He spoke of the early California DAYS.
when the primevsl stiffness Of forest and
glade, mountain and valley, was unbroken
by the echo Of the settlers voice, and when
the animal denizens were startled only by
the onset of the Indian hunter, or their
own natural enemies. OF the manners
and customs of the settlers he had great
deal ~ say, both humorous and pathetic.
He's spoke of men who had seen better DAYS;
of some who had attended the colleges Offor-
eign lands, who had achieved a reputation
for scholarship and high responsibility in
social life, who yet not nnfrequently had
met each other in California engaged in
some mental capacity; having spent their
alI opd hoor dioanpniptaI IN tho roar,l, g..
gold, had 10 get what work they could TO
Keep from actually starving. A distin-
guished lawyer, for one, was glad enough
to make his first fee by carrying a passen-
gers baggage.
Society soon came TO be made up of the
fag-ends of all classes-fugitives from i'm
Fortunate creditors, from the officers of jus
tice, all come out to make a fortune in
shor. time, and, as they imagined, with
ease. Nor was it possible to tell from his
walk or conversation to what class a man
might rightfully belong, since some of the
best men had had bad antecedents,
and others unquestionably bad had had
the very best. There were two distinctive
classes, however, that wore high hats
gamblers and elergymen-though other
wise very dissimilar.
The spirit of gambling was apparently
an outgrOwth Of this rough vet cordial so
ciality, in which all classes seemed TO in
dulge. The staid man of business. tired
of legitimate gambling by day, sought the
gaming table at night as means of relay
alton. An instance was given of the fascj-
mating power Of this evil spirit over the
heart and soul of its devotees. A man
who had acquired considerable means had
written home tina. he would start Thereon
on given day. At the appointed time he
purchased his ticket, and in a few short
hours the vessel was 10 sail; but not CON-
tent to while away the time on
board, he Strolled back into the
city and ere long he found his way into a
gambling den. There he soon lost every
cent he had, and was obliged to remain.
for he could not think of returning home
af er having sent his family such
glowing accounts of his success
By bard work, and more frequent visits
10 the gaming table, he induced Fortune
again to smile upon him, and he began to
cherish the hope that soon he would be in a
condition to verify TO the ones at home
he statement first made. But the wife,
having become uneasy at his prolonged
abSen,e, determined to 20 to Cali
fornia in quest of him. She landed
at her destination penniless, bat was pro-
Viied temporarily 10y Mr.. John Oakhurst
with food aud shelter at one of the city hO- !
Lels. Then Mr.. OakmrSt visited the gam
bling ball which had been haunted by the |
and there found the latter Just as
he was about TO stake for third time the |
small winnings If two previous games, |
which, strange to say, had gone in his