The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1875-10-02
HOaO they LiVe IN California.

A letter from San Francisco to the Tribune,
after remarking upon the California Bank fail
ure and the prodigal expenditure of Ralston
| and other suddenly rich men, says This leads
me to remark that not even the prolific soil
and auspcious climate of California can main
tain on large scale or for long time the all.
prevailing extravaganza in expenditures which
here obtains. The whole scale oflivingi is pitch
ed too high while thatof work is pitched too low.
There are too many diamonds too many $500
gold watches, too many 5000 silk dresses, too
many horses for which $500 and upward have
been paid. My meaning may be more clear
when | state than in an extended tour from
the Mexican boundary to the British possess
sions, covering more than 5000 miles by land
| have seen less than so white men in the fields
at manual labor. A few l have seen driving a
reaper or team, but the agricultural hand labor,
in field and garden, like large share Of the
indoor work, is done by Chinese. At the same
time / have counted not less than so race
tracks, most of them with spectators stands
and appurtenances complete. Nowhere are the
women more eXpensively dressed. Theatres
thrive even in the least of towns. A liuuor
shop is the first place of business established
in any settlement, and is generally the best
fitted and patronized. Those of San Francisco
are the most snowy and costly in the country.
The practice of drinking seems to have fasten-
ed itself on all classes. No one, am told, can
DC eIecteo 10 any popular office who does not |
practice the habit of promscuous tipplng. 1t |
is said that one of Senator Jones' claims to the |
gratitude Of his constituents arises from his |
procuring the new twenty cent coin to be mint |
ed, and this enables gentleman to invite his |
friend to drink at the minimum rate. might |
add that the liquors drank are mostly from the |
East, though much of them from abroad, sngu
lar enough, the native wines and brandies be
ing neglected.
This is an indication Of the waste and prodi-
gality OF the country. There are plenty Of evil
dences en- all sides of this same indifference to
thrift A newspaper sells at five cents in the
streets of this city, but at ten elsewhere in the
State. Boot blacking is "bit." Car conduc-
tors return their tickets as change for % cents.
hack from steamer or depot to hotel is $3.50
and woe to the intrepid traveller who ventures
% lnsinuste that it is too much. In practice
i've and ten cent pieces about as scarce as
n New York, while of the bulky half dollars
here is a glut. Collections are made in stout u
,@nVas Dags, ana ones pockets ave loaded y
pecie payments to be afflicted With the semi T
,arbaric round disks of yellow and white metal
Known to our people as "double eagles" and
silver dollars. No country can be thoroughly
prosperous in which there is no small change.
We ought to be able to buy something with
penny. What is needed (not what is wanted)
here is sharper competition and closer
economy in small things. An infusion OF
hundred thousand of thrifty Germans or Scotch
would bring things down to wholesale level.
Time will soon bring it about.