Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-09-02
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF rHE
TIMES"

1
though for long time predicted,
by many, who do not believe in
the wholesale power which one
man, or one set of men, have so
long exercised in our community,
still found us unprepared for it.
The first rumors were not credited,
and even after the Bank closed,
which it did only a short time
before its usual hour for closing,
every one thought it would surely
open again in the morning, and
rested in expectancy. The morn
ing brought no help, however, and
the fever of anxiety increased until
noon, when the excitement began
to abate, to be aroused again by
the death of Ralston.
What a commentary; what o
lesson. Not one of the reputed
millionaires but stood COMPOUNDED
felt that the finger Of destiny was
pointing, perhaps. towards them,
and the moneyed power seemed
shaken, as if q moral earthQ uake
had overtaken it. It has been a
terrible lesson; but nothing but
the terrible can reach the mass Of
infamy which has polluted some
| of the marts of California, and
even this lesson may not be suf-
fcient.
Ralston, q man of generous inn
pulses, of noble instincts, has been
the first; who shall be the next?
is the question. Not one as gen.
erous; not one as noble. We have
none among the leaders; not one,
who. in his thirst for power, has
stretched out his hand and done as
much towards developing the
wealth of California; and yet that
love of power became his ruin.
Whether his death was intentional
will, perhaps, never be proved.
Coming from the meeting Of that
Board, who refused any longer to
believe in him, Notwithstanding his
desire and belief in his power to
make the loss less disastrous; not
outstanding all his private prop
erty had been made over to the
Bank, his family even removed
from their home and placed with
relatives, that not one dollar be-
longing to the Bank should seem
to be appropriated by him; nothing
but the idea of his incapacity was
felt, by his fellow directors tow
ards him; and, broken-hearted,
crazed almost, was it wonderful
that he fed towards that element
which had seemed before to give
him strength, to combat the dread
life he must long have felt to have
been around him. Was it wonder
full that proved treacherous also,
the natural law of reaction crOwding
too much blood to the brain, and
destroying life.
Whether this was the case or not,
the act was suicidal. This rush, in
his heated state, to the water, ending
| in death. But who shall say that
reason had not given way, at that
act of the committee, and who shall
say that those men. sitting in cool
ness of blood, in judgment upon
him, were not as accountable as he ?
That Ralston, in his efforts to
right the depositors, and help the
stockholders, would have worked
till he killed himself. few have the
least doubt, but whether these cool
directors, worth their millions, as
some of them have, will do as much
remains to be proved. They are
honorable men, very honorable
men; they don't risk money reck-
lessly; they don't build factories, or
extend themselves in any way pre-
judicial to their own we'll being,
perhaps, but the want of sympathy
extended to Ralston may yet be
felt by them, and in this good deal
of feeling in the community is now
against them.
| But Ralston is at rest; and those
who come after have yet to prove
themselves more strong than he.
The effects of the failure of the
Bank are yet TO be made known.
The winter of California fortunately
favors us. There is no Frost Kings
power to dread, and the cry among
the wiser part of the community is,
il the effect of the withdrawal of tho
power Of the Bank Of California
could end the missing stock market,
we would willingly lose our share
of its benefits, and take the con-
sequences; but that will probably
recuperate. 1t Is an excellent time
to buy now, is the cry: but money
is locked up, and the brokers hang
idle and listless, waiting for the
panic to subside, and the business
recommends in all its vigor.
Soon enough for our taste. Cali
fornia street loafers will hang about
the stock boards, smoke their
cigars, and squirt their tobacco juice
on the pavement, polluting the
breath Of the morning even, with
fumes of whisky, and talk about
California, its wonderful mining re-
sources they are spending their lives
to develope, varying the monotony
with tales Of their amours with this
beautiful woman or that who crosses
the pave, how she has been helped
to become rich, and wear diamonds,
through the stock advices she has
received from this stock manipulation
or that, proving themselves at each
breath almost disgrace to the CIVIL