The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-11-30


piece To our Book Of Fate. A few low
houses and many tents, such as they
were, covered the base Of SONS OF The
wind-swept treeless hills, over which
the June fog rolled in chilling mist
Deserted ships OF all sorts were swing.
ing with the tide. A crowd Of men
swarmed about what Is now Montgom-
cry Street, then the. mud shore of the
bay. II was Aladdin's old lamp, how
ever, homely rs IL seemed, and fortune
was there for those who had what nv
father used to call ga stomach for :
fight,' or for those who, born lucky.
succeeded by virtue OF the unknown
force 10 which we concede that term.
The mere landing Of the passengers
was problem. The crews who took
boats TO shore were pretty sure not TO
come back. The Ohio, Capt. Ap Gates
by Jones commanding, was there. Capt.
Jones very kindly invited me on board
70 remain until Mr.. Fremont should ar
rive, for had the disappointment Of
finding he was not yet here. Mr.. How
ard, wealthy merchant, had brought
out his boat, and l accepted his invita-
ton, as after SO much sea travel the
land was best for me.
There were then some three or four
regularly built houses in San Francisco.
representing the Hudson Bay and Rus
sian hide business; the rest were can
vas and blanket tents. Of course there
was no lumber there for building, and
there were not even trees to be cut
down; nor would any man have divert
ed his attention from the mines TO 90 TO
heuse-building. A little later, when
they found the hardships Of mining life
too great and the returns too uncertain,
the tide turned and many men came
back 10 make fortunes at steady work
in building up the town. Sixteen dol
lars a day was ordinary pay for carpen-
tiers. The young officers OF the army
and navy there used to lament to me
that their business was far less profifa-
bic. One of them turned TO profit his
having been on the Wilkes surveying
expedition, and made really great sum
Of money, by plotting in the thick in
coming fleet Of vessels of all sorts.
was taken to one of these houses,
which had been the residence Of Liedes- 4
dorff, the Russian Consul, who had re-
Gently died there. Ii was time Of won
dcrful contrasts. This was a well built
adobe house, one story high, with a
good veranda about il, and beautiful
garden kept in old-world order by a
scotch gardener. Luxuries Of every
Slnd were TO be had, but there were
wanting some neccssaries. Fine car
pets and fine furniture and fine Broad
wood piano, and no house-maid. The
,ne room with fireplace had been pre-
oared for my sleeping-room, and had
french furniture and no end of mirrors,
)ut lacked a fire.
The June winds were blowing, and
eli them the more from recent illness,
which had left the lungs, however, very
ensltiyc. There was no fuel proper;
ma little fagots Of brush-wood. broken
Ip good boxes, and sodden ends OF old
hip timber were all that could be had
The club Of wealthy merchants who
lad this house together had excellent
'hincse servants, but to make every
hing comfortable 10 me they added the
My woman that could be procured,
rho accepted temporary place OF
at two hundred and forty
ollars month and pcrquisites. One II
ne pcrquisites was the housing Of her
usband and children as well as herself.
he had been washer-woman 10 New
ork regiment, and was already the
lnndress Of these gentlemen. She was
ind enough 70 tell me that she liked
" clothes, and would take the pattern
certain dresses, and seemed to think
matter Of course that would let her
lrry of gowns and wraps to be copied
Y her drcss-maker, Chinaman. | de-
ined this as ciyilly as could. bu. the
suit was that she threw up the si;ua-
On.
The only really private house was one
'longing 10 young New Yorker, who
vi il shipped from home. house and
rnltnre complete double two-Story
anne house, which. when in place, was
ia TO have cost $4,000. AT this price.
in the absence Of timber and the alb
nee Of labor, il will be seen that It was
flicult 70 have any other shelter than a
mt. The bride for whose reception this
'usc was intended arrived Just before =
2, but lived only few weeks: the
dden and great changes Of climate
pm Our Northern weather into the
,pics, and from the tropics again into
rirs, harsh winds Of that season AT
~ Francisco, were too much for her.
en- with all the comforts Of her own
autilul home. At party given 10
'lcome her the whole force Of san
ancisco society came out, the ladies l6 =
number. IL
Visits IN the daytime were held a. n
lrked attention. | was told that
ime was worth fiffv dnllars /. minnie -
q that must hold as great compli-
mt the brief visits which were made
me constantly through the day by
~ men.
There was not only gold 10 be had nj
mines, but golden shower was
ling for whoever had wit to catch IL.
card Of many marvellous strokes Of
tune, which caused elevated eve