Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-12-26
NO. L.
CALIFORNIA EXTRAyAGiNCE.
How A Californian LiveS---His Dwell.
ing. Table and Dress.

I
/ ing. Table and Dress.
| Of all the people the most extrava-
CANT are the Californlans. They not
only spend more absolutely because
they earn more, but they spend more
relatively. The great motive of econu-
! my-fear of the future-is much weak
er here than elsewhere. A large part
of the population are solitary men, who
think that no matter what pecuniary
loss may overtake them, they can al
ways earn a living and soon accumulate
a little money again. Povery is not
accompanied by the same privations or
the same social discredit here as in
older communities. The Californian
who has conducted himself as a gentle
man knows that many of his old
mis- friends when he was prosperous,
will give him aid IN his need. 1t is not
in them to turn their backs; sentiment
and custom require them to be gener-
Gus. The frequency of the great and
sudden changes from poverty to wealth
and from wealth to poverty breeds a
feeling of obligation to one another.
Many unfortunates do not get the bene-
fit of this mutual helpfulness, but others
do, and it influences the general mode
of life.
The tendency of the business of Cali
fornia towards speculation has the effect
of stimulating people to immediate en-
joyment. Before the completion of
the telegraph across the continent mer-
chandising was of large risks and sud-
den turns. A few weeks might see
change from a scarcity to glut, or from
glut to scarcity. There was no
regularity in prices or supplies. After
the opening of the Comstock lode, the
shares were thrown into the San Fran
cisco market, and by their remarkable
fluctuations, became its most remark
able feature. The rapid rise in city
lots and agricultural lands, under the
influence of great additions to the pop
ulation, added to the fondness for bold
pecunlary ventures. Never did any
country offer bats SO numerous or so
seductive to the gambling appetite,
which is strong in human nature, and
usually breaks out strongly wherever
it has a chance. A government that
does prohibit lotteries and gam bling
games-even those conducted honestly,
as many have been, on the principle of
giving only fifty cents or seventy-fve
cents in return for Sis justly cOnsid-
cred an accomplice in the improverish-
ment of the people.
The spirit of 40 has died out. Many
of those who were here in the flush era
of the early placer mining have not freed
themselves from its influence. Our 10
cal experience has proved that nothing
does SO ruin men generally ae n euddcn
change to high wages. There never was
a more eXtravagant, wasteful and dis
sipated set of men than the placer min
ers. They who had been sober and in
dustrious, and had saved money when
they earned $40 month, before COM
ing to California, became idle and
earned 5000. They spent as fast as they
made their money. This was not the
universal rule, but the custom was
more common than elsewhere. Power
ty is the mother of economy. The
barren soil of Scotland and New Eng
land, and the pitiful little farms of
France are the best breeding places for
thrift. Wellington said that a French
army could subsist in comfort, and
Spanish army in luxury, with supplies
on which an English army would starve.
The evidences of California extrava-
gance are to be seen on every side.
The dwellings, furniture, tables and
dress of the people indicate very liberal
expenditure. San Francisco has the
reputation of buying the most costly
wines, cigars and silks. A saying, not
deserving to be dignifed as a proverb,
declares that New York dresses better
than Paris, and San Francisco better
than New York" The magnificent
hotels and the palaces of dozen mil
lionairts are unsurpassed if equalled,
by anything short of royalty in the lux
ury of their appointments. There Is
large demand for the best tina: can be
had. California consumes 10000 dozen
of sparkling wine annually, and the
Atlantic slope with fifty times as many
people, does not consume seven times
as much champagne. California uses
sixty pounds of sugar to the person In
a year, the Atlantic slope twenty-five,
Great Britain forty, France twenty, ten
in this state, and seven In the other
States. vi Ted, G1e tFtloSc ScIliOl
nian drinks six pounds in twelvemonth
the other American two, the Britain
four, the Frenchman and Italian less
than quarter of pound. The fig
ures OF the consumption of many other
articles of comfort and luxury are in
complete, large proportion of our i'm,
ports coming through New York and
paying duty there, and being forward
ed to California under circumstances
that leave no opportunity to ascertain
their value or amount. Though it con-
sumes largely of foreign goods imported
at New York, with one-fftieth of the
population, it pays one-thirtieth of the
customs at San Francisco, and the av-
erage consumption of foreign products
is at least twice as great as on the At
lantic. The extravaganza of which we
have spoken is not confined to few; it
is characteristic of the community gen.
orally, and it is worse, relatively, among
the poor than the rich. Many OF the
wealthy families owe their wealth to
simplicity of life more than to large
gains.