New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-04
MIR. BRET HARTE'S FIRST LECTURE
IN LONDON.
THE ARGONAUTs OF 40.


Mr.. Bret Harte delivered his first lecture in Lon
don last night at the Steinway Han ON Inc Argo-
nauts of 40" before a distinguished audience. VINO
were as much interested in the lecturer a IN the
lecture. The ATg0uauts referred To by Mr. Bret
Harte were the DISCOVERIES of the gold mines Of tie
Western Sierras and California was their COlchis.
He drew with a masters hand a picture of the Dig
gel and gambler life which his literary sketches
have made so well known, and the lecture was In
terspersed with poetical descriptions of the snow
clad hills of the interior or OF the golden city OF San
Francisco, and with quaint and laughable anecdotes
told in the quiet, unconditional American tone when
prefers suggestion by studied retlcence 10 explicit
expression. The complete seriousness OF manner ~
one famous American humcrlst who has lectnred
i'm London was not, however, attempted; occasion
ally Mr. Bret Harte, when he was making the
point he had led up 10, permitted himself 10 smile.
He is a tall slender man, OF distinguished appear
ance with hair slightly grzzed. The lecture
lasted an hour aud ten minutes, and was prefaeed
by the that 1t was not all pretty, nos
instructive, perhaps not even true
briefly dismissed mendacIOus and every river
they thought they had discovered was claimed FOR
n Yankee bark from Boston. Salt Lake Cry sup
piled a resting place for the Argonauts from tho
last, and they had so little confidence IN the suc.
cess of their mission that one OF them SAID
that the sluice-bOXes which they carried 10
wash the gold would. in the event Of i'll
success, make irst-class collins. They fell on
strange fates, and exile revealed to them unsus-
pected capacities. The lecturer was attended az o
restaurant by a waiter who bore \ strange Ie-
semblance to O person he had alwags admired as
the model of refined good breeding. NJ. caring TO
revover-Mr. Harte had inquired of the Proprietor
of the hotel whether the waiter was rot IN fact a
person who in the East mad filled a much higher
position The landlord confirmed the suspi
cion and added that his servants
command of language often beguiled the
visitor who was waiting for plat delayed Tho
varied capabilities of these early emgrants de-
pended on their character; but what their charac'
Ter was he had rather not say. Some had lett be-
hind them wives and families. some Of them had
lett behind them officers Of the Law. deplorng
their absence But their past was no clew to tn"ii
future L" The boys seem tn have taken fresh deal
all round" observed noted gambler 10 Alr. Hare;
and the gambler was himself an illustration. lie
came of family who would not touch cards be-
cause they held such things too trilng and anus
ing but might, perhaps. have been converted ~
the remark their descendant made on rising n
$4,000 after ten minutes play, To think there y
folks as believes that keards is waste OF time y In
San Francisco III those early DAYS eyerybody piagedi
and when gambler died at tie table and three
doctors who happened to be there examined hin
and pronounced that the cause OF death was disease
| of the heart, the coroner, who Was accidentally
present, empanelled jury from the other p,rrrs.
who returned verdict IN accordance with the evl'
| dence and went on with the game.
Female society was so scarce that even a gratuI-
| tcusly ugly face followed by admirers 4 mar
ried captains wife was escorted home from ball
by every officer in the garrison, and observed that
now at length she understood the meaning Of tho
expression the pleasure OF your company When
a baby cried in the theatre everybody shouted En-
core" The miner lived wilder life upon the hills.
For clothes his chief reliance the ealsack
that robed his outer after It had nourshed his inner
cans he met the native upon the common footing
of beans. He was generous to fault. he saul
tary" subscription. by which North and South bene-
fitted alike was started IN California bar " IL i
rough upon those poor fellows am sorry for them"
How much are you sorry !" " -Four hundred dol
lars" The next man gave Fl 900 IN bali an hour
donations of 900 were telegTaphed 10 Washing
ton. and the total subscription of California was
$4,000 900 gold. The miners wcrc above all. faith
full to their partners. and loved them with love
passing that of women Ii was dangerous Ia inter
fere in partners quaTrels. and stranger at
bar, who had not, so far as he knew, gwen offence
TO any person pres nj, suddenly found himself upon
the floor aud n tall kentuckian standing over aim
with his revolver out. When the tall gentleman
courteonsly asked for an explanation he sand:
" amt nothing against the stranger myself but he
said something Just now against Quakers. and want
him to understand that my partner is Quaker and
The Argonauts were not prone to sentimental
isms. although they knew what home sickness was
and when they dealt IN sarcasm their lnnuendo was
grim and striking Lynch law determined that
DEMONSTRATING should be punished by death; but
| once jury took several minutes after retiring 10
consider their verdict perhaps from humanity. per-
haps because there had In consequence of the TigOr
of the law been great mortality among the male
population. The leader of the crowd put his head
the gentlemen but they wanted that room to lay
Dir. Bret Harfe traced to California such now
worldwide slang as dry up" played out" take
stock" and passing in Your checks" miner
said of "a forcbe sermon that the preacher seemed
TO him to have taken every trek y; on the other
hand, teamster, blamed for his intempeate Lam
guage, observed. - don't call that swearing. You
shold hear Bill Jones exhort the i'm peni,ent mule
barman after night In which pistol shots had
freely punctuated the village revery, appeared in
the morning with his face bound mp. but with 4
very happy expression, and observed that the bar
new, and that it osly the previous even
ing that the BOYS seemed TO be getting really ac-
quainted" The last head of the lecture related 20
the Heather Chinee," the mention of whose namo
was met by round Of applause. THIS part OF q .
discourse described the injuries the Chnaman su.-
fers IN California. and the persistent way In wheel
be nevertheless attans his ends. chatting aiaty -
Custom House officer from bis seat on char Il
hollow legs of which are stuffed with smuggit,.
brother Celestial to cheat the collectors of The ro
tax. The Californans are indignant with the Chi-
nese for practising tho vices OF American olyihzs'
tion but in time the Argo will SAL! into tho lllef
| day.