The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-30
rcTA ABLISHED AUGUST "A, 1852.

ry, especially the Sound country, which,
after the crop failures OF 1S75-7G here, at
tracted many OF the nomadic spirits, who
"never are, but always to be blest."
An intelligent man said tomeBince I have
been here that gold had been curse to
California; that II had brought nomads
into the State-the mostrestless population
in the Union-people who did not know
the value Of dollar as the measure and
reward OF labor, patience and self-denial.
They were like that typical Chicago man
OF early davs who said, d-n your price,
what's your time" The slow gains ol
normal industry have been despised. They
are only now getting well OF the gold fever
and the craze for sudden riches. They be.
gin to ''see men as trees walking" as
respects the future They are literally
treading the wine press Of disappointed
hopes and arising to q newness Of life.
Mining tools are being beaten at last into
plow shares and pruning hooks, and the
people have set their energies to seek Tor
that philosophers stone that ia imbedded
in the furrows Of the grain fields and the
vineyards.
With only six people TO the square mile,
and the half OF these in the cities and towns
OF the State, California raised last year 32,.
100000 bushels OF wheat, 100000 Of bar.
ley, 100000 pounds OF wool, and made
10000, 900 gallons Of wine, beside raising
millions OF dollars worth Of fruit, vegeta.
bles and live stock. This Is an earnest Of
her future. She also dug $50, 100000 OF
gold and silver, OF which five-sixths was
gold. On this basis Of realities and prob.
abilities she Is now growing steadily and
healthfully in proportion.
THE "eTRoNG box"
Mr.. Lincoln said that California was the
''stropg box" of the Government during
the war. And SO indeed she was. The
gold product Of the Pacific coast, since the
discovery Of gold in 1s48, has been over
two billions. The combined gold and sil-
yer product has been nearly l,penty.sir hun.
hundred millions, or about twice the present
national debt. Upon this corner stone we
safely built greenback edifce. All this
treasure was discovered and unearthed Just
at the right time for the cause ot the Union.
It was one OF the links in the chain of
providences predestined for the salvation
OF the Government. Itcame up in the nick
of time, as Blucher came up at the battle Of
Waterloo.
The story Of California reads like chap
ter Of special proyidences and it is no won.
der that some people are Calyanists, be-
lieving in the pre-arragngement Of things
in the beginning ''or ever the earth was"
It dates back 10 the acquisition of Texas by
the slavery propagaDdlsts. That acquisition
brought on the Mexican war; the Mexican
war resulted in the acquisition Of Cali.
fornia; the admission Of California brought
on the terrific agitation OF the Union ques-
ton in 1850; that agitation brought out
Webster, Clay aud Bsnton, and thereby
the people were educated and prepared for
the still more terrific agitation OF 1860, aad
the denouement. that followed, and
slavery and secession were finally and for
ever hoisted by their own petard when
California poured her mine ofgold into the
colfsrs Of the government. A. W. C.