The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1885-06-17
CALIFORNIA IN ITS GOLDEN DAYS.

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There has been no more interesting and
picturesque period of our national life
than that which followed the discovery Of
gold on the Pacific Coast. The wild rush
of fortune seekers, the startling rapidity
with which wealth was gained by some,
the rapid alterations of prosperity and
poverty passed through by others, the
hasty forming Of great camps and their as
hasty desertion, the strange fascination OF
the hunt for gold, the recklessness and
crimes and adventures of the pioneers,
have furnished splendid material for the
romancist and historian From volume
just published, Mr.. Charles Howard
Shinn's Mining Camps, 1--WE select few
passages illustrative Of those early times
and manners.
MINING CAMP IN 40.
"The mines put all men for once upon o
level. Clothes, money, manners, family
connections, letters Of introduction, never
before counted for so little. The whole
community was given substantially an
even start in the race. Gold was so abun-
dant, and Its sources seemed for time so
inexhaustible, that the aggrandizing pow
er Of wealth was momentarily annihilated.
Social and financial inequalities between
man and man were together swept out or
sight. Each stranger was welcomed, told
to take pan and pick, and go TO work for
himself. The richest miner In the camp
was seldom able to hire servant; those
who had formerly been glad to serve
others were digging In their own claims.
The veriest greenhorn was as likely TO un-
cover the Richest mine on the gulch as
was the wisest Of ex-professors Of geology;
and, on the other hand, the best claim
on the river might suddenly give out
est man In the camp could have hand
full Of Rold-dust for the asking from more
successful nsighbor TO give him another
start, and help rim hunt for better luck
No one was ever allowed to suffer; the
treasure-vaults Of the Sierra were too near,
and seemingly too exhaustless.
"To little camp Of 1S48 $50 an old min
er writes mel q lad OF sixteen came one
day, footsore, weary, hungry, and pen:
niless. There were thirty robust and
cheerful minersat work In the ravine and
the lad sat on the bank, watching them
awhile In silence, his face telling the sad
story OF his fortunes AT last one stalwart
miner spoke TO his fellows, saying:
:" Boys, III work an hour for that chap
SAt the end Of the hour hundred dol
lnrs' worth Of gold-dust was laid In the
youths handkerchief. The miners made
out list Of tools and necessaries.
"'You co. they said, and buy these,
and come back. Well have a good claim
staked out for you; Then you've got to
unconventional was the hospitality OF the
miners camp"
PRIMITIVE HONESTY.
"Men have told me that they have
known M much as wash-basin full OF
gold-dust to be left on the table, In an open
tent, while the owners were ut work in their
claim a mile distant. or course this con-
ditlon OF affairs was partly due to the ease
of acquiring gold. Men, In some cases,
pulled up punches OF grass from the gul-
ches and hillsides, shaking them Into
buckets, thus obtaining many pounds OF
gold; one miner gathered $4,000 thus In
1--we weeks OF work. Another miner
cleaned up $4,000 In one days labor with
pan and pick Certainly II was easier to
earn money than TO steal II, but II was In
finitely safer also. In later days for a
man to be caught sluice-robbing was TO
miners Of claim or tent. For the criminal
ity Of theft was brought squarely home to
each mans conscience, and TO the entire
community. Considering all the circum-
stances, q man capable OF stealing from
his comrades in these busy, friendly camps,
was hopelessly hardened, was capable OF
all the crimes OF the decalogue."
MINERS REVERENCE FOR GOOD WOMEN.
"Society was masculine, and most OF
the men were under forty. In the spring
OF lS49 there were but fifteen women In
San Francisco. AS one writer says,
Women were queens, children were
angels Bearded and weather-bronzed
miners stood for hours In the street TO get
glimpse Of a child at play. At little
laIer period there were plenty OF women
who were vile libels on their sex, but the
reverence that Californians OF the gold
era paid to respectable women has re-
ceived a tribute Of admirinR praise from
all observers. Men often Travelled miles
to welcome the first real lady In camp. A
New England youth OF seventeen once
rode thirty-five miles after a weeks hard
work In his fathers claim, TO see miners
wife who had arrived In an adjoining dis
trict. Because, he said, / wanted 10 see
homelike lady; and, father, do you
know she sewed button on for me, and
told mo not TO gamble and not to drink.
1t sounded Just like mother
DESERTED CAMP.
"The saddest Of all possible sights In
the mining region is where there are not
even half dozen miners TO keep each
other company, but where, solitary and In
desolation, the last miner clings to his
former haunts He cooks his lonesome
meals in the wrecked and rotten hotel
where quarter Of century before, then
young, gay, prosperous, and In his prime,
he had tossed the reins OF his livery team
to the obsequious servant, and played bill
lizards with the boys, and passed the hat
for q collection TO build the first church (;
he sharpens his battered pick at little
forge under q tree on which he helped
hang the Mexican who had stabbed Sailor
Bill (how famous Bill was for songs and
hornpipes In the FL Dorado saloon, whose
rootless posts slant In the yielding earth D {;
he looks down In the canon where vines
and trees hide all but the crumbllng
chimney OF the house where the Rose OF
the Camp lived, sweetening their lives
with glimpse Of her girlish grace and
purity as she tripped over the long bridge
TO the little sch0olhouse, and waved her
pretty hand TO her friends toiling waist
deep In their claims. But that was long
ago; she married and went to Europe, and
Is famous, he has heard now the bridge
has fallen into the torrent, and snow
storms have shattered the schoolhouse,
and the end Of the story Is very near"
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