Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-18
HE FORTY MINERS


VAGARIES OF THE MEN WHO TOOK
CALIFORNIA AT THE FLOOD.
They Were Not Ruff,ans, but We're Merely
Eebening Against Shams and Conven-
tionaIism-They Reveled in Freedom and
Were Like Unrestrained School Boys.
When the men of 10 came to California
they were suddenly cut eff from many of the
habits, usages and customs OF the older com
munities in which Shey had been born and
bred Theyfound themselves among a new
set OF neighbers from many countries who
had in similar manner been SO cut off. All
had been turned out OF rats OF thought which
had existed for generations, and nnto which
old communities always settle
The literary men of old countries can write
Gullness and rehash of other mems thoughts
for generations before they ara found out
Children are taught directly or indirectly to
regard with reverence the ernanations Of
some semi foskiEzed brain, although in such
ernanaEfons they ere neither interested nor
| amused. But theymn know certain things,
or pretend to know them or admire them, and
why' Because they would be cali ignorant
if they did hot.
New, when men are turned loose In such q
grea7 pasture as was California thirty nine
years ago and find themselves even for a
short time beyond the dictation of colleges
and universities and B. As and LIDS,
| there comes a tendency on their part to kick
the intellectual sense.
FREEDOM IN TALK AND DRESS.
They seem infected with the wild, unsub-
dued nature around them and In their first
sense of freedom they do many wild, gro
tesque and even improper things. That is
why your ancestors, the srgOnauts, gave such
dreadful names to these towns-s,ch as
"Hangtown,n 'Murderers' Bar" 'Shirtaa
Canyon and the Ike 1t was a reaction
from the pre1entaous tyle SO long practiced in
the eastern states and older countries. The
tendency to cal1 some one horse tOwn-Rome,
or Athens, or hhaca-nanrs generally sug-
gested by some village literary ponIposity,
too, shows his Classical education Revealing
in their freedom tho gonaifts In the earlier
days invented WITHIN couple Of years new
set OF terms, almost a now language, bred out
Of the country itself and the new conditions
and modes of Efe above thein-such as
s'Panned out, !" Glue W. the hume, u Broke, I"
{ 'sStrapped, , Busted zsnd "Petered out
Men liked to5talhinpro and in en- out
1andish fashion, because in thepolder states
the school1naseer's rod first and the rod Of
popular opinion afseTward had been so long
held over them, 70 make them taIk properly.
They have been made so TO do in SO far as
they did not out of love, but fear, and any
thing learned out Of fesr VIII be rejected af-
tervxard for a tinre, even though it be a good
thing II is a luxury for a boy to wade
through mud puddle and, soil his clothes
when at home he has been from first to last
licked into clean. garments, and the first and
last thought associated with pair of clean
pantaloons is his mother S Shreat that if be soils
them he viii be punished: California gave her
first settlers liberty to dress. talk and act in
manF-th1ngs about as they pleased OF course
when men first have liberty in anything they
are apt to abuse it, or rather make bad use
of it. But liberty they've got to have some
time or other before they can leecn to make a
proper use Of it, You can't make an expert
horseman unsess you give him full liberty
with the horse That is a very shaky kind Of
goodness or virtue which always does the
commemorate thing because some one else
says it is the thing TO do. That kind of good
ness is very often deep down in the depths
wanting to do the forbidden thing, but not
daring to dc it for lack of opportunity.
Many Of your solid citizens of today, pill
lars of Church, state and society, during
their earlier years in California went for
things forbidden in the older states 'sfia.
fo,- tt,s.f for
faro. for monte, for the bar-for anything
and every thing which the New England Sun
day school said was wToug. They went and
saw, and tried and tasted, and drank TO the
dregs, and found the cup bitter, and the &C
count, when footed up in the ledger of
health, to be losing one, and being men Of
Judgment balance end common sense, they
put away ne EVIL :i,ing once and for
ever. having satisfied. themselves out of their
own experience that the evil thing did not
nay, and they really wanted no more Of it.
They could then pass tina gilded portals Of
danger without caring to go in, and that is
probably more than ever they could lave
done had they Remained in the older states
and trod nearly the Same path their fathers
trod
TIE MORAL II IT.
/ believe thoroughly that it is far better
for one to sin and sin in good earnest 50 as to
know the evil that comes of 10 than not TO sin
and yet have always covert desire 10 do 50.
Some of our very good girls and boys, both
Of smaller as1d larger growths, cevet great
deal They vuad dare tel no Ure, hardly
themselves The result is, 7 Imagine, that
they may keep 6ncoveting and live covetlng
and die coveting and 50 % glory coveting,
and if it DO true That there no thing can be
hid. and ''even TO the teeth and forehead Of
our faults we must give In evidences against
ourselves we may have some difficulty in
getting within the gciden gates and getting
our checks cashed at the bank Of eternal
happiness.
But this S. t,anser-that' the Old seasoned
argona.ft whofsas seen for himself and tried
for hmsah need not fear.
In other words the 'forty-niners had a
better chance 20 be natural than instlM older
Communities. It fr1ay m some cases have
been a disorder1y Find Of nstsra,pesS but
vas 1t not better fcaI no raturaile.s at ALI
Brown Of 9uoturnne; used % say at times,
az do wish could lie consistently and per-
sistsrtly. Alasi carrsot. The truth viii
fall out OF my mouth At times irrspite Of all
my effortsto prevent il, and at the very time
ii most hurts ny business"
There was a noble hosses1y In this You
dread man far less when be says TO ypu, II
am thief viii sfeal at times / can't
help it, ~Yo1 mist be On guard against me-"
Sucha snas, bangs out Es sign and gives
you a chance sognsrd yourself against him.
Isn't 10 preferable 60 the cautious sneak
tricntsr-tts man who fosrifaes himself in
an ofics and rSibB taAiAa an IRON grazing,
and By the Cd If fsyss -rerverted 70 wong