Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-06

This prophet in this way did good busi-
ness He attracted much notice. and had all
he could do as prophet for several weeks.
Many Oakland people were frightened,
especially as Virgins, the great intellectual
| Sahara Of the prophet industry. also pro-
| phesied a high wave which would rise at
least above the bills at the Pacific Hotel in
San Francisco. With the aid of these two
general, middIe-weight prophets, was en-
abled to secure some good bargains in corner
lots and improved property in Oakland at 10
per cent of the estimated value. In other
words, I am putting my limited powers as a
prophet against those of Prof. Virgins, the
painstaking and gifted ass OF Canada, and
and bicycle prophet of the Pacific slope. I
am willing to stand or fall by the result.
WHY HE DON'T PRoPHEsY.
tention in this country, mostly because 1
have been too busy with other things Also
because there was so little prophesying to
be done that did not care to take hold of
the industry; but 1 have ever been ready to
purchase at a great discount the desirable
residences of those who contemplated a gen.
eral collapse of the universe, or a tidal
wave which would wipe out the general
government and cover with placid sea the
mighty republic which nature has hereto
fore, for some reason, smiled upon. 1 have
secured some good trades in downtown
property, and will await the coming devas.
tation with calm and entirely unruffled
breast.
California at this season of the year is
miracle of beauty, as most every one knows.
Nature heightens the effect for the tender
foot bv compelling him to cross the Alpine
heights of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and
freeze to death in the cold heart of snow
blockade. Thus, weather beaten and sore,
he reaches the rolling green hills and is
greeted with the rich odor OF violets. l SUBJ
mitted to tie insults of tottering monopoly
for a week, in the heart of the winter, and,
tired and sick at soul, with chilblains on
feet and liniment ON my other lineaments,
burst forth one bright morning into this
realm of eternal summer. The birds sang
in my frozen bosom. I shed the gunnysack
wraps from my tender feet even as a butter
fly or tramp bursts his hull in the spring.
time, and laughed two or three coarse, out
door laughs, which shook the balmy
branches of the tall pomegranate trees and
twittered in the dense foliage of the mag
nolia.
THE RAILROADS POLICY.
The railroad was very kind to us at first.
That was when we were buying our tickets.
Later on it became more harsh and re-
preached us at times. Conductors woke us
up two or three times in the night to gaze
fondly on our tickets and look as if they
were sorry they ever parted with them. On
the Central Pacific passengers are not per-
mitted to give their tickets to the porter on
retiring. You must wake up and converse
with the conductor at all hours of the night,
and hold lantern for him while he slowly
ont ha bor I'd ,rorIc nu vnur tineaf
did not like this, and several times mur-
INJURED in querulousd dDne to the conductor.
But he did not mind it. He went on doing
the behests of his employer, and in that way
endearing himself to the great adversary of
souls.
1 said to an official Of the road: "Do you
not think this is the worst managed road in
the United States-always excepting the
Western North Carolina Railroad, which is
an incorporated insult to humanity?'
We'll, that depends, OF course. he said,
"on what standpoint from which you view
it. Well, if you were irving to divert
travel to the Southern Pacific, also the roll
ing stock, the good will, the culverts, the
dividends, the frogs, the snow sheds, the
right of way and the new laid train figs,
everything except the first, second and third
mortgages, which would naturally revert to
the Government, would you not think we
were managing the business with steady
hand and watchful eye?"
said certainly would. I then wrang
his hand softly and stole away, as he also
began to do the same thing.
CULTIvATING THE PIUTES.
At Reno we had day or two in which to
observe the city from the car platform while
waiting for the blockade to be raised. We
could not go away from the train more than
500 feet for it might start at any moment.
That is one beauty about a snow blockade.
1t entities you to stop over, but you must
be ready to hop on when the train starts. I
improved the time by cultivating the ac-
quaintance of the beautiful and picturesque
outcasts known as the Piute Indians. They
are quiet, reserved set of people, who. by
saying nothing, sometimes obtain q reputa-
ton for deep thought. I always envy any
body who can do that. Such men make
good Presidential candidates. Candidates,
say, mind you. The time has come in this
country when it is hard to uuire good quali-
fcations as a candidate with the necessary
qualities for successful official
The Piute in March or ADril does not 90
down cellar and bring up his gladiola or re-
move the banking from the side oil his villa.
He does not mulch the asparagus bed or
ryu N a the ME plant or rake the front ward