Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-04-18
H GOLDEN STATE.
It I. a Marvel in More ways Than One.

1t Is a Marvel in More Ways Than One.
In no part of fertilization ave Cali
fornia does the prize fight find tolera-
ton. In Europe it was never known
outside of Great Britain, and in this
one spot it was some years ago abol-
ished by law. Even in the South;
where personal contests with pistol and
knife have been recognized, or at least
tolerated, the contests of fists IN the
ring have never had a habitat. Call
fornia stands alone in the two hemls-
pLeres as the patron Of the prize tight.
That this state should be SO excep-
tional in this II particular is not to be
wondered at when the origin, history
and composition of the State are taken
into consideration. 1t has been excep-
tional throughout. 1t was discovered
many years before Virginia or New
York, although these provinces were on
a direct line to the route Of 1.-THE Spanish
discoveries. Lying On the opposite side
OF the continent, it was al irregularlty
in its being reached long in advance OF
other regions.
Tt was first inhabited by Indians,
then 10y Spanish monks, and it's first
forms of government We're established
and administered by Jesuits. 1t was
once IL Spanish power, then q Mexican,
and after many changes in local gov
eminent came into the possession OF the
United States. To-day there is hardly
a city or county in the State that has a
name of Anglo-SaXon origin. Spanish
and indian names abound in the no
mencIature of this curious province. 1t
was settled nearly two centuries be-
fore the fact was discovered that it was
the richest go!d-bearing district in the
world. When the revelations OF 1S49
were made, the souls of Cortez and
others Of the Spanish robbers that
secured the American coasts for gold
must have been wrung with agony ovel
their failure to find the great treasure
box OF nature.
Exceptional in being almost ~valueless
o rtwo centuries aud then in an houl
leaping to the very front, through its
mineral wealth, it is equally anomalous
in everything else, in its canons. its
mighty trees, in its varieties Of climate
the diversity Of its productions, and it;
populations of Chinese. Indians. and &C
cessions from all the nations of the
earth. Six times has it's principal city
been destroyed by fire; for a long time
it was the greatest gambling center O
the world; it was uptorn by violence
without a parallel in it's severity.
During the war it held itself a!oo
from the contest. and assumed the par
Of all independent State, refusing to re
ceive the money Of the government o.
to contribute any considerable supper
i'll men i'll the cause of the Union. 1t i
the soil in which fourished. Broderick
Terry. Laura Fair, the Sand-Lotters
Kalloch, and other notables withou
limit. II has had more murders. foods
lynchings. fires AID earthquakes tina,
any other State in the Union.
In view of all these exceptional de
velopments in the history of this state
is it at all wonderful thatit perpetrate'
the eccentricity OF being the sole coun
try i'll civilization in which scientifi.
bruising receives recognition? 1t is OF
a par with, it is . harmonious portion
of, an existence which is dissjmilm to al
p~recedents, and unlike anything else ii
the growth Of other communities.
Possibly the love and encouragement
of pugilism, the eagerness to see two
men maui and bruise each other, ar
the outgrowth Of the Spanish elemen;
in the California blood, which enjoys
the bull-ight and thrills with savage
JOY at the sight of gore. The variou:
athletic clubs Of California are the
arenas, the Plaza de toros Of Spanish
taste for amusement, and the bull
necked fighters answer for both the
wild brutes and their antagonists
Dempsey and others of his kind arr
substitutes both for the bulls, the plea
doris and matodores Of the Spanish
arena.