Year: 1869

n D1SGUSI1NG SItIdI.--A correspondent
of the San Francisco Herald sends that pa
per the following:


Yesterday afternoon, the vast multitude
who had assembled to witness the final un-
ion of the Central and the Pacific Cont
mental Railroads, retired to their homes af-
ter the celebration leaving the Terminus
to its present scanty and floating popula-
ton. After the dispersement the Promon-
tories thought they would get up a cele-
bratlon on their own account; so the orgie
commenced last night and continued until
daylight this morning. If ever the desert
wilds were shocked with hideous howl
ing it was on this occasion Stentorian
shrieks, volumes of mighty oaths, drunken
reyels blasphemous eXclamations and the
most develish debauchery made up in part
pandemonium. The horse yell of the bor-
der ruffian; the soft, sweet voice of the de-
based and fallen woman; the song Of the
wretched gambler; the soothing sound of a
fiute the inspiring music of the violin,
and the dance of drunken sots were
the principal parts played in this
Desert Railroad opera. Let us not be
understood as saying that railroad men
took any part in this ogrie.. No indeed
On the contrary, we are glad to say that
we found the employees of both lines con-
Quoting themselves in the most orderly
manner, and worthy of the trust reposed
in them. The classes who make up rail
road life on the plains and deserts-life


that Is an abCmination in the sight of God
and man-are composed Of the rough off


scourings who for years have been roaming


over the country between the Missouri


river and the Sierra Nevadas, following a


life of robbery, plunder, drunkenness and


I u .lI>lar IL


and retail, mark their atrocities.


Following this class come the des-


peradoes who entered the Union army


as 'bounty jumpers" undoubtedly the


most accursed scoundrels that ever afflicted


any community. Then come the blood
thirsty roughs from the Missouri River
country, hundreds of whom were in the
Confederate army, and whose butcheries did


more harm than good to the F'lost cause. y
To these may be added the detestible and


villanious army of gamblers, thieves, and
roughs from all the great cities of the Re-
public Escaped offenders from the prison
and the penitentiaTy are well represented
Fallen women, alas, are but too numerous.


Yet there are many ''good and honest
people" but very avaricious, who live along
the line Of railroads, whose only ambition
on this earth is to make money. For this
the most holy aspirations of the soul, the
finest feelings Of the heart, all the sweet


and tender attributes Of human nature lie


withered and blasted. What astonisEes
the observer is the utter irreverence of the
people in general whom one meets in his
travels along the great continental high


way The name ofAlmighty God is never
heard except accompanied by mighty
OathS. t1ts=sZ


A LAD naTating a street fight in which
he had been engaged, said: ''Ill tell you
how it was You see, Bill and me went
down to the wharf to fish; and felt in my
pocket and found. my knife, and it was
gone; and [ said, Bill, you stole my
knife; and he said I was another; and [


said go there yourself; and he said it was
no such thing; and said he was liar


and could whip him if I was bigger'n
him; and he said he'd rock me to sleep,
mother; and [ said he was bigger one;


and he said I never had the measles; and I
said for him to fork over that knife, or I'd
! fix him for tombstone at Laurel Hill:


and he said my grandmother was no gen
tleman; and [ said he dursen't take it up


but he did, you bet; you never-wel, you


never did; then [ got up again, and he


tried to, but he didn't; and [ grabbed him


and throwed him down on the top of me
! like several bricks; and tell you it beat all


and so did he; and my little dog got be-
hind Bill and bit him, and Bill kicked at
the dog and the dog ran, and | ran after
the dog to fetch him back, and l didn't
catch him till I got clear home; and I'll


whip him more yet. Is my eye very black?'