Year: 1875




cloth and ashes, Lent is not we'll
kept; but if the gaily-dressed,
laughing-faced girls, and women,
who answer to the call of the
church bell, and find their way
into pews to bow their heads, is
any criterion, there is no mistake
about it, Lent is upon us. Business
men in the churches are rare; but
then somebody has to work, to
keep the debt paid off these edi-
fees. or once in a while some of
them would be found under the
hammer; and as part of a Chris
tian's duty is undoubtedly to keep
out of debt, more especially to
keep the church out of debt, no.
body can find fault with the men,
even if they do nothing but keep
the fasts, drink rather more whisky
to keep up the necessary equilib-
rum of circulation in the absence
of meat, and attend to business,
all we can say is, the church does
its duty in the ringing of bells, in
giving people an opportunity to
join in worship, and feels better,
perhaps, when Lent is over; while
society yields up the ghost for a
season, ceases to dance, and feels
devout in consequence. There is
no mistaking the signs of the
times in this particular. Every
body who is fashionable is devout,
at this season, at least in appear
ance, and all the world feels better,
that it mixes little of the wine of
religion in the sin of frivolity.


Bonanza Bonanza where art
thou? cries the disappointed among
the stockholders. 1t would be a
good thing if they could only once
more behold it, to give them cour-
age. As it is, everybody shrinks
from coming in contact much with
disappointed expectations; refuse to
believe the newspapers, and accept
any consolation that offers III the
shape of material wealth which
presents itself in any other way.
All the stories published in regard
to the bonanza excitement, gather
ed into book form, would prove
remunerative to the compiler, for a
wilder. more sensational affair than
has been made of it could hardly
be imagined. One would suppose
that all the magicians of Eastern
fable had been concerned in obtain
ing its possession. Flood and
O'Brien versus Sharon and RalstOn
having had competition excited to
obtain the mastery, have supposed
to have attempted the devouring
of each other, and the curses that
have been heaped upon the results
will require all the Lenten prayers
to counteract the effects. One
party is said to have taken the
funds from the banks, deposited
them again as security, and paid
the usual rate per cent. for the
money. Another to have carried
Ophir for his friends, in return
for political services, who broke
the market when he was ready, and
let himself off as easily as possible.
This last is now supposed to be
figuratively represented in the act
of gazing contemplatively at the
moon, one hand in his pocket and
the other at his nose, as he smiling
ly asks: "Do you see anything
green?" Up rises in the midst the
Bank of California, which is sup
posed to have played an important
part in this last crisis. 1t had moth
ing to do but attempt to help Sha-
ron beat Flood & Brien, the better
to hold the mastery, so the
weeping world says; but of course
no such billionaires like Flood &
Brien could have been eaten alive,
as the people represent these
parties wished to do, and these last
aforesaid were wise enough to see
it. OF course, the Bank of Cali
fornia, with Sharon, are benefac-
tors of the people. They build
big houses, give parties to the
world they love SO much, incor-
porate watch companies, build pal
ace hotels, and do all they can, as
4 4.