Year: 1873

DEAR Went home to stay,
and returned the next day. Now, | am
not in the rhyming business, but can put
" Mansard roof" on any mans head
that blackguards me about it. | am not
the only man that has done just that same
thing. | have seen since my return eight
men who started home with the same in
tention, and six of them have already
returned cursing the Atlantic States and
one of the two left, writes back that he
would not give six feet square on Trinity
River for all the country he has travelled
over since leaving this State. | secuted
the idea that Californian could not con-
tent himself back at home, but l now
give it up, and do firmly believe that
when man has lived 10 or 20 years in
California that it is impossible for him to
live satisfied and contented anywhere
else | do not care whore he may be
from. There may be something about
California life that no one can describe,
but | attribute the great desire to return
to the huge disgust he is sure to get on
Immediately after his first welcome. He
finds everything to have underwent
radical change, particularly the people.
Society is regulated by dollars and cents.
They go through fellow with lantern,
count his money, and this done there is a
hole or level for him and the sooner he
hunts this the better. He may go below
this level if he likes, but not above it un-
til he heaves in sight more detached spon-
duica.


Upon the whole, the trip overland was
pleasant one, and if one has money to
spare it pays to make the trip, but |
would advise no one to undertake it with
out money enough to make the rounds in
shape. One trip will satisfy any man,
and he should by all means make it when
he thinks he can afford to do so.


On my return to this State stopped
quite awhile in Shasta. This old county
once rich in placer diggings has perhaps
seen her good days, but why she is not
rich in quartz cannot tell. There is
any number of lodges in the vicinity Of
Whikytown and other places in the coun-
ty that you can see gold with the naked
eye in the quartz, and every man you
see, resident of the county, will tell you
her quartz is worthless. This is caused
doubtless by a big scare on quartz several
years ago-several mills being erected
which did not prove n success, perhaps
for want of knowledge at that early day
of the correct process of saving or sepa-
rating the good from the base metals.
The agricultural portion of Shasta l
know nothing about, but do not think it
extensive. What time | remained in
Shasta | was engaged in the hotel bust
ness, in the capacity of landlord, Now,
| honestly believe and think the reader
will agree with me that there is not more
than one man in n thousand fitted for that
business, yet | must say that like it.
Every now and then a man scares up
regular brick-a customer that just fills
the bill. | found several of them one
an agent for city paper. / sat up with
him over half the night listening and, at
the same time, tickled at his ideas. He
SAID creation was blk that this world
was not ruled with any Intelligence what
ever that after death there might be
something left of the human family-per-
haps little thin vapor floating around
in space that did not amount to row of
beans. lie assured me, however, that he
did not intend to patent or bond his ideas,
neither did he wish to be held responsible
for them long at a time as he was on the
progress. himself. Before retiring 1 asked
him to "take nip" After pouring out
glass of whisky / asked him if he would
have something in it. Said he, Land
lord, THAT increased the pulsation) do
you buy your whisky in San FranciscoY
/ informed him that we, the landlord.
did make our purchases in San Francis
co. "Well," said he, " there is enough
| in it already" Another customer was
late to dinner. was flying around, adj
| ministeTing to his comforts to the best of
my ability. WE'LL" said he, " don't
put yourself to any unnecessary trouble,
just something to fill up the worm holes
is all want" You can hear it down in
Shasta that the reason l left there l
could not stand the tune "Ten Thousand
Miles Away" The truth is, / never did
in all my life hear tune so completely