Of course these remarks do not apply to honest men. EE It had been my intention before leaving California, to make a tour through the mines. I had promised to visit a company of young men, who were working a claim on the Oregon gulch. I took the ivagon for that region, first stopping at Mormon Island, which had been a very productive mining locality; but now was a nest of rum holes, and gambling dens. It was my principal object, to see everything that belonged to the miner's life and characteristic, I mingled with them in groceries, gambling houses, tents and diggings. Philosophers may talk of studying out human nature by those developments which they accidentally come in contact with in civilized life, or an occasional visit to the poor, but let a man spend a week in a mining region, where there is no sort of moral restraint, but on the contrary, a full display of the very worst passions that human nature is subject to.
He there sees the full scope of human depravity. I went into a gambling saloon where there were six monte tables, notwithstanding, there were probably two hundred persons lounging round the bar, and hovering round the card tables, it was still as a church, hardly a word was spoken; such was the intense eagerness with which the motions of the card players were watched. At the table where I first stood, there were but two players, and those were Western miners, one was quite aged, probably, sixty-five, the other a young man; the latter seemed rather cautious, while the former was bent on destruction. There was a full peck measure of gold coin upon the table, which is always exhibited as a lure.
The old man had been a heavy loser; the monte dealer, had kept him well plied with liquor, and though intoxicated, his eye was keen. While I stood there, his last coin was lost, he then drew himself up, took another drink, hauled out from his bosom a leather bag containing about a thousand dollars, threw it upon the table, and in an exulting manner, accompanied with a horrid oath, declared that he was not broke yet. Here were gold scales, all ready to weigh out the dreadful stakes! The keen eye of the gambler villain, his marked politeness, delicate fingers, studded with rings, beautifully curled moustache, with the glistening end of a revolver peering from his hosom, made an impression on my mind, that probably will not be erased while I live.
The old man's bag was evidently fast melting away. I left him and passed over to another table. Here were three players, this monte dealer was a different looking man from the other, for it happened to be a very pretty wo man, with two ruffian looking scoundrels on each side, to guard her from insult. Here too, was a hugh pile of glittering manmon; one of the players, who by the way, I recognized as a Boston man, had been quite successful, had about his person, over seven thousand dollars that he had won in two hours, having commenced with eighty-four dollars. I stood aside, so as not to be known. He had a friend who took a position behind him, and was earnestly urging him to stop.
He continued turning down the champagne, swearing he would not leave until he had burst the bank. I left the house in order to procure a sleeping place, which I found to be a hard matter, but succeeded in getting a chance with a miner, in a bunk without bedclothes. Next morning, I saw the Boston man, when a mutual recognition took place. I then referred to last evening, he was somewhat surprised when he learned that I was there. He told me however, that the lady stripped him — he left the table without a rial, "and," said he, " here I am without money enough to get my bitters." The prominent part of the story was, he wanted me to loan him a hundred dollars!
That man had a wife and two children in Boston. I left this place and proceeded up to where my young friends were, passed a few days very pleasantly with them, then took a range off in another direction, mingling with the miners, some' of whom I found to be very intelligent nun, others again, were miserable and dissipated. The mines and gold diggings having been so often described, I shall omit anything of a descriptive character here, and merely add, by way of closing up my California tour, that in my mind, the ultimate success and prosperity of California yet remains a problem; and I think it was a great mistake on the part of the government, ever to have admitted it into the Union.