USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 41
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good, plain education, and a merry, light heart, for she knew nothing of the real character of her father and brothers. Both of her brothers called to see her later in the day, and when they heard of Captain Ward's invitation they started and looked at each other in half-alarm; then Ike said :
" Lizzie, if father said so, I suppose you must go; but don't go in a hurry again, and look out for the Captain."
" Well," said Lizzie; " if you think that way, I will get him to take a lady friend of mine with us."
" Yes; that will do," Ike said. And the brothers left. As they gained the street, one of them said .:
" If harm comes to Lizzie, it were better for the Captain, a thousand times, if he had never been born."
The Captain came that evening, and found himself compelled to invite Lizzie's friend. He saw through her caution, and it aroused in him a determination to triumph over such precau- tions. From day to day he visited her, but she was always on her gnard, and he grew half-angry with himself for his want of success. He now assumed the bearing towards her of a re- spectful, devoted lover. He made her valuable presents, of which she told her father, and he was pleased, and praised the Captain, as he believed him really in love with Lizzie. The same caution always pervaded Lizzie's intercourse with Ward, and he attributed this to the influence of the lady with whom she lived; so he induced her father to change her boarding-house to a fashionable one, at that time kept by a Miss Scott, a highly respectable maiden lady from New York. Here the Captain con- tinued his devoted attention, and seemed better pleased with his progress, as now Lizzie showed a greater taste for dress, and sometimes accepted an invitation from him to go to the theater. During these summer months of 1850, Ward had fully organized his band of house-breakers and robbers, and every day the people were startled with announcements of a new and daring robbery, or murder and robbery, both. Ward was one of the most active men in trying to ferret out the perpetrators, but of course never succeeded. For a long time the place of " rendezvous" of Ward's gang was a set of poor little rickety buildings that Rob- ert Wells & Co. had built on about the line of Stockton street, on the southwest side of Telegraph Hill, not far from the old Pioneer grave-yard. They were painted lead color, or bluish.
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These buildings were so poorly constructed that the prevailing wind of that district always raked through them, so that no one cared to occupy them. Ward chose them for his headquarters because they were in a lonesome, out-of-the-way spot. One of Ward's movements was to put himself in communication with the leading spirits of the Mexican gang of robbers and murderers, whose operations were mostly conducted in the lonesome roads approaching the larger towns of the State. His intimacy with the Americans enabled him to give the Mexicans such informa- tion as they required, to enable them to carry on their villainous business with profit, in which he, of course, shared. It was in this way two young men of the name of Cary were decoyed south of San Juan, in Monterey county, and murdered and robbed, with shocking brutality, and many others, whose fate to this day is wrapped in mystery. Ward augmented his band by recruits from among the "Sydney coves," as the English convict immigrants were universally called in San Francisco at that time. His band is said to have numbered between forty and fifty when in its highest success, and to have had some women members; at least, it came to light that in some of the most daring robberies, women had taken a part; but it may have been that in these cases the women were only tools in the hands of individual members of the gang. Among Ward's new recruits was a well- educated young man, calling himself Frederick Brown, and who generally passed himself off as an American or a Canadian, but who, in fact, was an escaped convict from Australia, where he had been sent on conviction of an infamous crime. Brown had been for six months in the northern mines, but was not for- tunate, and was now back in San Francisco " broke," when he fell in with Ward, who recollected having seen him when a con- vict in Australia. They were soon fast friends, and, on entering the gang, Brown assumed the position of scribe, or secretary, at their meetings, and he acted in the same capacity for individual members who wished to write letters to their friends in England. Ward feared to let his gang go too fast, as the people of San Francisco began to get very restive under his terrible, systemat- ically-conducted robberies, and he feared the rising of the whole people, en masse, in an effort to protect themselves. He had no fear of the authorities, for he knew they were busily engaged in their own little game of robbing the city treasury, and fleecing
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the city of her real estate. Taking this view of the matter, Ward gave orders to suspend operations in the city for a time, and, announced to his followers that he would himself take this op- portunity of visiting the large towns in the State, and the min- ing regions in general, to see what could be done in that direc- tion, as soon as it would be safe for them to renew their work. So, leaving San Francisco a season of quiet, Captain Ward and his friend Brown departed for the city of Sacramento.
CHAPTER VI.
NEWS FROM WALTER-MRS. LIGHTHEAD
For seven long months after the ship sailed away from the port of New York with Walter on board, things progressed in the Wagner family just as they had done ever since the father met the terrible accident, except that Walter was not there to read for them in the evening. To pass this off, Minnie's tongue ran on with incessant talking, asking questions, and getting her mother to relate stories of the Irish patriots, and their often nar- row escapes from the minions of English power. Then, as her father gained strength, she would get him to tell them some stories of the American revolution he had heard his father re- late. So Minnie, in her efforts to direct her parents' thoughts from the sad loss of Walter's company, made herself happy. After the third month, the father sat up for a few hours each day; but the broken bones did not seem to mend as they should, for he was yet unable to use his lower limbs. He gradually wasted away to a perfect skeleton, and plainly observed that his end was near; but he was calm and satisfied, as he was very religious. One day, in the last of the seventh month of Walter's absence, there was a knock at the door. Minnie arose from her work on the shirts, and went to answer the knock. On opening the door, there stood Mr. Roman's clerk, holding out a letter to her. She knew the handwriting. It was Walter's. She gave a half-scream, but could not take the letter or move from the spot where she stood. The clerk understood her perfectly, and said:
" Don't be afraid, Miss Minnie. Your brother is in San Fran- cisco safe and well, and doing well."
" Thank God !" exclaimed the mother, who had rushed to the door on hearing Minnie's cry.
We will not follow mother and daughter back to the little sit- ting room, where the father lies sick in bed, or attempt to de- scribe a scene we should not be present at. No; let us close the
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door, and walk away with Mr. Roman's clerk, content to enjoy in imagination all the great happiness brought to these dear, good people in Walter's first letter. From this day forward every steamer arrival, without fail, brought a letter from Walter. Sometimes long and sometimes short, just as he could command time, and always a draft, small or large, was inclosed " to help to drive shirt-making from the house," as Walter expressed it. Minnie entered heart and soul into all Walter's schemes for making money, as related in his letters. As he wrote home of each new plan, her hopes went up to the highest pitch. Then, as he announced his failure, her heart sank ; but it was soon, like Walter's own, up again, and once more buoyant with the bright -. est anticipations. Often and often, after reading one of his let- ters, filled with some new project, she would be so excited all day that she could not eat or sleep at night ; or, if her eyes did close, she was in dreams by Walter's side, digging out gold by the panful at a time. The Wagners no longer took in shirts to make, and this was a sort of heaven in itself. Mrs. Wagner's health improved, but the poor husband gradually wasted away, in spite of every effort in his behalf, until at length he left them. He was perfectly resigned, and died blessing God for all his mercies, but particularly for the great comforts granted to him through his wife and children in his last long sickness. He sent his blessing with a long message to Walter, committing to his care his darling mother and Minnie. Sad was Minnie's letter conveying this news to poor Walter, who for a time was com- pletely unmanned by it. But the new responsibility thrown on him aroused him to his usual activity and untiring exertion. A little after this, Minnie received the letter from Walter giving her the particulars of his partnership with Isaac Hilton, in High Canyon, near Downieville. The greatest longing seized her mind to go and join Walter at his place of business.
" Yes," she said; " I see clearly where Walter fails. He will not persevere in one line of business. If I was near him, I could influence him in this respect, and that would be of a great advantage, for I feel certain that if he only would remain in his present location with this Mr. Hilton, he would be rich very soon." Then, after further reflection, she would run on: " After I was fairly settled, we could send for mother ; then we would all be together. Oh ! would not that be heavenly ?"
Minnie had that day heard of a California grass widow who ,
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was to go to her husband in San Francisco; so she could resist no longer telling her mother her thoughts. To her surprise, her mother thought the plan a good one, and that Minnie's in- fluence over Walter would correct what was apparently his only fault. Uncle John was now consulted, and, after due consider- ation, he, too, advocated the plan. When alone with his sister- in-law, he said:
" Not so much for the reasons you and Minnie give, but that I favor every woman who has a husband, father or brother in California going there. It will help to keep society out there from growing wild, and will aid the good and the brave, who are striving to build up an American State on the Pacific side of the mountains, in their good work. A girl like her is worth more to California just at this time than fifty men would be; and, for my part, I am disgusted at the way women are holding back, though in many cases it is undoubtedly the fault of the men. So, I say, let Minnie go, and you, Ann, can rent the cot- tage to some one, and live with me; or I will take the cottage, as my lease where I am will soon expire, and you and I can settle in regard to rent and board between us. In this respect, do just as you choose yourself."
" Oh, John, I will take your last offer, for that is just what will suit me in every way."
And so it was arranged.
Minnie's heart is now leaping within her with almost wild excitement. A new life is opened to her view. She loves Cali- fornia already. She knows it all over; for has she not read every scrap of history that has lately been published in regard to it? And has she not read, and almost studied, the San Francisco newspapers which Mr. Roman has been kind enough to lend to her ? Has she not, in imagination, gone through all Walter's enterprises with him, spurring him on when success seemed sure; then arousing him, when defeat came, to renewed efforts to conquer fortune ? Yes; all this is so. And now in this new enterprise that Walter has just written to her about she is to be his helpmate, right by his side, in reality, and not in imagination, as heretofore. She saw no danger before her. The journey seemed as nothing. Minnie had heard of many sad disappointments in families where the head had gone to Cali- fornia, and of many a letter in a stranger's handwriting having come to hopeful friends, announcing the sad news that he
.
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whose life was all in all to them lay buried in some lonesome little spot away, far away, in California's rugged mountains. But, undaunted, she now turns her face to the setting sun, and never thought of looking back or hesitating. Uncle John soon found an escort for Minnie in a Mrs. Lighthead, who was going in the next steamer but one to San Francisco to join her hus- band, who was residing there. This lady was represented to him as the wife of a worthy and good man, so he supposed she was all right, and was glad when Mrs. Lighthead agreed to take Minnie under her charge as far as San Francisco. Uncle John then went to the office of the steamship company, and secured a berth for Minnie in the same stateroom as her escort. By the mail just leaving for California, Minnie wrote to Walter that she would follow the letter in the next steamer, and that he must be sure to meet her in San Francisco. At the same time she gave him all the reasons for this sudden move. She knew Walter would be overjoyed to hear what she wrote him. It afterwards turned out that Walter never got this letter. It was lost, most likely somewhere between San Francisco and Downieville, and Walter therefore remained in perfect ignorance of Minnie's movements. The appointed day came, and Minnie found her- self seated near her escort on the deck of the Panama steamer, as it dashed out of New York harbor, and taking her out of sight of the dear old hills of her native State, and of every locality that was dear to her in childhood. But Minnie was not one to mourn over the past. No ; her young heart was full of the future. It was all a gorgeous panorama to her vision, made only more charming because there were some difficulties to surmount, some shadows on the picture for her to work at, and strive to clear away.
Minnie now took a good look at her escort as she entered into conversation with her. She was anxious to ascertain with what sort of a companion chance had thrown her, where all were strangers to her. Miss Lighthead was rather a good-looking lady, of about thirty years of age. Minnie was surprised to see her very richly dressed; which she thought looked quite out of place on an occasion like this. Besides a handsome silk dress, she wore showy diamond ear-rings, a breastpin, and two large diamond rings on her fingers, and a gold watch, with a bunch of showy charms ; but the most conspicuous ornament, if ornament you could call it, was a heavy gold watch chain. It was of the
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regular ox-chain pattern, but very large ; each link had at least twenty dollars worth of gold in it. Such chains were often seen in California at that time, but mostly about the necks of fancy stage-drivers, horsemen and such people. Minnie's natural good taste, which was always conspicuous in her own way of dressing, shrunk from all this sort of display.
" There is a time for all things," she thought to herself, " but surely this is not the time or place for that dress or those orna- ments. I am afraid I have a miserable companion for my voyage, but I will do the best I can."
The passengers were mostly putting their staterooms in order, and all, with a little anxiety, were trying to find out what sort of companions chance gave them for room-mates. So there were but few on deck, and those that were there seemed buried and lost in their thoughts, looking sad and lonesome. Minnie made some 'casual remark by way of opening the conversation, which Mrs. Lighthead did not notice, but said :
" So far I do not see many nice people on board. A lady friend of mine who has just returned from California, where her hus- band is very rich, told me I would find ever so many nice gen- tlemen and handsomely dressed ladies on board the steamers."
"A lady returned from California, did you say, Mrs. Light. head ?"
" Oh, yes; she went out there, but only staid one month. San Francisco, she says, is a horrible windy, sandy place, entirely unfit for rich people, who have the means, you know, my dear, to enjoy themselves."
Here Mrs. Lighthead gave a toss of her head that shook her ear-rings, while she wound a foot or so of her ox chain around her hand.
" But her husband is in San Francisco, you say ?"
" Oh, yes, her husband is there; but what of that ? He can send her money and she can enjoy herself so much better at home."
Minnie now felt a sort of cold, creeping sensation pass through her, as though a snake had drawn its slimy form across her feet, and that as in a dream she could not get away; but, recovering herself, she said :
" But you are going to San Francisco to live, Mrs. Light- head ?"
" Oh, I am going there, but as to my staying there, that de-
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pends on how I like it. My husband has gone through terrible privations to make his money, and you may be sure I will live where I can enjoy it the most; and then this lady friend of mine I spoke of, said the trip out there and back would be a most en- joyable way of passing time. There were, she said, so many dashing beaux always on board the steamers."
Here Mrs. Lighthead fixed her dress and arranged her hat, as she continued, while looking all around :
" Though, I confess, I have not seen one yet."
" Where is your little boy, Mrs. Lighthead? I understood your uncle to say that you had a beautiful, intelligent boy, six years old, and I promised myself great pleasure with him in help- ing you to take care of him, and in watching his movements among the passengers and sailors. We could so enjoy his as- tonishment at everything so new to him."
" Where is he ?" said Mrs. Lighthead, in a half-angry, sur- prised tone of voice. "Why, of course, he is safe with his grandmother, on Long Island. I thought the child would go into convulsions, he roared so when I left him; but he will soon get over that, and I was not such a fool as to tag a boy to Cali- fornia with me. I know I won't stay there, and if I do there will be plenty of time to send for him."
Minnie now began to get an insight into the true character of her companion, and it was with a feeling of deep disappointment and almost disgust that she continued the conversation, saying :
" But will not his father be expecting him ?"
" Oh, yes ; he is a perfect fool about the child, and I took care not to tell him I was going to leave him behind. He would have made such a fuss about it, and perhaps I would have had to bring him, and that would have just spoiled all my pleasure, and you know it makes one look so old to be showing off a boy of six. No, indeed ; my husband has made money, and I am going to enjoy it while I can."
" How long has your husband been in California, Mrs. Light- head ?"
" Oh, he went there early in forty-nine, and had, he says, a terrible lonesome time of it, boarding around in ill-kept restau- rants and coffee-houses, and at night forced to lie down in a bed not fit for a Christian to sleep on. When he went to Cali- fornia he wanted me to go with him, and has been writing to me ever since to induce me to come and bring little Willie with me ;
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promising a nice little home for us, all fixed up comfortably, and all that sort of talk. But he sent me plenty of money, and I had just as good a thing as I wanted; so I positively refused to go until now. I suppose he will have some sort of a cottage or shanty all ready to receive me, but I rather think he will find himself mistaken in thinking that I will stay out there long, for it is not in my nature to endure discomforts; and then what are men for," she ran on, growing warm on the subject, " if not to provide their wives with the comforts of life. I think that is their business, and that we women should insist on it."
Seeing that Minnie gave no apparent assent to this proposi- tion, she concluded with: "Well, it is my view, anyway, and is the view, too, taken by most of the California widows; and I have just a perfect pity and contempt for those wives who went in forty-nine, with their love-sick, romantic notions of 'stand- ing by their husbands in their trials and privations,' and worry- ing themselves to death out there watching and taking care of men, as though God meant women to have any hard work or particular business to do in this world."
How Minnie's blood boiled in her veins, in indignation at the low, degraded sphere this woman claimed for the whole sex. Her thoughts flashed back on the beautiful life of her own mother, and a flash of pride lit up her bright eyes, as, in an in- stant, she reviewed it, and her own short life, and could find nothing in either to justify a belief in such an idea, as that God had not made women for just as high and important a sphere of duties as he had men, even if the duties were to be totally of a different character. She was about to reply to Mrs. Lighthead, but she checked herself, saying in her own mind: " This woman could never comprehend my views, so let her go. I pity her poor husband. Oh, how he will feel when he finds his little Willie was left screaming behind. Oh, this creature of a woman is a sort of relation, I think, of the Russian woman, who, to save her own life, threw her children, one by one, to the wolves pur- suing her ! Whenever I see a mother neglect her child through selfishness, I somehow think of that Russian monster."
The wind was now blowing fresh and cold, and Mrs. Lighthead exclaimed :
" Miss Wagner, I do believe I am getting a little sick; sup- pose we go to our stateroom ?"
Minnie was glad enough to end the conversation with her es-
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cort, and followed her to the stateroom, bitterly disappointed in her character, as disclosed by this first conversation. They both proved good sailors, and suffered very little from sea-sickness, either that night or afterwards. The next day came calm and beautiful, and most of the passengers were on deck.
When Mrs. Lighthead and Minnie were seated near each other, as on the day before, Mrs. Lighthead seemed to regard Minnie very closely for some minutes; then, assuming a patron- izing, motherly sort of a tone, said:
" My dear, you are very, very, handsome; which, of course, you know; for we all know when we are very handsome, though we don't pretend to know it, for it makes a better impression on others not to appear to know it. Now, for instance, it would be foolish in me to deny, just here between ourselves, that I am very handsome, yet I pretend not to know it. But, as I was saying, you are very handsome, and of course you are going to California just to make your market; in other words, to get a rich husband."
Minnie could not help firing up at this coarse address, so she broke in:
"I assure you, Mrs. Lighthead, you never were more mis- taken in your life. I have no consciousness of this beauty you talk of, and I am going to California to keep house for my brother, and I never thought of such a mean thing as that you speak of."
" Mean, child! There is nothing mean about it."
" I think there is, Mrs. Lighthead, and I assure you that you do me a great injustice."
" Injustice, child! Why, I accuse you of nothing that is wrong. What is there that is wrong in getting a rich husband ? Nothing whatever; but much that is commendable, for it is on riches, after all, that we are to depend for everything good in this world. It is better than education, though that is, of course, necessary to a limited extent. It is better than intelligence, for who cares for an intelligent person if he is not rich ? It is even better than beauty; for, though that is better than either education or intelligence, yet riches will bring us more friends and pleasures of every sort than either. And then, you know, the occasional faults of rich people are overlooked, for every one knows that a rich person, either man or woman, is excused, and in fact has rights where the poor creatures who have nothing
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would be condemned out of hand. So, my dear, don't be ashamed of this move of yours to get a rich husband. It is just what you should do with that beauty of yours. Put it in the market. Yes, put it in the market; and sell it for the highest price. Don't mind about age, or good looks, or anything in fact, if you are sure the man is rich. For if you are obliged to take an old fellow, you can easily hoodwink him and have your quiet little fun out of sight; and if you are obliged to take an ill-tempered young fellow who has nothing to inspire either your respect or love, why take some good opportunity to kick up a fuss witlı him, get a divorce and half his property; then you are all right, and can marry somebody you really like, for there are a great many men who prefer divorced women. I have a friend who is suing for a divorce under just these circumstances. She married a very rich man who she knew was ill-tempered and a drunk- ard. She is making out a beautiful case against him of ill-usage and all that sort of thing; and the best of the joke is, that she is engaged to be married again to the attorney who is conducting her case. Now, my dear," continued Mrs. Lighthead, assuming a very important, dignified look, " I have entered into this dis- cussion to give you all these hints and advice because I wish you well, as Mrs. Roman assured me that your family were very worthy people; and you owe it to them, my dear, not to fool your beauty away. No, no; be sure you get its full value in gold. I have a great tact for drawing gentlemen around me, and I will introduce them to you, and it may be that there is here on board this steamer some returned Californian who is rich and worth looking after; so dress in your best and set off your good looks to the best advantage, and I will do all I can to help you while you are under my charge."
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