USA > California > The California pilgrim: a series of lectures > Part 10
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There was a certain hush and stillness in the air, and the fevered heat of life seemed to intermit and cool. In their hearts they welcomed the sacred morning, and with reading, meditation, and prayer, they began the day, resting according to the commandment.
As they were duly summoned, they proceeded along a few streets to obtain their morning repast. But in the thorough- Sunday in the fares, it seemed to Pilgrim not much like city of Embank-
the Sabbaths in the good city of Redemp- ment.
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tion. Stages were whirling and rattling along, hauling up here and there, to add other passengers to the crowd already proceeding on a wretched and godless way. In several places they saw loaded teams ready for starting, and others in process of packing and loading. At various points there were goods, that had been sold and marked, piled outside, which were yet to be delivered ; before church time, it was to be hoped. Pilgrim took note of the numbers, and names on the signs, at such places, for he thought it very likely he might come in contact with those in business there, at some future day, and in some other positions.
And then, there were rows and shops belonging to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Judah ; where Judah often vexed Modern men of Ephraim, and Ephraim envied Judah ; and
Israel. where nearly all failed to keep the Seventh day, because they were . too poor to lose so much time and trade, and then refused to keep the First day, because they acknowledged no religious obligation to do so, or because they had so religiously honored the Seventh, according to the laws of their nation. Thus they seemed to imagine they had saved something ; and would, after all, be able by shrewd management, to keep a nameless ancient personage, too well known, however, out of some of his dues.
They heard also the ring of some anvils, saw men Rappings not hammering about shattered vehicles, heard spiritual, not sacred. needless raspings and rappings in the carpenters' shop of Seesaw & Slivers, and behell various Celestials doing only that which was fishy and terrestrial. They might have seen much more that was contrary to the law of God, the rules of good society, and a proper regard for the general welfare, if not contrary to the municipal law on the
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subject ; but, as they were not roving about for sight seeing, they did not turn from the nearest course to the place sought, although, as they returned upon the opposite side of Sunday evening the street, they noticed a huge placard, theatrical per- formance. standing by a large tree, giving notice, that some Chinese magicians and jugglers would perform on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings.
Pilgrim asked if such things were allowed on Sabbath evenings. He was told there was a municipal law forbidding them ; but it remained to be seen whether the policemen would arrest the parties, and bring them to trial, according to the law, and so replenish the city treasury, out of the pockets of such as were here simply to heathenize the people, by showing them how to throw knives, and cut throats, on Sunday night ; a sort of dexterity they needed to know nothing more about, than they knew already.
When a bell or two rang for church, Rev. Mr. Augustine told them they would, doubtless, learn more of the people, and be more edified, if they went elsewhere to worship, than at the place he . was wont to be at, as he was not Modesty. accustomed to having such persons at his church, and he was afraid he should be embarrassed, if he should chance, during service, to look on their features, so marked with the traces of their pilgrimage. They assented to the arrangement made for them ; for Mr. Augustine was so peculiar in his common speech, that they suspected his preaching, out of the pulpit, might be less poor, than in it.
So Pilgrim went to hear one Mr. Prelacy, at a brick structure, just rearing its ornamental pillars, but not designed for a church. There was a well looking, quiet congregation, and most of the seats were filled. The
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Mr. Prelacy, his service was fairly read and rendered, and the sermon. sermon was creditable, the style of it being moorish, rather than florid and ornate. But, still, the Pilgrim was not inclined to converse on the topics discussed in the sermon. He was averse to Sunday criticisms.
Keep Faith went in at the chapel of one Mr. Asbury, with a small card on it, intimating that it might be purchased, for some reason, and at a stated price. The Mr. Asbury, his preacher had a pleasant, full face, and a very chapel.
modest, quiet air, and was not haggard any ; as though either his conscience, or his means of living, harassed and troubled him. He preached well; and was very carnest and fervent. But Keep Faith was sitting near the door, and he thought there was no need of his speaking so loud ; as the building was not large, and his ordinary tones, so well modulated, could be heard anywhere.
As they were returning, after having dined, they separated and went different ways, for the purpose of seeing the various Sabbath schools, and hearing the speakers in them ; Sabbath schools, and they were not a little pleased with what a field in want of laborers. they heard and saw; but it did seem to them, that there were very many more good people, and those of rare abilities, who might profitably devote themselves to so excellent a kind of work.
When these exercises were over, and they were on the way back, the bustle, noise, riding, and driving, they found in the streets, caused them some surprise ; although they knew, that, in Doomsend, Denceport, Dragdown, and other cities that way, it was the fashion to ride out on Sunday. People in a bad Some rode, as they alleged, for health, some way. for recreation, some for amusement, and some for sprecing. They were sorry to see the people of Embank-
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ment going so far, and so generally, with a practice, certainly, not profitable, nor useful, on the whole, and often detrimental and destructive, especially to those youth, whose weekly earnings were apt to be squandered in Sunday dissipations. They were even more than sorry, they were grieved ; for both of them thought they saw some persons going out to ride, whose faces they had looked on at the morning services. Perhaps it was a case of necessity. Reasons for go- Were some of their friends taken suddenly ill ? ing out on the
Lord's day. Were they in a dying condition ? Had these persons been summoned to a funeral ? . Perhaps they had. For the present, at least, let it be supposed so.
And now, when it was evening, and the crescent moon began to shed her silvery light, the bells rang again, and they went out together, through a street, along which num- bers were flocking, in the same direction. The street was uneven, in some low parts there was mud, and the ground A street to be was littered and stumpy; and Keep Faith
improved. overheard a youth saying to his companion, who had stumbled and nearly fallen, that it was too bad to be in danger getting " sloughed" on the way to church.
At a certain corner they parted, and Keep Faith went into a long, narrow building, with a spire on it. It was neatly painted and papered. The music was very creditable, and all the services well sustained. The preacher was a Meeting in the small man, carefully dressed. He had a fine evening. voice, round and smooth, and managed with skill. He was vigorous and enthusiastic, as a speaker ; he was cultivated and pleasing in his address ; his sermon was instructive ; and Keep Faith came away not at all dissatisfied with his evening's experience.
Pilgrim entered a still unfinished structure, of brick, on
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the small, brown corner stone of which, he could read, by the dim light, only, "MI. E. Church, 1852." There was a fair congregation present. He sat on a rough A new and spa-
cious church. seat, without a baek, as there were but few seats there of any other sort. The singers gallery was up very high from the floor, and the ceiling was so lofty as to laek proportion. The walls were white, plain, and neat ; the windows, long and narrow, and far too numerous; and the chandeliers were quite rich and expensive. All this he saw at a glance The preacher was a slender man, with light hair, and long visage, but he had a good eye, and his voice had much compass, and he used it with no slight energy. He dealt in plain talk, and earnest logic, and when aroused, produced a deep impression. There was a noisy reverberation overhead, because the ceiling was too high ; and, but for that, the speaking might not have seemed either loud or violent.
Pilgrim came away, rejoicing that so much had been Much more to be performed and accomplished by this society, undertaken. and by the community, in general, for the churches in Embankment, for they did not go to all of them, yet, feeling sensibly, that much more should be done speedily in the erection of handsome church edifices.
And now the labors and privileges of the day were over. The moon went down, but the mild stars kept their watch, while the little company sang : " Thine carthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love," and then committed themselves to the care of Him, under whose shadowing wings men securely trust, and laid them down to sweet repose.
The sun was scarcely risen, when they were aroused by the rap-tap-tap of the coopers, the whang and creak of the
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Mechanical la- machinists, and the clink and pound of the bors begun. smiths, all hard by. They rose with exhilara- tion, for the sound of industry and labor was not unwelcome ; especially, when free from the commingling of obscene, vulgar, and profane language.
They were soon ready for the day's journeyings, and went forth in the cool and delightful air of the morning. Mr. Augustine introduced Pilgrim and Keep Faith to one Mr. Antiquary, and to one Mr. Severus Sharp ; and left them in New acquain- the care of those persons. The travelers soon
tances.
found themselves in front of a two story edifice, of brick, of the doubtful style of architecture, rather low and flat, and too nearly square. Mr. Antiquary said it had not been quite so long in building as Solomon's temple, but there had been noise enough made about it, by masons Court House. speculative, and masons practical, and by hewers of wood and mixers of mortar ; and, in fact, it was not quite finished yet, at the end of thirty and three months; but Solomon had an advantage over these builders, in not having to pay in County Scrip, One Hundred Thousand Dollars, in order to make Fifty Thousand in current coin.
They must needs go through the building, however, and up the stairs, and look about them. They were shown into the rooms where the honorable men had places, while the fugitive capital tarried in this region. Mr. Sharp took them about the room of the Assembly.
He said that the Assembly that met there was a body, which had a sprinkling of true men in it, and some sterling legislators, who wished to honor their state, their constituency, and themselves, and to comply with the decencies, proprie- ties, and amenities of people, well mannered, enlightened, and christianized. Accordingly they proposed to have chaplains
CAPITOL EXCHANGE
MODEL LEGISLATORS. Legislators anxious " to save time. and save the people's money."-Page 145
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Chaplains not in to open their daily sessions with prayer. But request. the majority took no such view of the matter. They umst save time, and save the people's money, and save religion from being mixed up with seenlar affairs, and save themselves from the necessity of feeling any such moral restraint, as might arise therefrom.
One man feared the union of church and state. Another was a sceptie, and wanted no prayers. A third didn't want any body to groan and grimace him to heaven. As if, forsooth, his prospects were so bright they might not be improved. A fourth looked on u legislative body as a sort of mill for grinding out laws ; and it were just as proper to open a cotton mill with prayer, as such a body. But Reasons for de- Mr. Sharp thought it made some difference clining public prayers. what animals were put upon the tread ; and if it should do no good to pray for these legislators, it might be to the purpose, to pray that we might have no more such.
So, he said, after they had thrice rejected the proposition to have a chaplain, the effort to have one was given up, and the body went on in its own chosen and handsome way, astonishing the state with its rare brilliance, excellence, uncommon dignity, and transcendent worth.
The room adjoining, was the one in which the Senate sat. This was a far more quiet and well ordered body of men, Senators. who had employed a chaplain, from the very first, and kept evenly on their way; though, like the other house, they took no steps against a member, who had fought a duel during the session, and could not longer, by the terms of the constitution, hold office.
As they came out of this building, after a brief survey of Entertainment it, they saw, on the opposite side of the street, for men and ani- mals. a Congress Hall, and a Capitol Exchange,
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where members, who could'nt afford time for prayers, used to retreat, refresh, and refrigerate, for hours together. Corrals and hay were kept out back, for such animals, from the tread mill of legislation, as could not, for weariness, or other cause, take themselves off at night, and had no friends to put them into a hand cart.
They stopped, for a moment, to admire the beautiful cottage near by, so quiet and homelike, and, in latter times, so well possessed At the Alpha Zeta house, Pilgrim asked Keep Faith, who was a scholar, the meaning of the name. Keep Faith said it was too deep for him ; and for aught he could see, some other Greek letters would do as well, and Alpha Upsilon might be substituted. But it made a name, and perhaps that was enough, as the man believed, who called his sons Primus, Secundus, and so on, to Duodecimus.
On the corner was a nameless place, formerly given over
Fandango esta- to orgies and carousals, that kept the people of blishnent. the whole block awake till morning, with fiddles, and drums, and stentorian lungs shouting the figures, movements, and steps, as the drunken dance went on ; but now it was far more orderly and quiet ; and possibly it was much changed for the better, with new proprietors.
On two sides of them, now again, were those interminable hay stacks, yards, and stables, with their men of delicate speech and delicious airs, and strings of lame and rickety vehicles, and herds of costly swine, and specimens of howling dogs. As they proceeded, Mr. Antiquary saw that Improvements. one building, long a place of more notoriety than good fame, had lost its hermit's sign, and that the house adjoining was closed, after having been kept by these and those as a conventiele for such as loved the darkness. But
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he easily consoled himself under the slight touch of grief he felt, though things were not as they used to be. A little further on, was the poet's corner, at the right, and a dung and rubbish acre, on the left.
And now I saw that they mounted upon one of the high Old courthouse. embankments of the city, having the ancient fountain of justice, now run entirely dry, on one hand, and a down east hotel, swarming with fair ladies, on the other. There were flourishing shade trees in line, and cottages behind them, overlooking the lake. While they admired the view, toward the west, Mr. Sharp could not help turning to the east, and saying, that the proprietors of the land should raise the grade of the whole street, out to the high land and the Liberty pole ; and thus bless pedestrians, and riders, and drivers, and advantage also themselves and the connnunity,
When they came to the Orient, the proprietor politely View from the showed them to the top of that tall structure, " Oriental." overlooking the town, and the plain, on all sides. There were the silver rivers, the little lake, the broad acres, the farm houses, the timber belts, the monuments of the past, the city of the dead, the vast tulares, the changing verdure, the autumn glow, and the busy, bustling city, all in view, as in a moment. And it was a rare sight, and combination, such as Bustledom could no where else present to citizen or traveler.
And when they were told of the changes of time, and what Mr. Antiquary had seen in three brief years; it all appeared to them like a dream, and they seemed to them- selves to be only in a vision, standing there on the house top, and gazing. How beautiful must this prospect lecome,
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A prospect of the said Mr. Sharp, when the mayor and council future. shall have executed a decree, that green trees shall grow, a score of feet apart, along every street of the expanding city, and the whole outspread shall have changed to a scene of verdure, culture, blossom, fruit, trellised vine, flowering border, and sweet home, and joyous life !
When they were satisfied with seeing, they descended to the street, and discovered another huge stabling establish- ment, right across the way, but there were no hay stacks in sight. They proceeded along the highway, and Mr. Antiquary was in fine spirits, for they were coming to the The stories of ancient portions of the city. He showed them, Mr. Antiquary.
on the right, the spot where a certain worthy Professor's corral had been, where the team was quartered which he sometimes drove, and sometimes a former county officer, in his turn. He showed them where there had been coal pits burned, before the city of Embankment was even thought of, or the gold beds found. He pointed out the very frame of a frail structure, built by a retired clergyman, at an early day, for a meat market and so on, who, according to the saying of his rival neighbors, used to chop siusage meat all the week, and rehash an old sermon for Sunday.
Then, h'e indicated the spot, by an overhanging vine, and beneath shady oaks, where was built, by the same Professor The frst school who owned the team, in July, '49, the first house. school house in Embankment, where was taught, by a graduate of " Yale," the first day school, and begun the first Sabbath school, in the whole valley. But of that famous structure, at the end of three years, nearly every trace had disappeared. And those who once frequented it were scattered far and wide, from Orient to Occident ;
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and some slept their long sleep, in mountain graves, or among the coral beds of the green sea.
At the head of Third street was a spot, in ancient times known as the "tertimm quid," where was a tent in the autumn of '49, in which was a card table, a negress, and a seventh rate sable fiddler ; and there, all night long, was Symphonies and there, on the bare ground, such dancing, noise,
the fantastic toe.
music, and confusion, as might madden a mule, or excruciate a rhinoceros. In process of time, the " quid" became a " quarter," and was designated by the prefix of Guinea.
The population has increased in Guinea quarter, and the buildings have grown and multiplied ; but its character has scarcely improved; and thither the black "wave rolls nightly," and, dark as evening, is the cloud of negroes, shuffling rapidly. There they drink, smoke, and swear ; Practices in wear gold rings, heavy chains, and double vogue in quarter.
the repeaters, and sport cultivated mustachios ; gamble, curse, fisticuff, and shoot pistols ; dance, sing, quarrel, and call the police ; and, in fine, do all other acts and things which sable, free, and independent gentlemen may, of right, do, to place themselves on a level with their more bleached and angular brethren, of the city ; except that they are spared all concern about darkening the hue of their legs, or of painting their nasal organs with vermillion.
Going onward, they passed another stable, on the left, and various buildings for machinery, on the right; one of which looked like a coffee and spice mill. Mr. Sharp said he was once in such an establishment, prominently situated in San Fastopolis, and ere he was aware, he got beyond the " No Admittance,"? and, with his own eyes, he saw coffee
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"Pure, ground beans, and Chile beans, going together into the Java." coffee hopper to be ground ; and how in the world they got them apart afterward he did not see. He Hoped they were more on their guard here against such mistakes.
Passing one more stable, on the left, they came to an ancient corner, the oldest two story building in all the city, and onee owned by a man who came within a few votes of being Governor. It seemed, in recent months, to have
An ancient degenerated in the character of its occupants ; corner. but of the present ones Mr. Antiquary said he knew nothing. He was sorry to see them, by the new embankment, turning the whole corner so decidedly out of town, without touching it; but he supposed it could not be helped. They passed on, by the ferry landing, the fish place, the bath house, and the water works, to the old Sutter reserve, which the Pioneer had kept as a landing place for his canoes, seows, Indians, and so on, in all time to come , in case he should need some such spot, for the exclusive use and behoof of himself and his retinues. They visited the breach through the embankment, made on a certain fearful night, whereof no pilot sings ; and saw also the spot where the first little steam craft that rippled the stream, tied up, and surrendered her cargo, at the mouth of the outlet of Lake Sutter.
Turning back, they walked along the famous levee, and looked across to the town on the opposite shore, lying quietly in its easy dignity, as if in haste about nothing. Then Mr. Antiquary called their attention to a lot, from Another venera- which a spacious building had recently gone, ble edifice. by demolition. It was once set up for a grist mill, on the American river, but was removed to town, and
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known last as the " City Hotel," and took its place there in September of '49, the great lion of the town in those days, and it was kept by Messrs, Birdsnare & Cook. Mr. Antiquary remembered a certain marriage there solemnized by a sickly young minister, at which were present a renowned wed. gentleman of the bar, and others. He had not
The first
ding.
seen the parties since; but it was an affair with peculiarities ; a thing to be remembered quite as long as the building itself. A little farther on, was the site of the oldest "round tent," the grand saloon of the day, where cards were shuffled, fortunes were lost, brains were addled, passions were fired, heart, and hope, and honor were blighted, and ruined mortals enrsed theie day. And hard by it, was the site of the old Eagle theater, so The first thea, carly in vogue, and so carly eating up the ter. proprietors' fortunes. It was constructed of wood and cloth ; but Mr. Antiquary was never inside of it. He might, however, have cut his way in, as others were thought to have done, though one could hear as well outside as if he were in. Beyond this, in the centre of the block, had been also, in the same days, a noted restaurant, with gauze, gimp, and frippery, about the windows-how costly and magnificent in those days! It was called the White house. White House for its paint; and, though kept by a colored man, was decidedly in the fashion, and patronized by great men, rich men, swelling men, and dashing men, with money to spare.
They were now opposite the main thoroughfare of Em- bankment, and were looking down through the long vista, all alive with business and bustle, when there dashed around the corner, on which stood the very oldest tenement in the city, now the shabbiest and meanest of all places to look
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on, two gentlemen on horseback, seldom seen together, although they were copartners in the practice of law. They were not old, nor handsome ; not quite old enough yet to be Attorneys at law. out of the conceit of their power to captivate the most unimpassioned and reserved of the lovelier sex. Mr. Sharp said he knew them well. Their names were Garnish and Gripe. They were from different sections of the Union, originally, were of opposite politics, went to different churches, when they condescended to go at all, never boarded at the same place, nor dressed alike, nor did they seem to have any natural affinities.
Mr. Sharp said, that business and profits made strange bedfellows. It was convenient to have a law firm in sym- pathy with both sides in politics ; and he had known in- Principles, not stances in which the two associated had been nien. previously on the same side, and had flipped up a quarter to decide which of them should go over to the other. These arrangements of convenience were not to be overlooked, in any line of business. There would be, fre- quently, an out door man, and an in door man ; a writing man, and a talking man; one to get business, another to do it ; one to work, another to play; one to do the spreeing, another to keep up the dignity ; one to be "hail fellow well met," at all sorts of places, the other to move only in select cireles ; one to do the affable and enact the agreeable, the other to be stern, to frown. and to brow beat ; one to be the Garnish, the other to act the Gripe. It is a great city, no doubt, this of ours, said Mr. Sharp, but there are some little things of this sort we don't yet understand fully, and various private arrangements, that would make a sensation, could they all at once be revealed.
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