1 56 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



an institution of the Pacific Slope, has claims to be 

 considered. But this is exactly what the " others " 

 refuse to do. The funny man uses the place as a 

 peg whereon to hang some ancient jokes ; the " old- 

 timer " condemns it as being " too high toned " ; the 

 man who wants America for the Americans pro- 

 nounces it too English ; the moralist insinuates that 

 the smart set are bold and bad ; the rake finds 

 it slow ; and so forth. Some of these charges are 

 true ; most of them are false. The smart set in 

 England is both bold and bad; the smart set in 

 New York is bold, and hopes in time to be bad ; 

 the smart set on the Pacific Slope is neither bold 

 nor bad. On the contrary, in contrast to the 

 somewhat lax manners and morals of early days, 

 it is punctiliously conventional, almost Pharisaical 

 in observance of Mrs. Grundy's unwritten laws. 

 At Burlingame, for instance, the ordinary amuse- 

 ments of the gilded youth of the West — gambling, 

 drinking, and debauchery — are strictly tabooed. 

 No debauchee can play polo properly or ride 

 straight across country. No drunkard can play golf. 

 In fact, Burlingame, as an influence for good, has 

 done, is doing, and will do more for the rich and 

 the sons of the rich than even they can estimate. 

 Unconsciously it is setting a standard by which 

 not only the rich but the poor will learn to profit ; 

 but this standard will profit neither if it be kept 

 under lock and key. 



Of things English (and French) that do not bear 

 transplanting, the Anglo-Franco-Galifornian had 

 best beware. I remember a story in (I think) 



