366 RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



bling was in 1854 commonly and openly practised in all the 

 towns of the state ; now it is prohibited as a crime, and is 

 practised only in secret, and is a rare offence save in the 

 mining towns. Horse-racing is common, and the state has 

 some of the best thorough-bred horses in the world. Gam- 

 bling was from 1849 to 1854 a common public amusement in 

 all the towns and mining camps. In San Francisco a dozen of 

 the largest and finest halls on the first floor, with doors always 

 open to the street, and in several cases extending across whole 

 blocks and opening upon two opposite streets, were occupied 

 by gamblers, and were filled by crowds of people every day — 

 no exception for Sunday — from dark until long after midnight. 

 Fine bands of music and voluptuous pictures were among the 

 common attractions of these places, and some of the tables had 

 handsome women to deal the cards or gather in the money. 

 Gambling is now prohibited by law, but is practised openly in 

 the little mining towns. 



Some years ago bull-fights and fights of bears against bulls 

 were not uncommon, but they have gone out of favor, and 

 nothing is heard of such exhibitions now. 



§ 257. Luxurious Living. — The mode of living among Cali- 

 fornians is luxurious. They all try to make the most of life. 

 Everybody wants a neat house, elegant tableware, fine ma- 

 hogany furniture, Brussels carpets, and a good table. In the 

 towns especially, the people live well, even the poorer me- 

 chanics and common laborers. Every man dresses in broad- 

 cloth, and nearly every woman in silk. The exceptions are so 

 few as scarcely to be worthy of notice. Gold watches are 

 worn by draymen and washerwomen. In every occupation 

 men get rich, and stingy men and misers are rare. 



§ 258. Health. — Of the Americans in California, it may be 

 remarked that they generally have the same marks as the 

 Americans in the Eastern states. Their eyes are deep set, 

 their foreheads high, their features regular and finely cut, their 

 faces expressive and free from grimace, their lips thin, their 

 mouths grim, their bodies tall, slim, and slightly bent in the 



