HISTORY OP CALIFORNIA. 



261 



infectious. In some of the towns upon the coast, one 

 half of the buildings are occupied by persons who 

 have emigrated from the Eastern States; and the 

 contrast between their log and brick houses, and the 

 adobe houses of the Californians, is singular, and 

 seems as if the old dead looking trunk of the tree 

 had suddenly sent out new branches full of life and 

 freshness. 



All the vices consequent upon a heterogeneous 

 population, suddenly thrown together and stimulated 

 to an extraordinary degree of activity, have fully ex 

 hibited themselves in California. Nearly every body 

 in the mining regions carries deadly weapons of some 

 sort, and with the promptings of avarice, and the ex 

 citement of passion, many shocking, secret murders, 

 and many open, revengeful encounters are continually 

 occurring. The practice of carrying deadly weapons 

 can only be abolished when a stronger feeling of 

 security, induced by a confidence in the protection of 

 the laws, shall take the place of constant dread. The 

 mining population is of as mixed a character as that 

 in the commercial cities ; and national jealousies will 

 occur occasionally. The elation consequent upon suc 

 cessful gold digging and speculating, leads to excess 

 in drinking and gambling, and these lead to frequent 

 quarrels and deadly encounters. The remedy for 

 these things is only to be found in the reaction to 

 which a few years will lead, when the power of the 

 law shall be supreme throughout the gold region. 



The principal thing which has contributed in some 

 degree to influence the prospect and the labors of the 

 miners, is the government tax upon the foreigners 

 who wish to work upon the public lands in digging 

 and washing gold. The tax is certainly a just one, 



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