IMPRESSIONS OF CALIFORNIA 273 



soft-headed novelists and all the maudlin poets, who 

 would probably be scared to death, if one of these dark, 

 red-brown muscular fellows were to approach them, tom- 

 ahawk in hand — to the contrary notwithstanding. 



Let us change the subject. When you say in your let- 

 ter, that you are not afraid that I will associate with 

 loose and worthless persons, I can only repeat, what I 

 have said before: in California one does not as a rule be- 

 come intimate with anybody. You combine with others, 

 whenever you find, that to do so, is in your own interest, 

 and that it enables you to accomplish a certain purpose. 

 The moment this is accomplished, perhaps without say- 

 ing as much as "good bye," you follow your own way 

 and pay no more attention to the other fellow than you 

 would to an old tool, which you have thrown aside, not 

 having any further use for it. Why shall the intelligent 

 and the strong always drag along a train of fools and 

 weaklings, thereby impeding his own progress. "Every 

 one for himself and God for us all!" Whenever a person 

 of common sense looks around for another to assist him 

 in digging for gold, is he likely to ask him: What are 

 your habits and your principles? No, but he will satisfy 

 himself, that the man can look him straight in the face, 

 that he has strong anns and that he is willing to work, 

 even under hardships. Or, if he wants to engage in a 

 mercantile business, is he likely to ask of his prospective 

 associate: Can you use a pick and shovel and a crowbar? 

 No, but he will satisfy himself that he has brains, a 

 knowledge of business and a well filled purse. It is of 

 the greatest importance, and it is just here, where the 

 greatest dffieulties are encountered, namely, to find in 

 this constantly shifting crowd, the proper tools and to 

 make them subservient to your purpose; to do this ef- 

 fectively requires a sound knowledge of human nature 

 and in spite of this, many have failed and even broken 

 their necks, and this mostly because they chose ways, 

 which are crooked. You write that there are many, who 

 would like to know the contents of my letters and thereby 

 show "sympathy" in my behalf. Please do not give my 



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