SALE OF MINERAL LANDS. 441 



some awkward girl just entering her teens, without education 

 or experience in society, and entirely incompetent to take 

 charge of kitchen or nursery. The scarcity of wives and mar- 

 ried women converts many men into temj)ters, and they must 

 cause much misery. And women, knowing that they are 

 scarce, and therefore in demand, are incited to calculate the 

 chances and the profits of fidelity and chastity as compared 

 with infidelity and infamy. Family quarrels often ensue, and 

 the state has a sad notoriety for the frequency of its separa- 

 tions and divorces. A trustworthy gentleman informs me 

 that, during a visit to a mining town in a remote part of the 

 state, about seven years ago, he was informed that there were 

 in the town one hundred and twenty-seven women, forty-nine 

 of whom, though married, were living with men not their hus- 

 bands. The case is certainly without a parallel, in the state or 

 elsewhere ; but the condition of afiairs in this respect has 

 changed very much for the better since 1855. 



The want of families, and the comparative scarcity of intel- 

 ligent and good women, deprive the community of many of the 

 most wholesome pleasures and ennobling influences which are 

 found in other states. The man who has no wife or sweet- 

 heart to work for is improvident ; and, unchecked by such 

 public opinion as can reign only Avhere well-regulated families 

 are numerous and society permanent, he gives himself up to 

 dissipation, feeling confident that none of his neighbors will 

 cut his acquaintance on that account. 



As the people are among strangers, and do not expect to re- 

 main among them long, reputation loses its value, and public 

 opinion its power ; and thus forces of great influence in pre- 

 serving the good order of society elsewhere have compara- 

 tively little influence in the mines. 



The scarcity of families and the consequent unstable state 

 of society make servant-girls shy of the country, and the few 

 here demand enormous wages — five and six times greater than 

 in New York. This may at first sight appear to be a fact 

 of little importance, but it has really driven thousands of fam- 

 ]9* 



