62 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



fornia by Spanish possession (1769-1822) and by 

 Mexican possession (1822-1846) consisted in holding 

 the country for American occupation in 1846. It 

 was loosely but still sufficiently held by Spanish pos- 

 session and prestige to exclude adverse entrance. 

 The agriculture and rural life was that of old Spain, 

 expanded and rendered heroic by the abundance of 

 rich land and of servile labor to be had for the 

 taking and the very few adventurous settlers at hand 

 to take them. These few naturally surfeited them- 

 selves with land and free labor and established over 

 the areas they occupied a system of agriculture and 

 a form of rural life wholly at variance with the 

 American standards developed in the Atlantic states 

 and being rapidly carried westward beyond the Mis- 

 sissippi River. California was as loosely held agri- 

 culturally by the people of Spanish birth and descent 

 as it was politically, and both holdings disappeared 

 together on American occupation. 



Although the few Americans who came to Cali- 

 fornia before the gold discovery in 1848 and the 

 throng which poured into the State immediately 

 afterwards included the most adventurous, the pre- 

 vailing sentiment among them (except with a small 

 percentage of the swash-buckling and criminal classes 

 that was speedily suppressed) was to pursue under- 

 takings honorably with regard to human rights, to 

 establish enterprises on the basis of thrift and effi- 

 ciency and to develop a State of high ideals, socially 

 and industrially. In thrift and efficiency there were 

 broader views and more expansive methods than in 



