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CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
I had resolved to engage in the mercantile business at this 
point, and having heard the present store was for sale, I called 
on the proprietor for his terms. They did not appear favorable, 
and I started the next morning for Sacramento, accompanied by 
my friend. We arrived that evening, and the next morning I 
commenced buying a stock. I was soon on my return. We 
were three days in reaching our destination, and such a time I 
We had a span of mules and a span of horses before the wagon, 
and a nice matched span of drivers. I paid $20 for an extra 
team on the route, and finally reached our destination. I de¬ 
posited my goods under a tree, having canvas with which I 
designed to erect a store. The next morning I succeeded in 
buying out the other store, and before night had possession. I 
now felt that I had the helm of a craft I knew how to manage, and 
was fairly at sea. I immediately hired a Frenchman as cook at 
$50 per week, and Tracy became a guest. I was now pleasantly 
situated, with every prospect of success. I soon purchased a share 
in the bar—paid $1,100. At this time it was yielding abund¬ 
antly, and I had every assurance of an ample remuneration. 
Throughout the country there is a strong propensity for gam¬ 
bling. People appear to engage in it for want of other amuse¬ 
ment. The store I had purchased had been used for the pur¬ 
pose every night since its construction, but it became so great a 
nuisance, I was obliged to prohibit it excepting on particular 
occasions. 
I here had an opportunity of seeing many of those strange ad¬ 
venturers who are met with only on the extreme frontiers, and 
who have as great an aversion to law and civilization as they 
have to the manacles of a prison. I had had the store but a 
few days, when one of these strange beings crossed my path. I 
must confess there was. nothing, at first sight, to attract my 
admiration. About nine in the morning I saw, approaching the 
store, a strange looking being, mounted on a gray horse, a 
poncho thrown over his shoulder, over which was slung a 
huge rifle, skins wrapped around his legs, a pair of Mexican 
spurs on, and a slouched hat which partially obscured his cop¬ 
per complexion. As he rode up, Tracy recognized him as an old 
mountaineer, whom he had seen in Santa Fe. After the recog¬ 
nition, Tracy says “Jim! whose horse is that?” Jim—“I’ll 
