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CALIFORNIA ILLUSTRATED. 
success. They would occasionally have a day of recreation, 
when all the neighbors would expect to drink ; in fact, it was 
looked upon by all as a gala day, the amusements being of a 
rare and attractive character. The actors would generally drink 
just enough to exhibit their most prominent traits. Hogan 
was full of Shakspeare, and Tom of gunpowder; Charley, 
a true son of Neptune, would always imagine himself in a gale, 
and gQ aloft on the nearest tree; George would laugh ; Bill 
would sing, and Green would cry; Jack was a long, lank 
boy of nineteen; his eyes, on such occasioiis , had a peculiar way 
of closing themselves without his consent, and generally much 
against his will. The operation was somewhat like closing a 
lady’s work-bag with a draw-string. He would tell the “yarns,” 
and it was the only branch of the profession in which he was 
au fait. Hogan would give us a medley, made up of gems from 
“Macbeth,” “Bichard III.,” “Much Ado about Nothing,” and 
the “ Merry Wives of Windsor.” Tom would deploy into line 
for action, Charley would fall through the hatch, Jack would 
sell a magic hat to a Jew, while Prince, the cook, would be 
searching his pockets for yeast. On one occasion Jack was, in 
theatrical parlance , cast, in the after-piece, and he played his 
part with much spirit. He came to the store drunk, with a large 
sack on his shoulder, en route to the dry diggings. We tried to 
dissuade him from crossing the river that evening, but he was 
determined, and staggered down towards the crossing. We all 
followed, Dewey, being furnished with a lasso, to fish him out 
in case of accident. Jack was somewhat offended at the interest 
manifested in him, and mounted the log with an emphatic oath. 
He walked steadily until he had reached the middle of the 
stream, when, thinking no doubt that it was time to begin to 
climb the mountain, he raised his head, lost his balance, and 
fell in. The weight of the sack first took him to the bottom, 
but he soon rose to the surface, when Dewey threw the lasso, 
caught him around the neck, and drew him out. This was 
somewhat embarrassing to Jack, but he possessed too much 
courage, at this particular time, to give it up, and again mount¬ 
ed the log. This time he walked much farther, so that there 
should be no mistake about it, but he again looked up with the 
same result as before. The stream was very rapid, and was fast 
