st. It is
vain to tell them that such are not specimens of American gentlemen.
They will answer, "They call themselves gentlemen, and you receive them
in your houses as such." It is utterly impossible for foreigners to
thoroughly comprehend and make due allowance for that want of delicacy,
and that vulgar "I'm as good as you are" spirit, which is, it must be
confessed, peculiar to the lower classes of our people, and which would
lead the majority of them to--

Enter a palace with their old felt hat on;
To address the King with the title of Mister,
And ask him the price of the throne he sat on.

The class of men who rule society(?) in the mines are the gamblers,
who, for the most part, are reckless, bad men, although, no doubt,
there are many among them whose only vice is that fatal love of play.
The rest of the people are afraid of these daring, unprincipled
persons, and when they commit the most glaring injustice against the
Spaniards, it is generally passed unnoticed.

We have had innumerable drunken fights during the summer, with the
usual amount of broken heads, collar-bones, stabs, etc. Indeed, the
sabbaths are almost always enlivened by some such merry event. Were it
not for these affairs, I might sometimes forget that the sweet day of
rest was shining down upon us.

Last week the dead body of a Frenchman was found in the river, near
Missouri Bar. On examination of the body it was the general opinion
that he had been murdered. Suspicion has, as yet, fallen upon no person.

LETTER _the_ NINETEENTH

[_The_ PIONEER, _August_, 1855]

MURDER, THEFT, RIOT, HANGING, WHIPPING, ETC.

SYNOPSIS

Three weeks of excitement at Indian Bar. Murders, fearful accidents,
bloody deaths, whippings, hanging, attempted suicide, etc. A
sabbath-morning walk in the hills. Miners' ditch rivaling in beauty the
work of nature. Fatal stabbing by a Spaniard. Afterwards parades street
with a Mexicana, brandishing a long bloody knife. His pursuit by and
escape from the infuriated Americans. Unfounded rumor of conspiracy of
Spaniards to murder Americans. Spaniards barricade themselves. Grief of
Spanish woman over corpse of murdered man. Miners arrive from Rich Bar.
Wild cry for vengeance, and for expulsion of Spaniards. The author
prevailed upon to retire to place of safety. Accidental discharge of
gun when drunken owner of vile resort attempts to force way through
armed guard. Two seriously wounded. Sobering effect