the American Rancho. Its primitive furniture, etc. Political
visitors. The convention. Horse-racing and gambling. The author goes to
Greenwood's Rancho. More primitive furniture and lack of accommodations.
Misplaced benevolence of Bostonians. Should transfer their activities
to California.

LETTER _the_ TWENTY-SECOND PAGE 317

THE OVERLAND TIDE OF IMMIGRATION

Exoneration of landlords for conditions at Greenwood's Rancho. The
American Valley. Prospective summer resort. Prodigious vegetables. New
England scenery compared with that of California. Greenwood's Rancho.
Place of origin of quartz hoax. Beautiful stones. Recruiting-place of
overland immigrants. Haggard immigrant women. Death and speedy burial
on the plains. Handsome young widow immigrant. Aspirants to matrimony
candidates for her hand. Interesting stories of adventures on the
plains. Four women, sisters or sisters-in-law, and their thirty-six
children. Accomplished men. Infant prodigies. A widow with eight sons
and one daughter. Primitive laundering, but generous patrons. The
bloomer costume appropriate for overland journey. Dances in barroom.
Unwilling female partners. Some illiterate immigrants. Many intelligent
and well-bred women. The journey back to Indian Bar. The tame frog in
the rancho barroom. The dining-table a bed at night. Elation of the
author on arriving at her own log cabin.

LETTER _the_ TWENTY-THIRD PAGE 335

MINING FAILURES--DEPARTURE FROM INDIAN BAR

Dread of spending another winter at Indian Bar. Failure of nearly all
the fluming companies. Official report of one company. Incidental
failure of business people. The author's preparations to depart.
Prediction of early rains. High prices cause of dealers' failure to lay
in supply of provisions. Probable fatal results to families unable to
leave Bar. Rain and snow alternately. The Squire a poor weather
prophet. Pack-mule trains with provisions fail to arrive. Amusement
found in petty litigation. Legal acumen of the Squire. He wins golden
opinions. The judgment all the prevailing party gets. What the
constable got in effort to collect judgment. Why Dr. C.'s fee was not
paid. A prescription of "calumny and other pizen doctor's stuff". A
wonderful gold specimen in the form of a basket. "Weighs about two
dollars and a half". How little it takes to make people comfortable. A
log-cabin meal and its table-service. The author