sides, and the sheep pastures.

His gifts to the city and to individuals amount to a present valuation
of over a million of dollars. Of the nine hundred acres of land which he
originally bought (a part of the Mexican grant) at twenty-seven cents an
acre, he owns but little.

But it is to his common sense, foresight, and business ability that the
present city owes much of its success; and it is interesting to hear him
tell of exciting adventures in "Poker Flat," and other places which Bret
Harte has worked up so successfully.

Lieut. George H. Derby is amusingly associated with "Old Town," the
former San Diego, three miles from the present city. He had offended
Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, by his irreverent wit, and was
punished by exile to this then almost unknown region, which he called
"Sandy Ague," chiefly inhabited by the flea, the horned toad, and the
rattlesnake. Mr. Ames, of the _Herald_, a democratic paper, asked Derby,
a stanch whig, to occupy the editorial chair during a brief absence. He
did so, changing its politics at once, and furnishing funny articles
which later appeared as "Phoenixiana," and ranked him with Artemus Ward
as a genuine American humorist. Here is his closing paragraph after
those preposterous somersaults and daring pranks as editor _pro tem_:

"Very little news will be found in the _Herald_ this week; the fact is,
there never is much news in it, and it is very well that it is so; the
climate here is so delightful that residents in the enjoyment of their
_dolce far niente_ care very little about what is going on elsewhere,
and residents of other places care very little about what is going on
in San Diego, so all parties are likely to be gratified with the little
paper, 'and long may it wave.'"

The present city has eighteen thousand inhabitants, twenty-three church
organizations, remarkably fine schools, a handsome opera-house, broad
asphalt pavements, electric lights, electric and cable cars,--a compact,
well-built city, from the fine homes on the Heights to the business
portion near the water.

In regard to society, I find that the "best society" is much the same
all over the civilized world. Accomplished, cultured, well-bred men and
women are found in every town and city in California. And distance from
metropolitan privileges makes people more independent, better able to
entertain themselves and their guests, more eagerly appreciative of the
best in every direction.