e in San Francisco between Charley Brian's ever
victorious horse, Lodi, and a colt of the celebrated stallion Lexington,
named Norfolk, for which Joe Winters of Carson had paid fifteen thousand
and _one_ dollars to the owner of Lexington,--Lord Bob Alexander of
Kentucky,--especially to make the race with Lodi. The $15,001 was
exacted by the owner of Lexington, because he had been laughed at for
paying $15,000 for Lexington when he was old and blind, and had said he
would sell his colts for more than he had paid for their sire. This
race, of course, created an immense excitement. At least twenty thousand
people went to see it, and everybody on the Pacific Coast from the
forty-ninth parallel to the Mexican line had a bet on the result. Lodi
was beaten, and as Nevada was the victor, and I knew all about
Lexington, I wrote several essays on race horses in general and Norfolk
in particular.

The office of sheriff of our county was a very hazardous one, every
incumbent of it prior to the then holder having "died with his boots
on." Tim Smith, who filled the office when I was there, and had shown
desperate courage on several occasions in the performance of his duties,
had gained my admiration and friendship, and afforded me a good text,
and I wrote him up.

There was an ex-governor of California residing in Carson with whom I
became intimate, and on one occasion I wrote him up; and last, but not
least, I made the acquaintance of a beautiful and accomplished lady
living in the town, and as such a person was a phenomenon in that rude
land, I was inspired to write her up, and did so in the following poem:

"This descriptive epigram is dedicated to the most beautiful
woman in Carson City, by the editor:

"Gorgeous tresses, exquisitely arrayed;
Noble brow where intellect's displayed;
Liquid eyes that penetrate the heart;
Teeth of pearl, whose brilliancy impart
To the whole expression of the face
A ray of love, a fascinating sense of grace.
A bust--but here presumptuous mortal stay:
Let artist gods this beauteous bust portray;
Splendor, royalty, magnificence combined,
A Venus in Diana's arms entwined.
The tiny hand, so soft, so pure, so white,
Robs its emerald gem of half its light.
The secret charms beneath her robe-folds hidden,
Like heavens' joys to mortal eyes forbidden,
Are dimly outlined to our rapturous gaze,
Like veiled statues through a marble