Lost Journals of a Pioneer.—III [pp. 276-287]

The Lost Journals of a Pioneer.
while the charge for bunks in the dirty tiers
of the inferior lodging houses, the price was
one dollar, and some one and one-half dollars. Now the charge in the best houses
for single rooms is one dollar, and meals the
same; and passing up I Street, I noticed
this morning a house on the slough having
the sign, "Lodging, twenty-five cents." The
[bunks] are of course numerous in each
apartment; but they are as good, and, in
fact, [better], than those we paid two and
one-half dollars for in I850.... The
change itself is worth noting, by way of a
contrast that exhibits in strong light the advancement made in California in comfort
and home character, the alteration from sojourners to fixed inhabitants, that five years
of settlement have made. Another year will
bring us very nearly to eastern prices in all
things.
Friday, 5th Canuary, i855.-Snow for
twenty minutes this morning-the first seen
in Sacramento since its settlement.
Saturday, -3th _anuary.-The House of
Assembly has distinguished itself by insulting the ministers of the [Gospel] by passing
a resolution inviting them to open the sessions with prayer, and including a Mormon
elder by name among them.... The excuse and justification for this unworthy conduct is, that our laws give equality to all
religions; but this is not an excuse, since
the laws do not countenance crime, promul gate polygamy,... or any doctrineviolating
moral right or destruction of social order.
Wednesday, 21st March.-The Act for the
prohibition of the sale of intoxicating liquors
was the special order of the day in the As sembly today. Mr. Butffum, of San Fran cisco, a "Know-Nothing," introduced a pro viso "that the provisions of this Act shall
not apply to wine manufactured from grapes
grown in this State." This enabled a num ber who were pledged to vote for the law,
but who were opposed,. to resist it. Mr.
Buffum advocated grape culture as a substi tute for whisky. Mr. Gober, of Santa Clara,
who introduced the bill, drawn by Mr. Ely
and myself (by his request), replied, opposing
the proviso and sustaining the original bill.
Mr. Smith, of Marin, supported the bill and
opposed the proviso, making the best speech
delivered during the debate. After he had
spoken about ten minutes, some person sent
in a glass of brandy and placed it upon the
desk before him, producing a general laugh
(he not being a temperance man in practice).
After recovering from the laughter produced
by the appearance of the liquor from under
the paper that concealed it, he concluded
the portion of his speech on which he was
engaged; and remarking that some one had
furnished him with a text, made an excellent
argument in favor of the law from the glass,
to the evident discomfiture of the authors of
the trick. Mr. Terrall, of San Diego, supported the proviso and opposed the bill, saying his county of three hundred voters were
vine-dressers.... After some other speaking and several attempts to adjourn, the
proviso was adopted. Mr. Gober, after this
vote, came to me and asked what they should
do. I said to kill the bill, in which he
agreed with me, and moved to strike out the
enacting clause.... The motion was lost,
and the previous question being moved, the
bill with the proviso was adopted.... The
clause submitting the question of prohibition to the people remains in the bill,
which, I fear, will pass the Senate as it stands.
... It will delay the passage of a prohibitory law nearly two years, unless we succeed
in defeating this in the Senate, and so remodelling Tuttle's bill as to make it identical,
or nearly so, with the bill introduced by the
Committee on Vice and Immorality. I have
very, very feeble hopes of being able to do
this.
Tuesday, 3d April. The progress of the
temperance reformation does not appear to
be great in this State, as we look upon individuals and enumerate the houses in which
liquors are sold,... and notwithstanding
the number of Divisions of the Sons of Temperance recently organized, the amount of
drunkards and drunkenness does not appear
diminished; yet the dread which the political
papers exhibit of our influence, and the
eagerness with which politicians are crowding into the Sons of Temperance, shows that
278
[March,