LAWS AND REGULATIONS. 245 3d. That all companies shall have the right to drain through claims, cuts, or flumes below them by paying damages, if any are sustained. It was unanimously resolved that the above laws be considered as additional to the former laws, passed at a previous meeting, governing Little Deer creek, and that they be published in the Nevada Journal. The following characteristic letter to the Nevada Journal speaks for itself: RED DOG, November 23, 1855. Mr Editor: Through the columns of your paper I wish to state a few of the grievances, and disadvantages under which we, in this district, as a mining community, have to labor. It has been proven to the satisfaction of all that the claims here will not remunerate us, as long as the present high price of water is sustained. But when we can purchase water for two bits an inch or less, we can make good wages and occasionally have a day of grace. We do not wish to make perfect slaves of ourselves to support a few men, and pay for the keeping of their fast horses, but we wish for a decrease in the price of water, in order that we may enjoy this life, without working so hard, as well as those fortunate enough to be ditch-owners. There were but two or three of the claims here that paid wages and water last winter, and the miners worked through all the storms. The most of us have signed an agreement not to pay over twenty-five cents an inch for water this season, and we think the ditch company will have to come to terms if they calculate to sell us any water this winter. The Chalk Bluff ditch company built a large reservoir last season to supply this place; perhaps you have heard of it. Well, it cost over $2000, and that will be a dead loss if they do not accede to reasonable terms. We must have a chance to save some of our hard earnings. If the ditch companies wont come down, the merchants must. Hoping these few lines may meet the eyes of the companies or their agents, and cause them to turn from the error of their ways ere it is too late, I subscribe myself, AN HONEST MINER. Let us now see how the miners defended what they regarded as their rights. In the summer of 1851 there were two large companies at work at Coloma. One, composed of Germans, known as the Tunnel company, was sued by the other for backing up water to their injury. The Tunnel company was ordered by the court to pay $200 and lower the dam. The court allowed them ten days; but as they refused to obey the decree, at the expiration of that time, on the 28th of July, 1851, Rogers, the sheriff, with a small posse proceeded to the dam, intending to tear it down. He found the place guarded by 150 armed men prepared to resist. The sheriff withdrew, but soon returned with 200 men. When he reached the grounds again, prepared to enforce the law, he found the Tunnel company had already learned of his movements, and yielding to necessity was tearing down the ob struction. Sheldon's rancho on the Cosumnes was the scene. of civil discord during the first days of July 1851. A dam had been built by Sheldon for the purpose of irrigating his land. But while a benefit to him, it was a great injury to the miners working on the river above, as the water flowed back on their claims; wherefore they rebelled and threatened to destroy his works. Sheldon, bringing 150 ranchmen to his support, with a six-pounder placed in position, prepared to resist the miners. The latter, however, in Sheldon's absence, spiked the cannon and took prisoner the man who had charge of it. Sheldon, upon his return, finding the miners advancing with axes to cut away the centre of the breastwork, undertook to defend the dam, and with twelve allies walked forward and took positions in different places. Sheldon then remonstrated with the miners, told them that they were trespassing on his property, and threatened death to the first man who should attempt to cut away the dam. Immediately a shot was fired from the besieging party, striking Johnson, one of Sheldon's adherents, and almost instantly killing him. Some one in the crowd exclaimed, "there, we've killed Johnson, now give it to Sheldon, give it to Sheldon!" Half a dozen guns were aimed at him, and he, too, fell dead. Another of his party was killed and two wounded. Several were taken prisoners, but speedily released. The number of miners is variously estimated at from forty to one hundred. They escaped with little or no injury. A difficulty arose at Park bar, about the middle of July 1851, over some mining claims. The authorities interfered, but were successfully resisted by seven men, who maintained their claim in a most defiant manner. The authorities then sent to Marysville for assistance, and two officers, McCloud and Bowen, came over to make an arrest, but were met by sixty belligerents, who, armed with pick-handles and stones, drove the LAWS AND REGULATIONS. 247 officers away. The deputy sheriff of Yuba county, with a posse of 150 men, then appeared at Park bar and arrested two or three of the leaders, who were taken to Marysville jail and dealt with according to law. The rebellion was subdued and no further difficulty ensued. CHAPTER X. CLASSICAL ABNORMITIES. Es musz auch solche Kauze geben. -Goethe. Ne nous emportons point contre les hommes en voyant leur ingratitude, leur injustice, leur fierté, l'amour d'eux-mêmes, et l'oubli des autres ; ils sont ainsi faits, c'est leur nature: s'en fâcher, c'est ne pouvoir supporter que la pierre tombe, ou que le feu s'élève. -La Bruyère Phantasia, non homo. - Petronius Arbiter. Mur.-We are men, my liege. Mac.-Ay, in the catalogue ye go for men. -Macbeth. HUMAN nature turned loose into an unfenced field cuts queer capers. This we have seen fully illustrated throughout our entire study of the California flush times. Why it does so, or from what turned loose, it does not know. It knows that it is loosened from something, and being like certain gases set free by certain salts, its behavior under the new conditions is peculiar. But the capers thus cut being of the first rank, and the most superior of their kind, may be called classical; being queer they may be called abnormal. Man's antics are but aberrations of development; they are a phase of physical and intellectual revolution whose origin and circumstance are according to conditions. Until to some extent set at liberty, human nature never knows that it has been bound; and when it begins to know and feel its bonds, it cannot tell by what powers it was enslaved. And even when its iron fet ters, firmly grasped, crumble in the hand, it wonders why it wore them so long. Who is man's master? Himself. The greatest master of the greatest mechanism. Self-control, more difficult than control of lightning, or other elemental force. What are the conditions of this self-subordination or self-slavery? Association. If man remained alone, he would have no use for such words as master, slave, as there would be no other subordination than to nature. Why then should man, the freest thing in nature, the only free and independent lord of all, why should he hunt so far and wide for powers under which to place himself in subjection? Until he has served a long apprenticeship, an apprenticeship of ages upon ages, ten thousand or ten millions of years, it will do no good to say to him, fool! devil-maker, god-maker, conscience-mauufacturer, morality-molder, why go you so far along the lane of blind stupidity, with eyes riveted on the ground, with fetters riveted on every natural and artificial element of your nature, refusing to see, feel, or think? Before the coming hither of the men of 'forty-nine, they were bound, tied body and soul by laws, traditions, and conventionalities. Here for a moment they were free, absolutely free, whereupon straightway they must forge for themselves new fetters. The migration of the gold-diggers marks an epoch in history ever to be remembered, and many times. more to be commented upon. Many of them travelled half way round the world to reach their destination; many reached the spot only to lay down their lives. What a mixture of matters! Gold-hunger and straining self-denial; ceaseless gnawing within, and sweet air and sunshine still running to waste without; and in the midst of all death, cold, relentless death, horrible termination to happy hopes! The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this should be! Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs |