Josh…lights and with nothing to see the gloom by save the sickly；
guttering tallow candle； were two or three yellow； long…tailed
vagabonds； coiled up on a sort of short truckle…bed； smoking opium；
motionless and with their lustreless eyes turned inward from excess
of satisfactionor rather the recent smoker looks thus； immediately
after having passed the pipe to his neighborfor opium…smoking is a
comfortless operation； and requires constant attention。 A lamp sits
on the bed； the length of the long pipe…stem from the smoker's
mouth； he puts a pellet of opium on the end of a wire； sets it on
fire； and plasters it into the pipe much as a Christian would fill a
hole with putty； then he applies the bowl to the lamp and proceeds
to smokeand the stewing and frying of the drug and the gurgling of
the juices in the stem would well…nigh turn the stomach of a statue。
John likes it； though； it soothes him； he takes about two dozen
whiffs； and then rolls over to dream； Heaven only knows what； for we
could not imagine by looking at the soggy creature。 Possibly in his
visions he travels far away from the gross world and his regular
washing； and feast on succulent rats and birds'…nests in Paradise。
Mr。 Ah Sing keeps a general grocery and provision store at No。 13 Wang
street。 He lavished his hospitality upon our party in the friendliest
way。 He had various kinds of colored and colorless wines and brandies；
with unpronouncable names； imported from China in little crockery jugs；
and which he offered to us in dainty little miniature wash…basins of
porcelain。 He offered us a mess of birds'…nests； also； small； neat
sausages； of which we could have swallowed several yards if we had chosen
to try； but we suspected that each link contained the corpse of a mouse；
and therefore refrained。 Mr。 Sing had in his store a thousand articles
of merchandise； curious to behold； impossible to imagine the uses of； and
beyond our ability to describe。
His ducks； however； and his eggs； we could understand； the former were
split open and flattened out like codfish； and came from China in that
shape； and the latter were plastered over with some kind of paste which
kept them fresh and palatable through the long voyage。
We found Mr。 Hong Wo； No。 37 Chow…chow street； making up a lottery
schemein fact we found a dozen others occupied in the same way in
various parts of the quarter； for about every third Chinaman runs a
lottery； and the balance of the tribe 〃buck〃 at it。 〃Tom；〃 who speaks
faultless English； and used to be chief and only cook to the Territorial
Enterprise； when the establishment kept bachelor's hall two years ago；
said that 〃Sometime Chinaman buy ticket one dollar hap； ketch um two tree
hundred； sometime no ketch um anything； lottery like one man fight um
seventymay…be he whip； may…be he get whip heself； welly good。〃
However； the percentage being sixty…nine against him； the chances are；
as a general thing； that 〃he get whip heself。〃 We could not see that
these lotteries differed in any respect from our own； save that the
figures being Chinese； no ignorant white man might ever hope to succeed
in telling 〃t'other from which；〃 the manner of drawing is similar to
ours。
Mr。 See Yup keeps a fancy store on Live Fox street。 He sold us fans of
white feathers； gorgeously ornamented； perfumery that smelled like
Limburger cheese； Chinese pens； and watch…charms made of a stone
unscratchable with steel instruments； yet polished and tinted like the
inner coat of a sea…shell。 As tokens of his esteem； See Yup presented
the party with gaudy plumes made of gold tinsel and trimmed with
peacocks' feathers。
We ate chow…chow with chop…sticks in the celestial restaurants； our
comrade chided the moon…eyed damsels in front of the houses for their
want of feminine reserve； we received protecting Josh…lights from our
hosts and 〃dickered〃 for a pagan God or two。 Finally； we were impressed
with the genius of a Chinese book…keeper； he figured up his accounts on a
machine like a gridiron with buttons strung on its bars； the different
rows represented units； tens； hundreds and thousands。 He fingered them
with incredible rapidityin fact； he pushed them from place to place as
fast as a musical professor's fingers travel over the keys of a piano。
They are a kindly disposed； well…meaning race； and are respected and well
treated by the upper classes； all over the Pacific coast。 No Californian
gentleman or lady ever abuses or oppresses a Chinaman； under any
circumstances； an explanation that seems to be much needed in the East。
Only the scum of the population do itthey and their children； they；
and； naturally and consistently； the policemen and politicians； likewise；
for these are the dust…licking pimps and slaves of the scum； there as
well as elsewhere in America。
CHAPTER LV。
I began to get tired of staying in one place so long。
There was no longer satisfying variety in going down to Carson to report
the proceedings of the legislature once a year； and horse…races and
pumpkin…shows once in three months； （they had got to raising pumpkins and
potatoes in Washoe Valley； and of course one of the first achievements of
the legislature was to institute a ten…thousand…dollar Agricultural Fair
to show off forty dollars' worth of those pumpkins inhowever； the
territorial legislature was usually spoken of as the 〃asylum〃）。 I wanted
to see San Francisco。 I wanted to go somewhere。 I wantedI did not
know what I wanted。 I had the 〃spring fever〃 and wanted a change；
principally； no doubt。 Besides； a convention had framed a State
Constitution； nine men out of every ten wanted an office； I believed that
these gentlemen would 〃treat〃 the moneyless and the irresponsible among
the population into adopting the constitution and thus well…nigh killing
the country （it could not well carry such a load as a State government；
since it had nothing to tax that could stand a tax； for undeveloped mines
could not； and there were not fifty developed ones in the land； there was
but little realty to tax； and it did seem as if nobody was ever going to
think of the simple salvation of inflicting a money penalty on murder）。
I believed that a State government would destroy the 〃flush times；〃 and I
wanted to get away。 I believed that the mining stocks I had on hand
would soon be worth 100；000； and thought if they reached that before the
Constitution was adopted； I would sell out and make myself secure from
the crash the change of government was going to bring。 I considered
100；000 sufficient to go home with decently； though it was but a small
amount compared to what I had been expecting to return with。 I felt
rather down…hearted about it； but I tried to comfort myself with the
reflection that with such a sum I could not fall into want。 About this
time a schoolmate of mine whom I had not seen since boyhood； came
tramping in on foot from Reese River； a very allegory of Poverty。
The son of wealthy parents； here he was； in a strange land； hungry；
bootless； mantled in an ancient horse…blanket； roofed with a brimless
hat； and so generally and so extravagantly dilapidated that he could have
〃taken the shine out of the Prodigal Son himself；〃 as he pleasantly
remarked。
He wanted to borrow forty…six dollarstwenty…six to take him to San
Francisco； and twenty for something else； to buy some soap with； maybe；
for he needed it。 I found I had but little more than the amount wanted；
in my pocket； so I stepped in and borrowed forty…six dollars of a banker
（on twenty days' time； without the formality of a note）； and gave it him；
rather than walk half a block to the office； where I had some specie laid
up。 If anybody had told me that it would take me two years to pay back
that forty…six dollars to the banker （for I did not expect it of the
Prodigal； and was not disappointed）； I would have felt injured。 And so
would the banker。
I wanted a change。 I wanted variety of some kind。 It came。 Mr。 Goodman
went away for a week and left me the post of chief editor。 It destroyed
me。 The first day； I wrote my 〃leader〃 in the forenoon。 The second day；
I had no subject and put it off till the afternoon。 The third day I put
it off till evening； and then copied an elaborate editorial out of the
〃American Cyclopedia；〃 that steadfast friend of the editor； all over this
land。 The fourth day I 〃fooled around〃 till midnight； and then fell back
on the Cyclopedia again。 The fifth day I cudgeled my brain till
midnight； and then kept the press waiting while I penned some bitter
personalities on six different people。 The sixth day I labored in
anguish till far into the night and brought forthnothing。 The paper
went to press without an editorial。 The seventh day I resigned。 On the
eighth； Mr。 Goodman returned and found six duels on his handsmy
personalities had borne fruit。
Nobody； except he has tried it； knows what it is to be an editor。 It is
easy to scribble local rubbish； with the facts all before you； it is easy
to clip selections from other papers； it is easy to string out a
correspondence from any locality； but it is unspeakable hardship to write
editorials。 Subjects are the troublethe dreary lack of them； I mean。
Every day； it is drag； drag； dragthink； and worry and sufferall the
world is a dull blank； and yet the editorial columns must be filled。
Only give the editor a subject； and his work is doneit is no trouble to
write it up； but fancy how you would feel if you had to pump your brains
dry every day in the week； fifty…two weeks in the year。 It makes one low
spirited simply to think of it。 The matter that each editor of a daily
paper in America writes in the course of a year would fill from four to
eight bulky volumes like this book！ Fancy what a library an editor's
work would make； after twenty or thirty years' service。 Yet people often
marvel that Dickens； Scott； Bulwer； Dumas； etc。； have been able to
produce so many books。 If these authors had wrought as voluminously as
newspaper editors do； the result would be something to marvel at； indeed。
How editors