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81 the miners will spend sometimes - opportunity enough to bury the dead. It was a lesson reminding us of life's peculiarly uncertain tenure in this country. Deceased had a wife and eleven children in Missouri - owned a farm and store was doing well but must come to California - to improve even upon well. He came and has lost his life - O gold too dearly bought! gold too costly! Here dies a victim lingering out his last agonies - devoid of almost every comfort - which wife and children - so carefully use to smooth the dying bed. A life shortned - by too eager pursuit of treasure. This poor man has lingered several days in great pain - alternately praying God to have mercy upon his unsaved soul - and to let him die at once and thus drop his heavy load of bodily misery. I was over there two days ago. I saw a California scene. This dying - distressed man lay - on his cot - in another part of the room. Col Ramons drunk - and full of laugh and drunken good nature - talked to me - while several men stood about - cooking at the fire place as coming in or out the door. The dying was here but the living took no herd of it - they laughed and chatted on turning their backs on deaths unwelcome face. How then death lost his turns? is he no longer dreaded. So it would seem. In this land - men only shrug their shoulders turn, away and exclaim "I am glad it is not me. To day then was still another stronger scene. When the people were nearly all seated - in walks - the drunken lunatic Mose - and pace before the coffin - smoking a sigar - and bearing in his left hand a huge horse pistol. Perhaps he thought himself a military patrol - standing guard over the dead. He stops show signs of grief - and resumes his melencholy march. Returning from the grave we stopped at the waggon to see the hunatic Bvewirth. Sad spectacle of humanity! Some one shot him in his ankle for a midnight depredation. His foot and leg are mortified - and he is nigh to death. He sat in the far end of the waggon - wrapped in his blanket - "take these things" said he pointing to a plate with remains of food [?shinow?] "I shall want them no more! Seing a little girl go by - he thrusts his head beyond the ewing canvass top - "Little girl how do you do". Oh sweet little girl!" "Have you a girl at home"? "Oh yes - one just her