ROMANCE OF CALIFORNIA LIFE Illustrated by Pacific Slope Stories, Thrilling, Pathetic and Humorous by JOHN HABBERTON Author Of "Helen's Babies" 1880 [Illustration: FRONTISPIECE] INTRODUCTION Many of the sketches contained in "Some Folks" were written by me during the past five years, and some of them published by Mr. Leslie in his _Illustrated Newspaper_ and his _Chimney Corner_, from which journals they have been collected by friends who believe that in these stories is displayed better workmanship than I have since done. For myself, I can claim for them only an unusual degree of that unliterary and unpopular quality called truthfulness. Although at present mildly tolerated in the East, I was "brought up" in the West, and have written largely from recollection of "some folks" I have known, veritable men and women, scenes and incidents, and otherwise through the memories of Western friends of good eyesight and hearing powers. Should any one accuse me of having imitated Bret Harte's style, I shall accept the accusation as a compliment, for I know of no other American story writer so worthy to be taken as a teacher by men who acceptably tell the stories of new countries. For occasionally introducing characters and motives that would not be considered disgraceful in virtuous communities, I can only plead in excuse the fact that, even in the New West, some folks will occasionally be uniformly thoughtful, respectable and honest, just as individuals sometimes are in the East. JOHN HABBERTON. NEW YORK, July 1st, 1877. To FRANK LESLIE, Who, while other publishers were advising the writer of these sketches to write, supplied the author with encouragement in the shape of a publishing medium and the lucre which all literary men despise but long for, this volume is respectfully dedicated by THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. THE SCHOOLTEACHER AT BOTTLE FLAT JIM HOCKSON'S REVENGE MAKING HIS MARK CODAGO THE LAST PIKE AT JAGGER'S BEND FIRST PRAYER AT HANNEY'S THE NEW SHERIFF OF BUNKER COUNTY MAJOR MARTT'S FRIEND BUFFLE MATALETTE'S SECTION A STORY OF TEN MILE GULCH CAPTAIN SAM'S CHANGE MISS FEWNE'S LAST CONQUEST MARKSON'S HOUSE GRUMP'S PET WARDELOW'S BOY TOM CHAFFLIN'S LUCK OLD TWITCHETT'S TREASURE BLIZZER'S WIFE A BOARDING-HOUSE ROMANCE RETIRING FROM BUSINESS THE HARDHACK MISTAKE THE CARMI CHUMS LITTLE GUZZY A ROMANCE OF HAPPY REST TWO POWERFUL ARGUMENTS MR. PUTCHETT'S LOVE THE MEANEST MAN AT BLUGSEY'S DEACON BARKER'S CONVERSION JOE GATTER'S LIFE INSURANCE THE TEMPERANCE MEETING AT BACKLEY JUDE A LOVE OF A COTTAGE THE BLEIGHTON RIVALS BUDGE AND TODDIE AT AUNT ALICE'S SAILING UP STREAM FREE SPEECH ILLUSTRATIONS FRONTISPIECE TOLEDO AND THE COMMITTEE'S VISIT "HE HELD IT UNDER THE LIGHT" "THEY FOUND HIM SENSELESS," ETC FINDING THE BABY THE GOLDEN HARVEST PASSING THE HAT EAST PATTEN THE ROUGH GREETING THE BABY'S NAME THE DESERTED COTTAGE THE PRAIRIE FARM AN INVITATION TO WAIT