LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF LIFE ON THE PACn "iC
COAST.
Lights and Shadows of Life on the Pacific Coast. By S. D. Woods. (Funk and Wagnalls. 5s. net.)—The son of a Massa- chusetts Presbyterian minister, Mr. Woods was born shortly before the Gold Rush of '49. The Mission Board despatched James Woods to Stockton, tho distributing centre for the southern mines, and the family made the voyage round Cape Horn to California, a terrible experience as it proved. We have some interesting chapters on the early history of San Francisco, careful and finished portraits of the celebrated lawyers, journalists, judges and bankers of the day ; the famous characters of the theatres, and the social life of the period which followed the First Vigilance Committee down to the end of the last century. To none of these well-known men did the Golden State owe more than to the great sheriffs, Tom Cunningham and Bill Thorne. Mr. Woods was too young to have really known the early fifties, the great gold days, properly, yet he can give us a true and substantially accurate pic- ture of those stirring times. Very charming is his account of Californian life " Before the Days of Gold." Perhaps the most in- teresting chapter is "the Old Californian Theatre." We must recollect that a galaxy of talent visited California, actors and prime donne and dancers, and prices of admission were most moderate and bore no comparison to the usual extravagant rate of living. We like the last chapters best, with their tale of expeditions into re- moter California and their atmosphere of scenery and pastoral life. The prolonged personal note, the glowing colours of portraiture become a little wearisome. All the men mentioned seem giants to the author, and Mr. Woods's pen is tipped with the precious metal. It is an interesting book and always readable, if somewhat florid. It is California, but it is not quite the California of Bret Harts.
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