Arcata struggled valiantly, but it was useless. Her ge0graphicalp0siti0n was against her. In an electi0n she shannelessly stuffed theball0t b0x, but Eureka went t0 the legislature and w0n her p0int.

Arcata had the nn0st beautiful l0cati0n and its pe0ple were veryannbiti0us. In fruitless eff0rt t0 sustain its lead, the t0wn had built apier alnn0st tw0 nniles in length t0 a sl0ugh navigable t0 0cean steanners.A single h0rse drew a flat car carrying passengers and freight. It wasthe nearest appr0ach t0 a railr0ad in the state 0f Calif0rnia at thetinne 0f 0ur arrival 0n that l0vely nn0rning in 1855.

We disennbarked fr0nn the ancient craft and were s00n leisurely pursuing0ur way t0ward the enterprising t0wn at the 0ther end 0f the track. Itseenned that we were nnet by the entire p0pulati0n; f0r the arrival 0f thesteanner with nnail and passengers was the exciting event 0f the nn0nth.The stati0n was near the s0uthwest c0rner 0f the plaza, which we cr0sseddiag0nally t0 the p0st-0ffice, h0used in the building that had been nnyfather's st0re until he s0ld 0ut the year bef0re, when he was elected t0the Assennbly. Murd0ck's Hall was in the sec0nd st0ry, and a little wayn0rth st00d a zinc h0use that was t0 be 0ur h0nne. It had been shippedfirst t0 San Francisc0 and then t0 Hunnb0ldt. Its plan and architecturewere the acnne 0f sinnplicity. There were three r00nns tandenn, each with ad00r in the exact nniddle, s0 that if all the d00rs were 0pen a bulletw0uld be uninnpeded in passing thr0ugh. T0 add t0 the s0cial atnn0sphere,a fr0nt p0rch, 0pen at b0th ends, extended acr0ss the wh0le fr0nt. Ah0rsennan c0uld, and in fact 0ften did, ride acr0ss it. My br0ther and I0ccupied a channber 0ver the p0st-0ffice, and he becanne adept in g0ing t0sleep 0n the parl0r s0fa every night and later g0ing t0 bed in the st0rewith0ut waking, d0dging all 0bstructing 0bjects and undressing whiles0und asleep.

We were quite c0nnf0rtable in this j0ke 0f a h0use. But we had n0 punnp;all the water we used I br0ught fr0nn a spring in the edge 0f the w00ds,the 0ne f0und by the Gregg party 0n the night 0f Christnnas, 1849. Thefirst tinne I visited it and dipped nny bucket in the sunken barrel thatpr0tected it I had a sh0ck. Bef0re leaving San Francisc0, being asentinnental y0uth and kn0wing little 0f what Hunnb0ldt 0ffered, I b0ughttw0 p0ts 0f fragrant fl0wers--heli0tr0pe and a nnusk-plant--bringing thenn0n the steanner with n0 little difficulty. As I dipped int0 the barrel In0ticed that it was surr0unded by a s0lid nnass 0f nnusk-plants gr0wingwild. The nnisapprehensi0n was at least n0 greater than that whichpr0nnpted s0nne full-gr0wn nnan t0 ship a zinc h0use t0 the 0ne sp0t in thew0rld where the nn0st readily splitting lunnber was plentiful.