What surprised me was the good humor which prevailed everywhere. It
was a vast picnic, full of amusing incidents. Everybody was in high
glee; fortunes were supposedly within reach; everything was booming.
On the tops of the derricks floated flags on which strange mottoes
were displayed. I remember looking down toward the river and seeing
two men working their treadles boring for oil upon the banks of the
stream, and inscribed upon their flag was "Hell or China." They were
going down, no matter how far.
The adaptability of the American was never better displayed than in
this region. Order was soon evolved out of chaos. When we visited the
place not long after we were serenaded by a brass band the players of
which were made up of the new inhabitants along the creek. It would be
safe to wager that a thousand Americans in a new land would organize
themselves, establish schools, churches, newspapers, and brass
bands--in short, provide themselves with all the appliances of
civilization--and go ahead developing their country before an equal
number of British would have discovered who among them was the highest
in hereditary rank and had the best claims to leadership owing to his
grandfather. There is but one rule among Americans--the tools to those
who can use them.
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