It was a splendid population - for all the slow, sleepy, sluggish-brained sloths stayed at home - you never find that sort of people among pioneers - you cannot build pioneers out of that sort of material. It was that population that gave to California a name for getting up astounding enterprises and rushing them through with a magnificent dash and daring and a recklessness of cost or consequences, which she bears unto this day - and when she projects a new surprise the grave world smiles as usual and says, "Well, that is California all over.

It used to take me all vacation to grow a new hide in place of the one they flogged off me during school term.

He is useless on top of the ground; he ought to be under it, inspiring the cabbages.

The ignorant are afraid to betray surprise or admiration...they think it ill manners.

Who are we to create a heaven and hell for ourselves, excluding animals and plants in the bargain, just because we have the power to rationalize?

The Mississippi River will always have its own way; no engineering skill can persuade it to do otherwise.

He was endowed with a stupidity which by the least little stretch would go around the globe four times and tie.