AlittlecornerofUtahissoontraversed，andleavesnoparticularimpressionsonthemind。ByanearlyhouronWednesdaymorningwestoppedtobreakfastatToano，alittlestationonableak，high-
lyingplateauinNevada。Themanwhokeptthestationeating-housewasaScot，andlearningthatIwasthesame，hegrewveryfriendly，andgavemesomeadviceonthecountryIwasnowentering。\"Yousee，\"saidhe，\"Itellyouthis，becauseIcomefromyourcountry。\"Hail，britherScots!
Hismostimportanthintwasonthemoneysofthispartoftheworld。Thereissomethinginthesimplicityofadecimalcoinagewhichisrevoltingtothehumanmind；thustheFrench，insmallaffairs，reckonstrictlybyhalfpence；andyouhavetosolve，byaspasmofmentalarithmetic，suchposersasthirty-two，forty-five，orevenahundredhalfpence。InthePacificStatestheyhavemadeabolderpushforcomplexity，andsettletheiraffairsbyacointhatnolongerthatnolongerexists-theBIT，oroldMexicanreal。Thesupposedvalueofthebitistwelveandahalfcents，eighttothedollar。Whenitcomestotwobits，thequarter-dollarstandsfortherequiredamount。Buthowaboutanoddbit？Thenearestcointoitisadime，whichis，shortbyafifth。That，then，iscalledaSHORTbit。Ifyouhaveone，youlayittriumphantlydown，andsavetwoandahalfcents。Butifyouhavenot，andlaydownaquarter，thebar-keeperorshopmancalmlytendersyouadimebywayofchange；andthusyouhavepaidwhatiscalledaLONGBIT，andlosttwoandahalfcents，oreven，bycomparisonwithashortbit，fivecents。IncountryplacesalloverthePacificcoast，nothinglowerthanabitiseveraskedortaken，whichvastlyincreasesthecostoflife；asevenforaglassofbeeryoumustpayfivepenceorsevenpence-halfpenny，asthecasemaybe。Youwouldsaythatthissystemofmutualrobberywasasbroadasitwaslong；butIhavediscoveredaplantomakeitbroader，withwhichIhereendowthepublic。Itisbriefandsimple-radiantlysimple。Thereisoneplacewherefivecentsarerecognised，andthatisthepost-office。Aquarterisonlyworthtwobits，ashortandalong。Wheneveryouhaveaquarter，gotothepost-officeandbuyfivecentsworthofpostage-stamps；youwillreceiveinchangetwodimes，thatis，twoshortbits。Thepurchasingpowerofyourmoneyisundiminished。Youcangoandhaveyourtwoglassesofbeerallthesame；andyouhavemadeyourselfapresentoffivecentsworthofpostage-stampsintothebargain。BenjaminFranklinwouldhavepattedmeontheheadforthisdiscovery。
FromToanowetravelledalldaythroughdesertsofalkaliandsand，horribletoman，andbaresage-brushcountrythatseemedlittlekindlier，andcamebysupper-timetoElko。Aswewerestanding，afterourmanner，outsidethestation，Isawtwomenwhipsuddenlyfromunderneaththecars，andtaketotheirheelsacrosscountry。
Theyweretramps，itappeared，whohadbeenridingonthebeamssinceelevenofthenightbefore；andseveralofmyfellow-