The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1855-05-05

BY FREDERIC $. cozzENs.

|
The sources Of the following ballad are tc
be found in the California papers of Dccem
Der, 1854 ltappears from letters published
in the Mountain Democrat (extrn) and the
Sacramento Statesman, (extra) that party
Of miners were encampcd near Rocky Cal
on, deep and almost inaccessible, unnha.
bited, rocky gorge, near Icdds Valley and
it happened that some Of them were out
hunting near the canon, in which they saw
three men quietly following the trail to
prospect mine OF gold bearing quartz in the
vicinity. Suddenly, a party Of banditti
q sprung out of a thicket, and commenced
firing at the three who were prospecting.
James McDonaid, Of Alabama, was killed at
the first shot. DR.. Bolivar A. Sparks, Of
Mississippi, fired twice at the robbers, and
fell, mortally wvnnded. Captain Jonathan
X. Davis, OF South Carolina, then drew his
revolvcrs and commenced shooting ut the
encmy-cyery bail forcing its victim to bite
the dust. He was easily distinguished from
the rest by his white hat, and from his being
above the medium height. The robbers then
made a charge upon him with their knives
and one sabre. Captain Davis stood his
grouhd firmly until they rushed up abreast
within four feet of him. lie then made n
spring upon them with large Bowie-knife,
and gave three Of them wounds which pro-
we'd fatal" Aitcrward he killed all the rest,
and then tore up his shirt to bind the
wounds Of the survivors The party Of
spectators then came down. ii seems they
had been prevented joining in the fight from
a sense Of etiquette as the letter Of one
party expresses it" Being satisfied that they
were all strangers, we hesitated moment
before we vcnturcd to go down" When
they got down they found eleven men
stretched on the ground, with some others in
hopeless condition. They then formed a
coronei's jury, and held an inquest over
twelve dead bodies. Captain Davis was the
only living person left in the Rocky Canon.
! One letter says "Altlough VIC counted
twenty eight bulet-holes through Captain
Davs'S hataDd clothes, Seventeen through
| his hat and eleven through his coat aud
shirt) he received but two very slight flesh
wounds"
/ All the heroes that ever were born,
| Native or foreign, bearded or shorn,
| From the days Of HOMER to OMAR Pasha,
Who mauled and maltreated the troops of
the CzAR,
And drove the rowdy Muscovte back,
Fin aud Livonian, Pole and Cossaok,
From gray Ladoga togrsen Ukraine,
And other parts Of the Russian domain,
With an intmation exceedingly plain,
That they'd better cut and not come again:
! All the heroes Of the olden time
/ Who have jinglod alike ia armor and rhyme,
! HrEcuLEs, llEcToR, QuISTus CuRTIus,
PoAPrY, and Pegasus riding PERsEus,
| Brave BAYAGD, and the brave ROLAND,
! Men who never fight turned backs on;
CHARLES, the Swedc, and the Spartan band
CoRIOLASus, and General JACKSON,
RIcnARD the Third, and MARCUS BnuTrs,
And others, whose names won't rhyme to
suit us,
Must certainly sink in the dim profound
When Captain DAvIs's story gets round.
Know yc the land where the sinking sun
| Sees the last Of earth when the day is done
/ Where the course ct empire is sure to stop,
Aud the play conclude with the tifth-act
Drop
Where, wonderful spectacle hand in hand
The oldest and youngest nations stand.
Where yellow Asia, withered aud dry,
/ Hears Young America, sharp and spry,
/ With thumb in his vest and quiszica lecr
]
Know yc the land Of mines and vines.
or mon.trous turnips and giant pines,
Ot monstrous profits and quick declines,
/ And llowLAND and AsniswALL's 5 steamship
linesy
Know yc the land so wondrous fair?
Fame has blown on his golden bugle,
/ From Battery.plac to Union-square,
/ Over the Park and down McDoUGAL;
U a,l A.
In every city its name is known;
There is not grizzly Wall street bear
| That does not shrink when the blast is
blown;
There DIVES sits on a golden throne,
With LAzAnrs holding his shield before,
Charged with heart of aurierous stone,
! And pick-axe and spade on field of ore
Know ye the land that looks on Ind.
There only you'll see pacific sailor,
Its song has been sung by JENNY LIND,
| And the words were furnished by BAYAgD
TAYLOR.
Seaward stretched valley there,
Seldom frequentcd by men or women;
Its rocks are hung with the prickly pear,
And the golden balls of the wild persim.
| mon:
IIaunts congenial to wolf and bear,
| Covered with thickets, are everywhere;
| There's nothing at all in the place to attract
us,
Except some grotesque kinds of cactus;
Gittering beetles with golden wings,
Royal lizards with golden rings,
And gorgeous species Of poisonous snake,
That lets you know when he means to
battle
BY giving his tail rousing shake,
To which is attached muflled rattle.
Captain DAVIS, JONATHAN R.,)
With JAMES McDoNA,D, of Alabama,
And DR.. BOLIVAR SPARKs were thar,
Cracking the rocks with a miners ham
mer
OF the valley they'd heard reports
"That plenty of gold was there in quartz"
Gold in quartz they marked not there,
But p'ints enou III on the prickly pear,
AS they very soon found
When they sat on the ground,
To scrapc tho blood from their cuts and
scratches:
For a rickety cactus had stripped them
bare,
And cobbcd their hides with crimson patches.
Thousands Of miles they are from home,
Hundreds from San Francisco city;
Little they think that near then, roam
A bakers dozen Of wild banditti;
Fellows who prowl, like stealthy cats,
In velvet jackets and sugar.loaf hats,
Covered all over with trinkets and crimes,
Watches and crosses, pistols and feathers.
Squeezing virgins and wives like lines,
And wrapping their legs in unpatented
leathcrs
Little they think how close at hand
Is that cock Of the walk--'thc Bold Brig
and !"
And here wish to make suggestion
In regard to those conica, sugar-loaf
hats, ....
I think those banditti, beyond all question,
Some day will find out they're parcel Of
flats;
For If that style Is with them passion,
And they stick to those hats in spite Of the
fashion,
Some Tuscan LgARY, GESJN or KNOX