Weekly Trinity journal., 1857-09-05
Strnying among the Tombs.


A few days ago we spent an hour in straying
among the labrinths Of the cemetery. where the
Lone Mountain stands like giant sentinel guard
ing the slumbers Of the inhabitants of the city of
the dead A year had passed away since we saw
the grounds before, and, during that time great
changes have taken place among them. Death
has been gathering into his fold the young and
the old, the man in the prime of life and the
maiden with the sunny hues of sixteen summers
on her face, and the rosy-checkcd, rOmping,
laughing little children. and the newly born. the
infants. who had srayed but little way from
their native Heaven. before they were called
back TO it, and all these repose calmly and peace
fully beneath the lilacs and oaks in the Cemetery
OF the Lone Mountain.
We stood above the grave Of one whom first we
met nearly nine years ago, when. foot-sore and
weary. we were descending the terrible hill which
ovcrlooks Coloma. He was then fresh and hope
tul, on his way to the golden river which sick
and disheartened, we had left. He was one Of
the carly pioneers in the gold hunt, and we sat
and talked Of home with him. until the shadows
began to crawl up the mountain side, and depart
ing daylight bade him onward. From that time
until be fell at his post doing duty we knew
and loved James King Of VIM. and admired the
manliness Of his nature, and now we stood above
his grave, in sight Of the blue Pacific pillows,
which, they beat up against the shore sang a
mournful martyrs requiem.
And then strayed into little enclosure
where tangled branches interwinc and flowers
blossom, and weeping willow bends its limbs
above grave. Beneath the turf and the willow
lay all that was mortal Of one who, on a brg ght
September morning, now nearly eleven years
past, was cur companion on board ship whose
anchors were weighed and whose sails set for
California, then an almost unknown land before
th2 magic charm OF gold had ured so many here.
We landed together in Ycrba Buena in bolster
Gus afternoon in March, and our paths divergcd
from each other. We dwelt for months among
the desert sands and cactus clumps of lower Cali
tornia. while he remained here. Aud them with in
different success. and through trial and hardship
we chased the gold phantom along the rivers
banks and thl ough the ravincs while he remained
in San francisco, and became rich aud riches
brought their cares and troubles to him, and when
we saw him next after We bade him good bye in
the autumn Of 1913. we do not believe he was so
happy man as when first We met him at West
Point, a Lieutenant in the Army, with only his
monthly pay tor wealth, or When genial and
cheerful, he joined the circle which gathered in
the evenings as We were bounding over the waves
OF ocean IN the cabin of the good ship Thomas il.
Perkins. And, as we stood above the grave Of
Joseph l.. Folsom, we thought Of how little value
were earthly riches and power among this dcmoc
racy Of the dead.
And then there was another enclosure, into
which we entered, within which reposcd the body
of one OF Callfornia's earliest merchants. man
who, when the gold was first discovered, was en-
gagged in business in San Francisco which soon
became very much enlarged, and his possessions
enlarged with it. He was man OF librral heart
and one TO whom great number Of needy men
have been indebted in the early times for assist
ancc on their journey TO the mines He died still
young, but VIM. D. ". Howard will be rcmcm-
bercd, and his name often spoken for long time
in the future Of San Francisco.
we strayed among the graves OF the little chill
dren' gathered into Gods great garner. whlc
they were young, and fresh and bcantiful and
happy, before they had learned the worlds hard
lesson of wrong, hypocrisy and deceit What if
these little flowers were plucked untmely here !;
they Will bloom the ghter among the asphodels,
which blossom in.thc gardens of Paradise.
We stopped before vault in which, we learned,
widow. who died neglected and poor was in
urned Il few months since, and were told that the
expenses of her funeral, and of the house which
enclosed ber remains were borne by ono bound
only to her by the common tic of womanhool :
one of those whom the world looks on as an out
cast. Shall not this deed be credited to her ac-
count in the great register Of Heaven?
We strayed among humber graves-graves
over which neither obeisk nor monumental shaft
arises-graves of men unknown to fame, and who
Will not live in the annals of our city or onr State
But away across the mountains over by the other
ocean. there are hearts who recall them to memo
ry-there are mothers and sisters and wives and
brothers and children whose fondest affections
they are cherished And here they ic-the rich
and the poor. the young and the old. the man in
the prime Of lie and the maiden with the sunny
lues of sixteen summers on her face and the
rosy-cheekcd, romping. laughing little children,
and the newly -bcrn-Ie infants who had straycd
hut a little way from their native Heaven, before
they were called back to il all these repose.
calmly and peacefully, beneath the lilacs and the
oaks in the Cemetery Of the Lone Mountain
And here their earthly trials and troubles are
bulied with thcm--hcre they are at rest
The storm that wrecks the winter sky
No more disturbs their deep repose
Than summer evenings latest sigh
That shuts the rose"
-fNa California.