Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-01-18
.s.s... WRITTEN FOR THE GAZETTE
THE "oRBAT GAVE"
OF CALAvERAs COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
BY DAN DE QCILLE.

About noon we struck our tent, which we
had pitched mile east Of San Andreas, and
leaving the main Vallicito Road, took a DIM
trail up stream called Willow Greek, lead
ing by near route to Cave City. The creek
up which We were travelling was hemmed in
by almost perpendicular mountains sparsely
clothed with nut pines and stunted live-oaks.
The creek was nearly dry. with only here
and there small pools Of water, and densely
lined with willows and black alder, fes-
tooncd with wild grape and other vines.-
Sharp, rocky points putting in from either
side obliged us often to cross back and forth
from one bank to tile other; when about to
make one of these crossings our PHI Ute pony,
packed with blankets, grub and cooking
utensils, or the "herrin fixings," as Bob
facetiously styled them, suddenly took it into
his head to 60 his own way. Some called
/" whoa" others, "head him." and finding
his masters were getting a little excited, Mr.
Pi-Ute, concluded it would be best for him
to git" So off he started with great
clatter and commotion of tin ware up the side
Of the mountain. Bon made some desperate
plunges and fast time up the mountain in
one direction, Al struck out in another,
while ALEX and HANK ran promiscuously to
and fro, shouting head i'm, head i'm y
But Pi-Utc, not wishing to be "headed"
made an attempt to 60 straight up the noun
tain, which maneuver ended in his landing
flat on his back; however, he picked him
self up and with the pack hanging on one
side made rush down the hill. The chase
now became an exciting one, we were coming
in from all sides and thought VIC had him at
last, when he burst through our ranks and
went tearing down the hill. "There goes
the herring fixins!" Shouted BoB; the pack
had struck tree, Mr.. Pi.Utc went rolling
over and over, but gaining his feet, with the
pack hanging under his belly, went plunging
ahead with flour, bacon and tin pans flying
in all directions, till at length his feet caught
in the ropes and Mr.. Pi-Ute, standing on his
nose with his hind feet puckered up under
him and his tail high in the air, was forced
to succumb to ''stern fate"
Getting righted up again, we resumed our
journey up the creek, passing here and there
a group Of Indians and Spaniards, digging
out the crevices in the dry channel and car
rying the dirt in 6ateaus' or wooden bowls to
the pools to wash. At last. after being told
that the distance to Cave City was 81 miles
by every man we had met in the last six, we
struck into = wagon road and found guide
board, which originally informed the trav
cling public" that the distance to Cave City
was one mile, but some truth loving individ-
ual had altered the reading to Caved !"
City, and adding quarter to the mile seemed
satisfied. But even this was not considered
up to the mark, and some one had written
below, 80 miles-hke d." 1t is pcr.
haps, supcrhuous to add that before reaching
the Caved" City, we were quite ready to
agree with the profanc individual. Cave City,
like many other cities is only city in name.
and presented most battered and "cacsd'
appearance sure enough. The "Eldosado"
huge wooden structure, standing on the
main street, had boards nailed across.-the
doors and windows and was filed With ksy,
Seeing the sign "Cavs City Meat Market
We struck out" for it debating in our
mind Whether 70 invest in mutton-chops,
or go i'm on beef-stake but behold! on
reaching the shop We found our butcher had
construed literally TIE text that all flesh is
grass" for the shop vas crammed FUN Of
hay We at length, however, found !" grub
store" kept Ly frepeh woman. and were