Litchfield enquirer., 1870-05-05


thsr it recsded. and night found us APP
parently farther from it than at two clock.
The day being spent. We spied house to
our right and sought its hospitality. I ap
preached it with my uncle, leaving the rest
OF the party in the wagon. The lady OF
the house answered to our knock, with u
baby in her arms, aud some small children
budding around her. We made known our
situation and wants. with which she seem
ed delighted to comply, and finding it was
seven miles to the next house we took our
"Hobson's choice" to the infinite disgust
of our feminines. The house was q one
story slab house. with four rooms below
and extensive chambers above, reached by
means Of ladder; but the lady assured US
she could accommodate us as nicely as a
pocket in shirt" It filed my idea of
"love in cottage" And as the ladies had
made disparaging remarks about my be-
ing able to suit or adapt myself to circum-
stances, thought this most fortunate
place to dispel 'their illusions accord
inly Invested my pockets of trinkets.
watch. rings, 60. among the squalIing BIZ
peds and took the baby, to allow our hos
tess to prepare our supper. The ladies
meanwhile sitting with their things on,
talking about leaving, saying, ST am afraid
we are intruding," &c., to which our good
lady would not listen. Finally they disoov-
cred that the male portion of the party would
not stir, and at last removed their things,
hanging them on the joice. Supper being
ready we seated ourselves around the fes.
tive board we'll supplied with bread, beans,
stewed carrots, and tea-the tea and bread
being the favorites with the ladies. At last
my aunt suggested that some eggs boiled
with the shells on would be'very nice. The
suggestion caused smile, but not wishing
to let them know realized their discom-
future, kept up an incessant conversation
with the hostess-who was kindly prepar-
ing the eggs-causing her to remark, ''Are
you a real New Yorker? law me I've hearn
tell of them Workers and alters thought
I should he afeared on 'em" but you are a
real clever Teller and il was one of them
young gals I'd sot my cap for you, perhaps
you are engaged eh! looks mighty like it,
are you cousins? Come now tell all about
it." @
As questions were getting pointed as
well as personal, I diverged, and commenc.
speaking about fashions, farming, &c.,
keeping the hostess in my favor until bed
time-all the while keeping up an inward
thinking, "whers is she going to put us
all?" At last she assembled the ladder with
blankets &C., causing me to conclude that
/, or some portion of our party, was to
roost above, but was still more astonish-
ed when told we were all to sleep there,
our hostess remarking, "'twant board
partition, bat twas good thick blanket. {"
After helping the gentler sex up the ladder,
I returned to converse with our hostess,
whom we found to be of Swedish parent
age, emigrating here early and working
zealously to acquire fortune, in which
they had been successful, but like many
others had not got quite money enough.
They had made their money raising stock
and from the dairy. This county even ex
ceeds Orange County of New York. The
climate is better adapted to making butter:
The nights in these mountain counties are
always cool and one requires blankets to
sleep under in the warmest summer wealth
or. She told me that from twenty COWS
she had sold some $500 lbs. of butter at
30 cts. in gold, besides making cheese and
supplying her family table beautifully. At
last I retired to bed made up on the floor,
aud slept between blankets for sheets. The
night was made hideous by the bark of
Coyotes, and after breakfast from our
own haversacks we were on our way per
Beckworth's pass through the Sierras
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
The summit gained we found ourselves in
snow 80 inches deep. We were now at an
elevation of 5000 feet; the cold intense;
scenery grand. Stretching along the hori-
zon could be seen the snow-capped sum-
mits Of Mounts Shasta, Whitney, and Da-
ma, also Lassens, Pilot and Spanish Peaks,
of which will speak hereafter. This night
we stopped on the summit, our ladies
sleeping in the house. We in the barn
among blankets and bear robes. We start
ed early down the mountain into Mohawk
valley. Through Mohawk Canyon the
grade was such we not only had to resort
to the brake, but chain lock. After tray
ersing this canyon about 20 miles, we find
ourselves in the valley some 5000 feet above
the level of the sea, having made descent
of 5000 feet. This valley is one of exceed
ing fertility and beauty, nesting among the
Nevadas, whose tops are covered with snow
the greater part of the year. The air here
was as mild as in June, but as night ap-
preached we had to resort to overcoats and
shawls This was our last nights stoppage
from our destination. The next morning
fonnd us up and making preparations for
vaS>At1 4