The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1872-02-29
Dawn.

lHt discovery ol gtlu on lne At0tIlraf
River. md in which he said, that ''nt
capital is required to obtain the gold, a.
the laboring man wants nothing but hi
pick and shovel and tin pan, with whcl
to DIG and wash the gravel; and many
frequently pick gold ont of the crevice
Of the rocks, with their butcher-kniveS, il
pieces of trom.one to six ounces 4" created
the most intense excitement thrOurh0u
the States, and father was among the first
t" snccumb to the gold fever. Being tht
I pnsSeSs0r OF moderate uneucumbcred
means. he made suitable provisions tol
our support, and started. a few week.
after to seek his fortune. bidding good-by
with the positive and comforting asSur-
! ance that he would return in three vear>
-,he limit tor the return of nearly all the
\ pioneers TO California.
Proceeding from san Francisco to the
MaripoSa mining region. instead of plung-
ing At once into the bitches, he recognized
superior advantages in the investment OF
his capital in a small mercantile business
He built a commodious log house. put in
stock. and in a few months came to be
/ considered one of the solid men of the
"city." This prosperity and the salubrity
Of the climate, induced hun. in one yeal
after he left us, to send word that we Were
to Join him. as soon rs his partner, sam
Crummels. arrived, to act as escort.
Upon taking the stage at Stockton. after
a somewhat monotonouS and unevenlful
trip Thus tar. we forgot our unintcresting
escort Crummels. and were drawn natur-
ally into intimate social relations with a
1 large, pleasant faced man, wearing a gray
flannel shirt tucked into pair of overall-
at the waist, the OverallS. in turn. tucked
into IN immense pair OF cowhide boots.
He said he had been "below. to purchase
tools tor himself and partners. and repre-
Seuted himself as one OF fathers custom
ers. His tall companion he called ken
tuckv." and "kentuckv" always prefaced
his remarks to my new toun friend. with
Say Cap" He was very patient, listen
inc to, and swering all our questions,
with great kindness. and certain lack ot
. dignity very captivating to Dawn and my
self.
Dawn was then only eight years old.
She had been adopted BY the family. under
peculiar circumstances. Father found her
one morning, while we were living in
Washington. lying upon the granite stet
at our front door, wrapped only in an old
plaid shawl He WAS going to Baltimore
and. being up earlier than usual. found
the little one, sleeping quietly. lust as the
Eastern heavens were beginning to redden
with the approach of day and mother
named her Dawn. She wa, always beau
tifuI in infancy aud girlhood. and wonder
fully 50 in womanhOol.
1 To Dawn and myseit. the ride to Mari
posa afforded little more than a series OF
tlis3t NS,,+, le1
hearts upon entering a land cooled by
deep shades and plentiful streams, that the
whole surface and capacity of our jOys
seemed shadowed and oppressed by the
semi-barrenness and muddy streams olar-
ing upon US through heat and dust Then
we were more part of Natures self. liv-
ing in it. swaved more powerfully by is
silent influences than by any other earthly
agency; and here WAS wanting all We had
imagined and craved for How charitable
the hotel keepers OF that time. What
delicate consideration they displayed for
the feelings of travellers, With hat pa
tient assiduitv would they seek to make a
new conner believe-bv intimation. at least
that black was white, Not being able
To supply luXurieS in other ways they fed
us by sound, applying the richest names
to the commonest articles, pronounced
with a luscious roll that made our Young
mouths water in anticipation. At every
place where we took meals-On the TuO-
lumne, at HorntOs-the same formula was
gone through with the waiter looking
You straight in the eve. would inSinuate a
plate of miserable corn-bread toward YOU,
suggesting, at the same time, in softest
tones. that you "help Yourself to the pound
cake"
/ Toward evening of the second day, our
/ nnd-wagon dashed, at galloping pace
Nrorgh binding dust, to the front Of the
'sGTizzley,n where we forgot our disap-
pointments, for the time, in observing the
crowd collected to welcome the weekly
Stage. Every body seemed to know
"Cap;' and after setting Dawn safely up
on her feet-an act which seemed to ex-
cite the envy of the whole gathering, com
posed of rough, heavily bearded miners -
he turned to receive their greetings. He
called each by some name, but am GER
tain no one received the name his father
and mother gave him.
With the events of the ensuing wears up
to 81, Cap and Dawn are inseparably as
sociated. In 'Gl, Cap, having accumulat-
ed a sufficient quantity of 'dust," bought
Sam Grummels' interest in the store, and
came to live with our family-a delight
to at least two Of its members. He was
one of those men specially created for the
delight of children. He assisted in our
home studies and joined in our games.
In the evening, until bed time, he would
relate the most captivating stories, every
one containing some useful information
He did not 90 much among men, they all
seemed to hold him in deep respect-fa-
ther said fear; but | could not understand
why any one should be afraid of him.
In 'j3, while listening to the stories of
two old miners, who We're "going over
the old times again, ! learned WHY they
feared him, and then heard that Cap's
hand had taken the lives of two men-one
in the summer Of 80, and one during the
| spring of the year we arrived.
During the conversation, | learned, al
so, that he took vengeance only after he
had forborne to notice insult and abuse.
and not until pistols were drawn and his
life tempted.
The years passed into 81. I was then
nineteen-Dawn fifteen. All the vows
imaginable had passed between us, and
we were engaged.
1t was long before I understood the
mutual devotion existing between Cap
and Dawn. The simple, demonstrative
freedom and utter absence of all emhar-
rassment in her demeanor toward him,
rendered even thoughts of jealousy i'm
possible to me. Dawn, now in woman
hood very beautiful, would at times, in
one OF her strange moods, throw her arms
about Caps neck, in the old girlish way,
and lie still upon his broad breast, often
until she slept. He would then place her
carefully on the most convenient resting
place, and walk away without word.
only a look of deep peace and happiness
upon his face.
The months of that year hurried on to a
fearful day in our lives-a terrible one in