Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-04-12


st. Louis where he remained until
1919, when the news of the discovery
of gold In California reached the
States. He Immediately crossed the
plains with company, and soon
reaching the locality OF Suffers mill
race, he found that scarcely the half
had been toll. His first location was
the site Of the present City of Sacra-
mento. Having carried with him
from st. Louis, small lot of Drugs.
he reared a tent and Of SOME rude
plank, improvised a counter, and
and opened business. Soon there
were merchants, and bankers, and
lawyers, and all the elements of BUSH
ness. The young city began to assume
important proportions. Desiring to
increase his business by extending ii
into other departments, he sought an
interview with banker and. asking
the loan of =, 500, was asked what Sc
curity he proposed to tender. He re-
piid he had none whatever. A desul-
tory conversation of some twenty
minutes ensued. IT served the banker
to fathom fully the character and
purposes fhis man, and he arose and
handed him the money declining 10
receive even n duebilt for il. TIE in
ves;ments were made and being quick
w successful the money was promptly
returned. 1t is needless to add that
the two strangers became fast friends,
but il may be worth while to say that
for many years they were as useful as
pleasant to each other.
In five years lie visited the home of
b:S IryhnnG u-aolthu Inon No nna
had forgotten the generous boy who
had so enterprisingly pushed his way
through the various graditiOn of disci-
pline and education. Every one greet
cd the successful and generous man.
For two years he remained in Virginia
during which he married the second
daughter of DR.. Fowler and returned
to California where he remained until
1853 when he returned To Virginia,
hoping to see alive once more his faith
cr-in-law, but prior to his arrival, the
grave had closed above the friend of
his early days. So good heart could
not fail TO sorrow over so great loss
and for several years he remained at
the old homestead.
During his long residence on the Pa
cific he witnessed and participated in
the rise and development of the State
Of California. He found it wilder
ness and left it one Of the most splen-
did and finely developed common
wealths of America. For very many
years to come those who are to enjoy
some of the finest and most beneficial
works upon its mountains and in its
valleys will have reason to mark and
remember his sagacity and enterprise.
He built roads across. its mountains,
bcidged its rivers, established ferries,
erected houses which adOrn one of its
principal cities and drew about HIM
&c and family the finest social inflC-
ence within the State. But the end
came, and while experimenting the
of a road across the sierra
to Virginia, the new city of silver in
the young State of Nevada, he permit
ted himself to tresspass too far upon
those exposures to climate aud wealth
or which so often become unobserved
in the excitement of business. The ia
tai story! damp ground, cold feet and
then the warming. Alas, nature deals
with the stern discipline of memorable
law, and often warns with the sword
Of execution. In al hour of seeming
triumph he had ventured too far, and
that tircless energy, which had led
him up to the pleasant elevations of
SucC assful life would NOT pause with him
on their common summit. One step
less and he had lived. One step more
and disease had gained the delicate
citadel of physical health. He return
ed to Va. in 1867 and never again saw
the bright field of his labors on the
Pacific.
OF one so virtuCCs in life, so charm
ing in social intercourse, so true in his
it is pleasant to write and
profitable to think. How eloquent his
death! How does it leave in the lonely
pil!Cr ics of shame, the dwartfed inebri-
ates of cold reason who live below the
grand SUBMITS of faith.
Farewell thou rare and virtuous man,
thou good and generous friend, thou
brave minister of the charities of life.
1t is no dark and meaningless aim
which prompts us to bring within our
horizon thy brittle house of clay.
Above il we can weave the vine and
rear the summer flower while from il
there will spring fertile field Of mem
ries to feed the bruised and wounded
virtues of our being and in their holy
atmosphere we can bow and repel the
mighty libel that we journey to extlnc-
ton.
Our inverse vision tells us that the
wonderful suns which battle their
gorgeous faces in the limitless sea of
heaven forever rise and go down again
in the limited circles which we be-
hold, that our souls, FURNISHED and
blazing with the splendOr of immOr-
tai thought, grow dim and die within
their frail tenements of clay. But
such life as thine ard such love as
ours for thee, meet in the immortal
embrace of fact and faith. and live for
ever. Thus does human virtue acquire
its sublimities and thus the brief his
tory of thy trials and triumphs preach
the expansive and comprehensive elo-
quence of immortality.