The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1876-10-19
CROSSING HEaR RIyEaIN cALIFOk-
MA.

Every bods bAs beard Of The great q 10
Of "a snd " ia Caliiornis. bnt ever,
bsly dors not kpow The pleasures an
pefils 81 travel in the moantsia region
dafiug thal eseuifal winter. We were
party VI Eve, and bad been detained !
Grass Valley several DAYS longer thA
cor original intention, from the so-cslle
esriy rsins But The esriy rains that ,es
proved 10 be early, late. aud al The va
through, aud feeling anxious TO 6nish on
trip aud get back 10 the city, we hsiled
suushiuy morning and made preparation
for start There were plehiy Of eroak
ers 10 predict direfu consequences, o.
/ pecialiy as lady made one OF our mum
Der; bat she was OF real New England
gtit, aud laughed at the long faces ane
I daltfal shakes Of the head.
Yon can't eross Bear River, said ont
old forty -uiner. The bridge Is down
and il is too fall to ford. know I've
seen il iise forty feet 10 forty minutes.
PshAN was our reply. Bear River ID
nothing bul = cub so early in the sea- on
A coach was procured; not one OF thuse
hn' yellow, world-renowued Coacords,
but what is known as n mud wagon in
California mouutsin districts. -Four
horses Of doubtful breed, If one might
judge by looks, driver who professed
10 know every inch Of the road, and q
whip OF undoubled length, strength aud
snappishness completed our equipment
We lefI town IN fine slyie--sireets dry,
sun shining, lovely breeze, aud every
thug promising 4 quick and pleassn,
,uruey. Three miles out, aud tirst one
jIl, aud then smother gave Us the notion
that there bad been rain enough TO wash
out few stones Ia the road, but those
were OF small account. when desperate
lurch threw Us peIl-mell forward on To
the drivers shoulders, and we we're f.sl
Ia wallow-h0le, aud mud and water
running merrily over our bags aud
bundles in Ihe bottom Of the wagon
After prying and lifting BY the whole
party, we were once more en- route.
Time wore on, eniyened by Ike and
sony aud the constant outlook al scenery
nowhere loyelier than among the foothills
OF the Sierras, Till at noon we approached
the ismous Bear River. To tell the trolh
we had heard his roar for nm hour, bui
would not allow to Ourselves or TO each
other that we feared his cubship had
taken most wonderful growth, aud bad
arrived at besrship, aud a roaring, giant,
gfizzly bearship al that.
low that there old esrly-bird knew
the layout, arter all, said our John; that
AR du look little rily now, dou't it, TO
put cattle thru!
Rily we thought 1t did. What was TO
be done nowI No sign OF house or
labitation, person or thing 10 hs roen,
Iut the tall pines and desolate road, the |
rushing river in front, and the steep bank
IN the opposite shore.
While meditating whether TO 20 back
Ind give our business mp, and looking
With anxious gaze up and down over the
waste of waters, a shrill halloo came
rom the other side.
Hullo, YOU folks over there, do sou
xpect you can cross the Bear, aud mol
,et hugged?
Back few The answer: Yes; ia II ford
biz?
You j.st hold on where you be, and mi
one over, was the reply; aud, noun
ng his horse, he plunged into the water.
Ii moment he wss lost to sight. We
eId our breaths, aud each one felt hi.
oursge o' ze hintly ont Of his fiuaert tips
$ we thought Of venturing into such
'eril ourselves; but 10! the man appear
d, and soon reaching US. declared tha
e made mistake aud got into hole
there would be no trouble Tor
Io.ses alone, but with a wagon and
woman WA'al, it was "A Gurus thug,
shzt women wanted To travel for IL
;slifora,! Yes. he said, be guessed :
oke Of oxen could fetch the thing thro';
'at his oxen were three mile Oh on tht
ite OF the drink.
Would he get them, and Try to take The
wagon aud la,iy over. ~hiie the gentle
hen eaeb lake hoTse and swimy vs.
>ked. Ws'al, yes. he would dn IL fu
en- dollars snd n warrant that the ga
honldn't scream Aud frighteu hi. mgt
4 all uf which MAS agreed 10; bu
here We must walt, two, thee or iout
ours, for the returning team, aud W,
sd had 40 dinner, aud had nothing t.
al Was there no house neary No, on.
] Que two miles away, aud on the olhr,
ide Of The river. II did seem As tlIousk b
II the world hsd emigrsted over lh.
liver, and lefl US on this shore desolsie.
l'l tell ye what pll du. Ii ye'il Riw
le five dollars, III swim over aud 20 AUD
et ye snack that will jest take the edg,
a Five dollars was nothing compal, d
o orr empty economies, and with hi
ouble errsnd We saw him depart. On
vur, two hours and more, we whiied
way In pistol shooting, pitching quoiIs,
ossing iack-stoaes, and hualing icr the
ameus soap-sloue OF California rivers
nd playing we we're not hangry; wkE,
shout informed as that dinner wss .
and.
Was there ever suoh dinnerf Were
here ever such doughnuts msde7 W,
bhor doughnniS, never tasting then,
luce we vent TO boarding.school and
sed TO bay them ss fli.ups; bot no cake
rim Parker's ever had saeh delicstr