Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-06-13
From the Argosy.
ELAM'S ADVENTURE.

"Don't you tell us some of your adj
venturesT I asked of my friend ELAN,
who had returned from his many years
travel in the bush and other outlandish
places, and was sitting with me and my
wife. And, though absent so long, he
was, SO to say, young man yet.
Adventures? Well, 1 have had
plenty. Rough ones, some of them"
"Please tell us one,' chimed in Mary.
Elan laughed Il can tell you of a
curious Ole that Imet with in the noun
tains"
ooh, yes; do. Which mountainsT'
In California; up in one of its wild
districts"
"That will be the very thing"
"Wen," said Elan, running his taper
ing fingers through his hair and smiling
at my wife, cpl soften down things in
the telling as we'll as my blunt speech
and uncivilized modes of thought will
allow of, and you must excuse the rest. y
cob, I'll excuse anything. Please be-
gin"
"When I started from home to settle
in unfrequented districts" began Elan,
az set up theory that no young man
should ask woman to marry him until
he had prepared a home for her. 1t is
surprising how much you begin to think
of a wife over yonder, arising, suppose
from the extreme loneliness of ones ex.
istence. was no exception. The land
/ took up was in the Rogue River Val
ley, and after [ had got it bit ship
shape I worked away with that object in
view-to bring home wife. :"
"But, Elan, had you selected wife p
Iasked
"No. intended to do that as soon as
I could, though you may say was full
young to be thinking of it. [ worked
on and was pretty successful. [ built
me house, got considerable quantity
of stacks, made a flower garden for my
wife; even put up the pegs and nails
she would want to hang her dresses on.
I intended that same autumn to get on
my horse, ride through the Willamet
Valley, and find myself a wife, marry
her and bring her home" :
At the notion of counting in that off
hand style, we laughed little. Elan
laughed too, as if the recollection pleased
him.
"You think it strange, [ see. 1t wa:
not so strange over there in those days
where girls were as scarce as angels
There was not a girl within forty miles
of me; and [ assure you that the very
thought of one, as | drove in those nails
lor her garments to hang on, went
through me like thrill. You don't
believe? Go out, yourself, and try it. D
"But | do believe"
81 had about $50 head of cattle, a
good house, with a garden, a young
orchard, vegetables growing, sweet
scented fowers-all in readiness for the
wife I hoped to bring home to bless me
and take care of this, my possession
And what do you think happened to it?'
We could not tell.
"There came such plague of grass
hoppers upon the valley that everything
persisted. Crops, orchard, flowers, grass
every green and delightful and promis
ing thing; the grasshopper destroyed all
You remember the second chapter Of
Joel?"
I nodded.
'''The land is as the garden of Eden
Wilderness I was ruined. My stocl
died; at least, the greater portion; they
had nothing to feed upon. Yes, it wa
complete and absolute RUM
Elan paused a moment, mentally look
ing at the past.
II considered myself disappointed il
love, too" he resumed in the quaintes
of tones. "Though [ had not yet beer
out to find my girl, [ knew she wa:
somewhere in that other valley waiting
for me; and when the greedy grasshop
per ate up everything, [ felt that | hao
been Tilted. It actually gives me pane
now to think of those useless pegs or
which my imagination had so often seer
a girls pink cotton dress and white
sun-bonnet."
Elam gave great sigh. He was al
eccentric fellow.
81 became misanthropic, and said t.
myself that between fate and the grass
hoppers [ had been used badly. Pack
ing UP my books and few other traps,
babe adieu to the Rogue River Valley
forever, and started for the mountains
It was longish journey, as l had t.
drive before me the stock l had left
There, in the mountains, settled dow
again, built myself fort, and played
hermit. No lilting girls should come
near me now"
GA fort%
GA regular fort. A stockade eightee1
feet high, with an embankment four fee
high around it, and a strong gate in the
middle. My tent was in the midst O.
the enclosure, with my books and house
hold goods, firearms and all the rest O.
my property slowed away in it,"
"Were you afraid of the Indians?"
"Indians and white men. Yes, ] saw
good many Indians at first within the
range of my rife. They learned to keel
away from my fort, finding it did no