Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-04-05
Two Saints of the Foothills.
BY BRET HARTE,

1t never was clearly ascertained how
long they had been there. The first
settler of Rough-and-R d-Ready-one, Low,
playfully known to his famiGars as ''The
Poor Indian declared that the saints
were afore his time, and occupied cabin
in the brush when he blazed his way
to the North Fork. It is certain that
the two were present when the water
was first turned on the Union Ditch, and
then and there received the designation
of Daddy Downey and Nanny Downey,
which they kept to the last. AS they
tottered toward the refreshment tent,
they were welcomed with the greatest
enthusiasm by the boys or, to borrow
the more refined language of the Union
Recorder, Their gray hairs and bent
figures. recalling, as they did, the happy
paternal eastern homes of the spectators,
and the blessings that fell from venera-
BILE lips when they left those homes to
journey in quest of the Golden Fleece
o1 Occidental Slopes, caused many to
burst into tears" The nearer facts that
many of these spectators were orphans,
that others had enjoyed a States guar
dianship and discipline and that ma
Jority had left their paternal roofs with
out any embarrassing preliminary
formula, were mere passing clouds that
did not dim the golden imagery of the
writer. From that day the Saints were
adopted as Historical lay figures, and
entered at once into possession of unin-
terrupted gratuities and endowment.
1t was not strange that, in o country
largely made up of ambitious and reck-
less youth, these two-types of con-
servative and settled forms-shoWld be
thus celebrated. Apart from any senti-
ment or veneration, they were admirable
fols to the community's youthful pro.
gress and energy. They we're put for.
ward at every social gathering, occupied
prominent seats on the platform al
every public meeting, walked first in
every procession, were conspicuous al
the frequent funeral and rarer wedding,
and were godfather and godmother tc
the first baby born in Rough and Ready.
At the first poll opened in that precinct,
Daddy Downey cast the first, and, Of
was his custom, on all momentous occa.
sions, became volubly reminiscent
. AhO lloU NOJS L tfCI Cdbb, bulu
Daddy, "was for Andrew Jackson the
father O. some on you peart young chaps
wasn't born then, he he!-that was
way long in '33, wasn't it? I disremem.
Der now, but if Nanny was here, she
bein' a schoolgirl at the time, she could
say. But my memory's failin' me. I'm
an old man, boys yet likes to see the
young go ahead. I Irecklect that thar vote
from suckumstance. Squire Adams
was present, and seein' it was nay first
vote, he put goold piece into my hand
and, sez he, sez Squire Adams, let thai
always be reminder of the exercise Of
glorious freeman's privilege 7 He did
he E! he Lord, boys I feel 80 proud
of ye, that I wish had hundred voter
to cast for ye ALL"
1t is hardly necessary to say that the
memorial tribute of Squire Adams was
increased tenfold by the judges, inspec
tors and clerks, and that the old mar
tottered back to Nanny, considerably
heavier than he came. As both of thu
rival candidates were equally sure of hi
vote, and each had called upon him anC
offered conveyance, it is but fair Il
PiOo"IhO OhOJ WCLO C1uullJ DCuOuCoub
But Daddy insisted upon walking tc
the polls-a distance of two miles-as
moral example, and q text for the Cali
fornia paragraphers, who hastened tx
record that such was the influence Of thu
foot-hill climate, that ga citizen O
Rough-and- Ready, aged eighty-four
rose at six o'clock, and, after milking
two COWS, walked distance of twelve
miles to the polls, and returned in timt
to chop cord of wood before dinner.
Slightly exaggerated as this statemen
may have been, the fact that Daddy wa
always found by the visitor to be en-
gagged at his wood-pile, which seemed
neither to increase nor diminish unde
his AKA fact, doubtless, owing to th
activity of Nanny, who was always q
the same time making pies, seemed I,
give some credence to. the story. In
deed, the wood-pile of Daddy Dow e,
was a standing reproof to the indolen
and sluggish miner.
cole Daddy must use up q pow'fu
sight Of wood; every time I've passed b,