The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-26
JOSEPH,S ADVENTURE.

|
"Ca1't you tell us some of your adven-
tures? | asked of my friend Joseph, who
had returned from his many years trav-
els in the bush, and was sitting with me
and my wife. And though he had been
absent so long he was, 20 to speak, a
young man yet.
adventures? Well, l have met with
plenty. Rough ones, some of them"
please tell us one" chimed in Mary.
Joseph laughed. II can tell you of a
queer one that / met with in the noun
tains."
ooh, yes; do! Which mountains"
an California-up in one of its wild
districts"
"That will be the very thing"
"Well," said Joseph, running his taper
| ing fingers through his hair and smiling
at my wife, ''Pll soften down things in
the telling as well as my blunt speech and
uncivilized modes of thought will admit
| of, and you must excuse the rest"
ooh, I'll excuse anything. Please be-
gin"
"When | started from home to settle in
unfrequented districts" began Joseph, 81
set up theory that no man should ask a
woman to marry him until he has pre-
pared u home for her. 1t is surprising
how much you begin to think of a wife
West yonder; which arises, | suppose,
from the extreme loneliness of ones exis-
tcnce. Twas no exception. The land |
took up was in the Rogue River Valley,
and after | had got it bit ship-shape |
worked away with only one object in
view-to bring home wife%
"But, Joseph, had you selected awife?
| asked.
"No, intended to do that as soon as |
could though you may say | was rather
young to be thinking Of it. | worked on,
and was pretty successful. | built me q
house, got considerable stock of cattle,
made flower garden for my wife, and
even put up the pegs and nails she would
want to hang her dresses on. l intended
that same autumn to mount my horse
ride through the Willamette Valley, find
my wife, and bring her home"
At the notion of courting in that off
hand style, we laughed little. Joseph
laughed too, as if the recollection pleased
him.
"You think it strange, I see. 1t was
not so very strange in those days out
there where girls were as scarce as angels.
There was not Il girl within forty miles
of me; and l assure you that the very
thought of one, as | drove in those nails
for her garments to hang on, went
through me like thrill. You don't be-
| lieve? Go West yourself and try it,"
"But | do believe"
II had about two hundred and fifty
head of cattle, good house, with gar
den, a young orchard, vegetables grow
ing, sweet-scented towers-aIl in readi-
ness for the wife hoped to bring home
to bless me, and to take care of these pos
sessions, And what do you think hap
pened to them?"
We could not tell.
"rhere came such plague of grass
hoppers upon the valley that everything
persisted, Crops, orchards. flowers, grass
every green and delightful and prom
ising thing; the grasshoppers destroyed
all. You remember the second chapter
of Joel?"
nodded.
"'The land is as the garden of Eden
Wilderness | was ruined. My stock
died-at least the greater portion of it;
the cattle had nothing to feed upon.
Yes, it was complete and absolute ruin"
Joseph paused moment, mentally
looking at the past.
II considered myself disappointed in
love, too" he resumed in the guaintest Of
tones "Though | had not yet been out
to find my girl, l knew she was some
where in that other valley waiting for
me; and when the greedy grasshoppers
ate up everything | felt that | had been
Tilted. 1t actually gives me pang now
to think of those useless pegs on which
my imagna ion had 50 often seen girl
pink cotton dress and white sun-bonnet.
Joseph gave great sigh. He was. an
eccentric fellow.
Il became misanthropic-said to my
self that between Fate and the grasshop
pers / had been hardly used Packing
up my books and few other traps,
babe adieu TO the Rogue River Valley
forever, and started for the mountains
1t was longish journey, as I had tt
drive before me the stock which was lef
me. There, in the mountains, settled
down again, built myself a fort an(
played hermit. No jilting girls shoulc
: come near now"
"a fortW
"A regular fort--a stockade eighteel
feet hith, with an embankment four fee
high around it, and strong gate in th
middle. My tent was in the midst o
{ the inclosure, with my books and house
. hold goods, firearms and the rest of IN,
e property slowed away in it,
: "Were you afraid of Indiansw
'Indians and white men. Yes, I saw
!, good many Indians at first within tn
: range of my rife. They learned to kee
r away from my fort, finding it did nc
pay to attempt an invasion. Down i
the valley below there were minin
camps; and you perhaps know wha
some Of the hangcrs-on of such camI
$ are. sold beef-that is heads Of ca
;, tle-w the miners; and as | had som,
Is times q tidy sum Of money by me it WI
, u necessary to be careful"
l. "What a strange life for young man.
o said Mary. "For you, Joseph?"
o 81 hcrded my cattle, drove them
T. to market, cooked, studied, wrote, an
IS INDUCED in a mixture OF rnisanthrop
E, and rife practice. By the time | ha
d entered on the second summer in tn
&c mountains felt quite at home, and VIZ
c getting rich. After ALL the life had i
J. charms. A man can not quite tire Of
u when he is but few years out of Ii