The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-08-06
VOLUME XII.
From the Californian.
SAND.
Continued from 40 seek.l
BY }. W. GA

undulation Of laud, down through which
the rains and SHOWS meander to the great
salt waters of the world. winding among
green woods and a various vegetation
the eastern slope Is ',iuInpoff@' into the
corrugated basin of the desert, where all
the streams are swallowed by the EARTH
and from whose summit the eastward
gazing grizzly bear. chained by the sun
beam. lifts his flexible unStrils to sniff the
odor of the arid waste. then slowly tar,Is
about and prowIs tn westward. Two
worlds seen, here 70 meet vegetable aud
animal life have no communion across the
line on one side there is abundant rain
snow. fog. and moisture =. = e other
side are wide wastes of gray pastures in
the drought. cold. and dust.
To the eastward of this line. in n quartz
mining camp, where the object is precious
metal, there are no gardens, siIade-trees.
lawns, front-vartls. home flowers,
ornamental enclosures of any sort. After
such camp becomes a town or city. with
= far-fetched costly supply of water. the
green and growing luxuries appear in
tiny gartlen-spotS. large windows. and in
trees which are irrigated ut the roots by
underground trou.hS and wooden SpOut<
trees which are, in fact, brought up by
hand. But the newer town, which is
still a mining camp. knows nothiig of
planted greenneSS and il it is situated III
the great empire of ArteiniSia. where
silver and gold are married in the volcanic
chambers of tile awful past. there is no
spontaneous greenuess fresher than a
random. bristliug rut- pine, or II sprawl
Ing arid Juniper. The general tone of the
whole landscape is gray. incining to drab;
and yet here and there are sporadic hills
breaking out from the general colo ring,
which present UintS shading and blending
into each other i'll way 50 1ielicat. shat
no painter Yet dares put them ON canvas.
because the public eau not understand
Wnlf the uuhIitt has fnt Snptt fh.a like nf
and for which the public can find no IISe.
Nevertheless. the Iuiuiug region i a
country of beautiful natural surprises.
Nowhere, not even III the vauuted bIowzy
fora of the tropics. does Nature paint
with touch delicate or Il spirit so
masterfiIi There is, To speak. a charm
ing dramatic stlge effect in the scenery
of This vast land. The clear. ,srv. devices
air offers screen tn Kill the shadows
painted by tlie sun, the moon, or the stars.
Night or day, the stray, iIifrrquent cloud
which floats before the skyward breeze
or sleeps lazily along the blue. casts its
Counterpart in a dark, moving Shldow
upon the gray valley or among the puiee-
less coucourSe of the hills. Tue thirsty
and far-.van'lering ''proSpectOr. seeking.
among the pyramids nf granite. the spires
of pOrIl'Sry. the slopes OF slate. the castles
of lime. the columns OF ba<;It, for one
sweet spring OF living water. finds Instead
a mountain of rock salt, Slltcring like
glass dome among the sterile hills. to
tantalize his parching tongue and mock
him with majesty of art he has neither
the time nor the patience TO enjoy.
Under foot. the world is dry. gray.
silent. Overhead. during the long. cloud
less day. it is nIle- blue, dry. silent. All
abroad. it is gray. or dark with mountains
distant. and il is silent. Silence is every
where No tide OF restless seas rolls
thrnbbing to the sIIore-liues on the rocks
the seas are dead and gone. No roar of
far -oH torrcut tumbling down the hills to
jar the night air underneath the Stars-the
stars still are. hut all the torrents have de-
pare ed. In this land tho valleys have been
seas, the canons have been tOrreut-bedS.
tile slopes have been the dwelling place Of
men who dealt with fire. stote-headed
arrows. earthen pots, and sheil-wrought
vaIiities out at some lost period. back
ward OF all dates. the Great High Sheriff
Of the universe. in open court. has cried
''Silenee - and has been obeycd.
Across these gray valleys. under thFse
silent shadows. aInl among these curious
hills. winds the long. drat-colored ribbon
OF the wagoT-ruad on its way TO the town
II. too. is silent, save far forward in the
dusty distance. where the 9xteam in a
niehald picture answers Sth strainiIg
necks the profane shout that urges it
along or far backward, where the lines
uf ictigrhv ears mark time to muiSh feet.
to creJ,iiating leather. and to clankiug
.chaiiis and all that makes a uule-team
musical TO the ears of tine silent man who
sits upon his laboring beast. jogging from
LETT to right, from right to letr. the whole
dav long or between these teams. or
before or behind them. the crOakiug big
black raven may strut and croak in answer
to some f;Ir-off wolf upon a low hill, howl
ing at the plain. All Is silent. No house
along that way. No baying watchdog
sitting at a gate. No children home bound.
book In hand. from school. No Growing
cocks. no lowing hertIs, 10 bleating lambs
no anything, but silence aud the shadows
and the gray
Through such land. on such road.
young MIR. Maydole made his way toward
the treeless. sunhunrt mining town. He
found it in one of these deserted torrent
beds which the American man of the
Occldent calls "a aaon. Two feeble lines
of houses, with stony street between
two rocky lines of ragged hills, from
whose rough faces, like numerous pug
noses. jufted the half built. halt dug-ou
miners cabins. and one large. noisy build
ing in tbe town. from whose high ehiuneys
came clouds of smoke and putfs of steam.
When the two-horse spring wagon. which
the proprietor thereof called a stage. pulled
mp in front of the office building pertaining
10 the larger structure. our hero alighIed.
uIIheFaitd. unattended. unacquainteil.
aud unwelcomed. His few personal effects
were rapidly piled oilt al Ter him upon the
step OF the Ottlce.+ and the sage drove
away. leaving him an entire stranger rim
the cold world"
With his usual directness of purpose. he
presented himself to the person behind the
desk. aud. finding that person to be the
party TO whom his credentials were ad
dressed. he Immediately served the same
upon him.
Il am glad TO meet yOu, Mr. Maytln.e
and If il salts you well to get in here
as it does me to get out, we are both
happy"
TO this remark Norman simply bowed
politely, and then said
4.If you will be good enough to show
me over the place. and introduce me To
the foreman, af-l such other persons as
may have most business with, I shall be
glad at aHy time To return the favor, ii ia
my power TO do so.
''Certainly, certainly Blethers Is
down In the mine at present, hut will
Introduce you TO the amalgamator, the
store keeper, the postmaster, aad-aild-
the boys generally"
..And the matter of lodgings Nor
man WIS beginning TO say.
You take my room, | suppose right
here In fine Office building" Here he
y,a.ar,nr4 eaaa door foaIfro tn am aTi0iti7uO