Osage Valley banner. (Tuscumbia, Miller County, Mo.) 1879-1881, 1880-11-04

early arrivals by the Panama ronte
They had opportunities OF doing well at
San francisco and Stockton; but the
husband had started for the mines. "
and. like thousands others. he could
not be satisfied short Of seeing them.
He possessed The instincts. education
and manners OK gentleman. The
wife, n delicate, warin.hearted, lntellt.
gent and very motherly little New En-
gland woman, was in III respects ft to
be the friondand conipanion OF such a
man. They brought tbolr only child
a girl OF five or six wears, a. beautiful
as iawn. and the ~ 81 tho family
circle. whicii was soon enlarged by
bearders. Mr.. was physically un-
able to work in the mines. Mrs. -----
cheerfully supported him In his Illness
panama feyer), hoping for his uti-
mate recovery, which never came,
Within 4 month or six weeks aftor his
arrival ho died, aud tho Argouauts
kindly aud tenderiy laid him away
in his eternal rest The brave
hearted wife attended to her
duties as usual, until one morning lit
tie Elias flushed check and languid OK
preston indicated that she, too. was
wanted on the other side of the river.
Night and day the mother hung over
the fading form OF her darling, alter
nately hoping, fearing, despairiug.
And night and day the Argonauts
gathered about TO cheer, comfort, assist
and encourage. At last the supreme
hour came, and the sweet little flower
that had delighted and humanized tho
rough natures of so many homeless,
childless and wifeless men closed its
( leaves and faded away into memory.
With little Elias death the light of
life perished from the eyes and heart of
the mother. Her utter loneliness and
melancholy was sahder than death itself
She was left in destitute circumstances.
The miners OWNED As much, and in less
than fortnight after the burial Of the
child the widowed mother was started
on her way back to her New
England homo with $1,000 and a
through ticket in her purse. This is
but one instance Of thousands The
demands upon beneyolence were fire.
quent and always pressing, but the Ar
gonauts, though their avarice must be
conceded, albeit among the meanest Of
| passions. brought hearts with them
which on occasion could glow with all
the warmth of California summer
/ sun.
1 1t has gone abroad with the brand OF
( popular Endorsement that there is foI
{ literature in the annals aud traditions
I OF early life IN this State nothing worth
contributing but humor of the broadest
7 and lowest type. This is grave mis-
+ Judgment of the case; and no man ia
miliar with the inner life OF those times
will assent to it, There was, TO be
sure, q humorous and u ridiculous,
mocking side 10 ii; but by comparison
with the serious, earnest, dramatic side,
it is as the laughing ril TO the mighty
/ river. Every camp, bar, ravine, which
/ has materially helped TO swell the vol
ume OF gold produced here since jan
nary 10, 1913, has been the scene OF q
4 tragedy, and no considerable civilized
! State has ever, In so short time,
I yielded as large a harvest OF blighted
/ hopes. broken hearts, crushed ambi-
/ tions and family ties severed as this.
/ Our humor, like that of the Fool, " in
/ King Lear. in the main derives its in
I spiration from calamity, and has a
touch of the grim mockery Of n grin
ming skeleton. The "North American
/ Pie. Bitter" who Is the hero OF Mark
| Twain's inimitable dumping Frog
I story, if the truth be told oi him, had a
( history as sad AS the cry OF wounded
| curlew. San Francisco Call.