Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-19
AN UNwRIrTEN CHAPTER OF THE PALMY
DAYS.

In the good old days of '64, when the
| Virginia excitement was in its flush, the
now quiet shores of Bonner Lake was the
scene of hustle and life. Great "moun-
tain schooners drawn by five and six
span of mules or horses, daily passed along
its northern shore, and two six-horse daily
stages ratified over the smooth road, which
was kept free from dust by sprinkling
stantly in repair. This was known as the
Dutch Flat road, the site where Truckee
now stands being covered with barren
rocks and trees, with the exception of one
solitary house. There were three hotels
near the shores of the lake, store and half
dozen dwelling houses, and constant
stream of travellers offered their patronage.
Among the settlers at the foot OF the
lake was man named Lane, who came
with his family in an emigrant tram across
the plains. He camped at the lake, and
being short of means was glad of an oppor-
tunity offered him of laying in winters
supply of wood for the hotel, which took
many weeks.
A half-breed Indian, known among the
whites as Joe, hung around the hotel, and
for some cause Joe and Lane had quarrel,
in which the Indian was worsted. Days
passed, and it was supposed the affair was
forgotten. But the logged Indian nature
clung close to him and showed itself The
! Unsuitable desire Tor revenge was in his
heart. Joe lurked around the place, and
one afternoon the wife of Lane discovered
that her eldest child was missing from the
camp. This was an adopted child, being
the son of Lanes deceased sister.
Search was instituted high and low
through the woods and over the mountains
and down Bonner creek. All hands were
on the track. 1t was not known that the
Indian was the cause of the child's disap-
pearance, but the Indian disappeared at
the same time, and camp mile from the
lake was thoroughly searched and vigil
lantly guarded-but all to no avail The
child had been in the habit of playing near
the lake, and after the vigilant search it
was the generally accepted theory among
the settlers that he must have been
drowned.
Time passed, and hope began to fade.
But the sequel is the saddest part OF this
romance of real life. The child, whose
name is unknown to us, died among the
Indians three weeks after its abduction.
The cause we can only presume. The lit
tie fellow could not endure the coarse food,
the barbarous usages, the exposures and
privations, of Indian life. Pining for home,
he became weak and emaciated. The little
spirit was above the hard endurance, the
cold and fatigue, which wore away the
body by day and night, with nothing to
cheer, no kind heart, no tender hand-the
repugnant and garrulous talk of his cap
| tors constantly sounding in his ears. Per-
| haps at night he found comfort listening to
the plaintive murmur of the gurgling
brook. which had song-like and melodi-
GUS voice, produced through that delirium
which precedes death Perchance he
watched some little star and saw it set be-
yond the black mountain, and felt lonely
until the night came again, when his little
companion twinkled once more, and he
seemed to talk to it, and waited again for
another night, still watching that little
star with his hollow eyes and his weak
and wasted body, till his shining bea-
con again faded beyond the horizon, and
hope sinking in his breast, his little soul
went forth to reach it. This was at camp
near the place where Verdi now stands
down the river. Lane left for California
on the approach OF snow, but returned in
the spring in hopes to learn something OF
the child. The Indian Joe became fright
ened when the search began and found his
way to Virginia City, and afterwards went
to eastern Nevada, and now lives near Bel
mont. He speaks English fuently, and
Sometimes chops wood for the whites
Thomas Motley, who was engaged as a
miner there, now living in Truckee, vouches
for the truth of this strange incident. He
gives US the facts as he learned them from
the Indian. The whole camp were too
frightened to return the child at the time,
and kept it. John Terrence, now of Sacra-
meuto, and at the time employed around
the dollhouse at the lake, remembers the
occurrence well, but lost track of Lane
/ TTruckee Republican