Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-18
on CALIFORNIAN,
sY JOAQUIN nrLLKR.

AAR'
In those days there were giants
IN the land. mighty men of power
and renown."-BIBLE
The towards did not start to the
Pacific Coast in the old days; all the
weak died on the way. And so il
was that we had then not only race
of giants, but Of gods.
II is To be allowed that they were
no, a, all careful OF the laws, either
ancient or modern. ecclesiastical or
lay. They would cuss. They would
fight like dogs-aye, like Christians
in battle. But there was more solid
honor among those men than the
world will eve see again 10 a body
of men, fear, TIL IL approaches the
millennium. Ia it dying out with
them ? | near tina, The new Califor
mans are rather common cattle.
Do yoa know where the real old
Californian is ?-the giant, the world
buiIde. z.
He is sitting by the trail high up
on the mountain His eyes are dim,
his head is white. His sleeves are
lowered. Ills pick and shovel are at
his side His feet arc weary aud sore.
He is still prospecting. Pretty soon
he win sink his last prospect hole in
the Sierra.
Some younger men will come along
and lengtheD it out little, aud lay
him in his grave, re old miner
will have passed on tov, prospect the
ontcroppings that star the floors of
heaven.
He Is not numerous now; but saw
him last summer high up on the head
waters Of the Sacramento. Uis face
is set forever away from that civlliza-
tion which has passed him by. He
is called tramp now. And the new.
nice people who have slid over the
plains in Q palace car. and settled
down there, set dogs on him some
times when he comes that way.
! charge you treat the old Califor-
nian well wherever you find him.
He has seen more, suffered more,
practiced more self-denisl. than can
now fall to the lot of any man.
] never see one of these old pros
pectors without thinking Of Ulysses,
and wondering If Penelope still
veaves and unweaves, and waits the
end Of his wanderings. Will any old
blind dog stagger forth ct the sound
Of his voice, lick his hand and fall
down ct his feet ?
Nothing Of the sort. He has not
heard from home for twenty years.
He would not nnd even the hearth
stone of his cabin by the Ohio, should
he return. Perhaps his own son, a
merchant prince or the president Of
. railroad, 10 one of the distinguished
party in the palace car that smokes
along the plain far below.
And though he may die there in the
pines on the mighty mountain, while
still feebly searching for the golden
fleece, do not forget that his life is an
epic, noble as any handed down from
out of tie dusty cid. / implore you
treat him kindly. Some day fitting
poet will come, and then he viii, take
his place among the heroes and the
gods.
But there is another o.d Californi-
an, a wearier man, the successful one.
He, too, Is getting gray. But he is a
power In the land. He is a prince Ia
fact and in act. What strange fate
was 1t that threw dust in the eyes of
that old Californian, sitting by the
trail high up on the mountain, and
him so that he could not see
the gold Just within his grasp a quar-.
ter Of q century agos And what
good fairy was It that led this other
old Californian, now the banker, the
railroad king. or senator, to where
the mountain gnomes had hidden
their gold OF old ?
What accidental beggars and
princes we have in the world to-day /!
But. whether beggar or prince. the
old Californian stands head and
shoulder taller than his fellows vher-
ever you may find him. This is q
solid, granite truth.
A few years ago Q steamer drew
into the Bay Of Naples, with lot OF
passengers, among whom were small
party Of Americans. The night had
been rough and the ship was behind
time. Il was 10 o'clock already, and
no breakfast. The stingy captain had
resolved to economize.
A stout, quiet man, with Q stout
hickory stick, went to the captain and
begged for . little coffee, st least, Tor
lhe lAdies. Tue captain turaed bis
back, futtered his coat tails In the
face Of the stout, quiet man. and
walked up bis deck. The stout. quiet
man followed, and still respectfully
beeRsd for something for the ladies.
who were faint with hunger. Then
the captain turned and threatened 70
put him In irons, at the came time
calling his officers around him.
The stout man with the stout stick
very quietly pr0cseded 70 thrash the
captain. He thrashed him I'LL he
could not stand, and then thfashed
every oo1cer that dared 70 ehoE M
face. q we'll 9 half the crew. Then
hs went down and made he eeok gs'
MS wss N old Californian, '.Davs
Coltoa," = We used 70 call him q
Yrska.
Of course an oct like that wes pan.
ishnhle with death almost "Piroey
on the high seas. " and N that Soss d
oiYensa was charged. and ] know moi
how much gold IL cost 10 heal the
vounded head and dignity OF the cap
tain OF the ship. But this Californiar
neither knew the Law nor cared ioi
The law. He had . little party OF 10
dies with him. and he would mot ~
them 20 hungry. He wouid nave
that coffee IL il cost him his head.
Dear Dave Cotton hear thai d
IA dead now. We first gos acquainted
one night in YreKa while shooting q
each other
And what fearful shooting afiail
that was Many Z grixzled old mincl
of the north still remembers u ~
vividly, although il took place mers
than Z quarter of q century ago, !
would make the most thrilling CHAP
ter OF romance. or the hnSi ACT o
. tragedy.
To crowd Q whole book briefiy ints
{ few words, the Yreka miners insist
ed On using all the water in Green