The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-12-21
a KING
COUNTY MINE.

: hrother and sister-who had come
,be Atlantic coast to the Sound
'snsry with several objects in view. The
a.,.;t of health. rest from arduous BUSH
! ,,,rsr,its. wish to fill our sketch
= with bits of natures wild beauties,
i s,nrs,le our study of human nature as
Il We had been told that visit to a
ss;ng town some thirty miles distant
= Seattle might prove of interest to
No therefore determined to make the
q !. Ne started away early one morning,
: sx.sf,,l that heavy fog prevented our
! s<hing one more glimpse of the Sound,
s:el had lain SO stcely bright in the
ssnbeams on the previous night, or
s. cling glance at the city. so lately risen
:, ;ts sbroud of ashes into new life, and
zinc with new interests. As we left
I. coast and neared the mountains.
s breeze sprang up and the fog lifted,
X1sr;ng US the Uncovered hills through
= s;ch our train was passing.
I, VAS nearly noon when We looked
.xn from our car window upon our des-
.s,ion say looked down, for the track
& 4 around the mountain far up above the
.pse.tops. and then backed and turned
Z Ga glided down grade, safely landing us
fhe little station at last.
i The houses of the superintendent of the
.nf and others holding good positions
60 we'll built, but the miners homes
\ the most part were hastily built cot
,as OF one or two rooms.
Il The house pointed out TO us where we
.nId obtain lodgings was one of a row of
: r. much larger than the average cottage
1.-The place, and we arranged To make our
IN there. 1t was Il pleasing location.
lin around we're mountains and noun
ias. some bald, rugged with rocks, with
kov patches touched by the glow, and
/ I'M. dark shadows among the whiteness.
fxhers we're covered with skeleton tree
hanks. bleachcd and lcahess, telling of
!, r. that some years previous had
nept over. destroying the grand trees
!. k,eceding the smaller growth now cover
: e the remaining mountains, miles upon
4rles of towering green heights, and there
kaong them all bursting upon our aston
khed sight, making them seem but hills
IN eo,nparison, rose III its grandeur, the
ksautifll Mount Rainier. During the few
isys of our stay in Seattle heavy fogs had
'sryailed and we were unable to obtain a
Iiimpse OF this pride of Washington, while
here II had burst upon us, making its pres
Eae felt almost, for we thrilled with de-
sIGrht. As we gazed we were impressed by
IN yastness, it calm grandeur appearing
Is near this scene of toll. this
Irrth groveling, and yet So
In away, not so much by distance as by
}amtrast of purity with impurity. Rising
IN from the lower world into the soft, ca
IFsng clouds that lay in wrcaths about it,
Isad lust at the summit of the other mount
!. Ifas which concealed its base; then burst
M away from their wavering folds it rose
m into the heavens Redeemed by the dying
Nh. which changed its pure white 10 a
kMY pearl of yastness uncomfortable. We
Iaspd. and g3zed in silence, watching Its
Hanging beauties, the pink of sunset fad
fng away, leaving il white and cold against
G Me sky turning to steely azure; then
Darkness creeping over all, hiding il from
Dr. sight
/ Turning to descend we were met by one
IA our fellow-boarders, a man of massive
&ame. with coal-black hair and deep-set
Il hay eyes--the .'Silcnt Giant" we named
dH who had come to guide us down the
kDuntain side
The evening meal over We sought the
&Nlusion of the sitting room, but found
that the other boarders had claims equal
4aDgr own Soon the room was filied
Nth a crowd of incouth miners, among
3hem the unknown guide who seated him
Mi al window and MS though uncon-
|Gous of the presence of others, gaZed
atntly upon the thickening night. \
mail organ stood in one corner OF the
ingy room, ind. responding To an urgent
1nvitation. Mrs l.. seated herself at the
ttle instrument and sang a comic song.
/ Tie audience smiled their appreciation,
tnd then they begged for another, and yet
fthrd, which, perhaps, suggested by the
fgHcongenial surroundings, was Home,
Sweet Home" The look of amusement
tied away. The "Silent Giant" sat grasp
Img the arms of his chair, his thin lips un-
consciously compressed. The second
3stanza had been sung when he arose, and
lNeppng softly left the room and went out
Into the darkness of the night.
We arose early the next morning and
booked anxiously mt the sky, for
Rainy day meant confinement 10 our in
different quarters. We stood on the
1yeranda, the cool morning breeze blowing
Ipftly, the sky clear and cloudless. We
IEatched the miners go by TO their work
1Eith pick and shovel, their lamps ready
lighted upon their heads. The odor of cof-
spoke of breakfast, and directly we were
1loined by Mrs. l.. and Amaranth.s We
Started III the direction of the river, the
same stream We had passed and crossed on
dour wayslp. We had first noticed it as n
marrow brook. but at this point broader
and more beautiful AT the time of our
slslt the stream was low, and the pebbles
on IT'S bed could he distinctly seen through
The clear green of the waters.
In places, caves of considerable depth
had been worn by the action of the water
an, 14as-
ing vines and shrubs; places where the
iocks rose perpcndicularly on either side
lef over 100 feet; here the water ioamed
shd gnrgled through the narrow passage,
aAik and forbidding. We found a lovely
spot apon its banks. and were soon en-
gaged IN sketching picturesque bits of
scenery. Down from the opposite bank
mat rose u ledge of rocks some nifty feet in
aeght, there tricklcd Il tiny waterfall with
: linkle and splash, creating a ring of
pam, the marrow, silvery stream dropped
INTO the green waters below, swept on with
we waves, tinged by their color, down
i through the dark passage, between beetling
MeSs, on TO the wide, deep sea. And
Watching il CLEAN. Amaranth. with her
soai iuli of poetry, tinged with sadness,
spoke the name of poet who had COM
Nfed beautiful waterfall 10 the different
wages OF many a wasted life.
i Aniie mere passed quickly, so intent were
We upon our laborS and busted with the
thoughts this beautiful romantic place
jailed forth. We were conscious of 4 sense
q comfort and drowsy indifference when
TOWN trom the heights above US came ring
1 rs out upon the clear air the sound OF
VIC dinner bell. Mrs. l.. arose from her
stat al the foot Of n gigantic hr. Amaranth
sad disappeared. She had preceded me 10
Nc house, of course, and we felt but little
disturbed on her account. but when we
;saehed the cottage she was not there.
vas eomplaceRcy quickly turned TO alarm.
saa organizing search party Of struggling
aiheFS NE followed along 4 narrow wagon
mad, whittier we thought she might have