The record-union., 1892-09-03
NtsceuunEu1ra.

man of science. ''It is another form of
aICedony-agate-th result of the ac-
ton of the lava that swallowed up and
preserved these relics, keeping them her.
metlcally sealed tor us all these thousands
of years.
He then selected a skull and held it up.
"Ah, here is a little pet of mine--the
skull of little dog who existed here
ages ago.
But" said 1, she was too mild little
fellow to have lived in savage times with
out man to lean on: How could he have
ever defended himself?''
'N on are not far from right" said the
wise man, again patting the little stone
skull tenderly, as il it were a real live
dog. 'Ile shows by the shape of the
frontal bone that ne was mild little fell
low, but he belongs to ages ago, when the
monkey was native of Oregon"
One by one tue apathetic crowd slipped
away, and to@ our benefit, because we
were eager to know more. The Professor
began at the year, 'Beginning of Time"
and held us SpellbOund with his delight
ful discourse on the mysteries of creation.
There was the story of the nautilus, the
rock oyster, the hermit crab, the eyolu-
ton of the SiSkiyou Mountains before
Europe had appeared, the forearm of the
whale. and first, last and always, the tale
OF the prehistoric fve-toed little horse
the original animal from which the giant
of to-day has been evolved in a Nancy
Hanks, the pride of the hour. Red Cap
and l wanted to stay there and listen for
ever. We voted science the most iasci-
mating study in the world, and resolved
that the next time we were reincarnated
on earth we would choose to be like
Professor Condor and understand things.
Then again we took wing. What
beautiful land is Oregon-so green and
magnifcently wooded! The ferns cover
every bit Of ground under the trees, so
that it is all a vast picnic ground. The
atmosphere suddenly turns into mist, but
nobody seems to mind it; the men go on
working, the children go on playing, just
the same. Then, as suddenly, it brightens
again, and dries up under foot but l
think the trees must always be wet-this
world is SO green and beautiful as if it
were newly born.
Passing through Cow Creek Canyon
was a remarkable sight-how any rail
road ever ventured in here was wonder
and then we came out at Rogue River
Valley, a broad eXpanse like beautiful
painting, with the river running like
silver through. At Grants Pass an acci-
dent to freight train caused an obStruc-
ton, but the railroad authorities allowed
no delay, sending orders to transfer pas
sengers and baggage around the obstruc-
ton as soon as the other train arrived.
What singular sight to see an army of
wOrhmen spring into sight, as if out of
the earth like gnomeSl And what burdens
they had to carry up over an embank-
ment, and then down again! One trunk
was like small house, perfectly square
and the size of four usual big trunks,
and they put it on platform and four
men carried 1t by the corners. The owner
had the pleasure of hearing himself or
herself eXecrated by all who saw it.
And then we came flying over the
mountains into California. Toward after
noon a sudden vision Of a snow-crowned
peak dazZled us-only to be evanescent
as it were-like the eIoquence of the or
at0r, spoken and lost, and yet yividly re-
called. Again and again it played hide
and seek, till at last we caught it and
held it fast. And it was Shasta, the beau
tiful and majestic. Not so beautiful,
quite, as when l saw 1t from $50 miles
away in Modoc County, a glorious sight,
rising sheer from the plain in snowy
splendor amid tinted clouds. Still il is
a grand mountain, and we alighted to see
how it felt to sit in its shadow, and as the
afternoon went by haze came down and
filled the sky and swathed the mountain
in bands Of cotton batting. And then,
suddenly, the last glance OF the departing
sun burst through, the sky cleared, the
mountain bluShed III the aftergloW and
grand cloud pageant passed in solemn
procession across the heavens into the
west. Triumphal cars and chariots
sailed along, containing all the gods and
goddesseS of all the mythologies-Gr
Roman, Morse or Orieutal-airy, fitting
figures, slightly grotesque, and yet evil
IDENTIFY the forms which once peOpled
Falhalla and Olympos Who can won
der at the superstitions of the world when
it is nature herself, the willful witch who
plays these tricks before high heaven?
Again we are on the wing. There is
one thing left, and that is a pilgrimage to
our little Mecca a sacred spot which lies
in the suburbs of Sacramento, dedicated
to the dead, and so here we abide for q
few hours. How warm it is in the early
mornings And then we tread the streets,
but little changed since the path used to
lead daily to the High School on G street
years ago. The faces are all changed; the
boys and girls have passed away-the
only ones which remain are Judge Van
Fleet and ex-Mayor Gregory.
But why does Sacramento itself remain
unchanged III all these years? Why
should Tacoma, Portland and Seattle
leave her so far behind, with their mod
ern architecture and excellent facilities?
l had the courage to ask K-street busi-
ness man what was the reason, for / could
not understand it, And he said: "It's be-
cause there Is no encouragement given
here TO start new enterprises and indus
tries. we need more occupation for our
people. Then we could afford TO beau
tify our city. I don't know what we'd
do now if it wasn't Tor the railroad shops.
From the 10Th of the month to the Ist,
when the men get paid, money moves
from hand to hand, and then it's dull
times again. It's just lack of business
enterprise that keeps us back"
Once more we take wing and alight in
the midst of a cold breeze that beats upon
us and a shower of sand chat blows in our
faces. We have not travelled five thou
sand miles for nothing through beautiful
Oregon and Washington, and up the in
land seas and back again. We feel
patriotic sense of homecoming to our
native city, and yet as we enter upon the
busy life and rush and fever Of the thou
sands of unknown about us, to remain
unknown forever, feeling of great lone
Hness comes upon us. And Red Cap
leans over and whispers, 81 know it's
strange, but Pm lonesome for the ship"
ELLA STERLING CUMMINs,
San Francisco, Cal, July 10. 1892.
Buckingham's Dye for the Whis kers