Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1894-04-06
through Santa Clara Wheat
By FRANCIS BRET HARTR

The next morning Maj. Randolph took
her with Adele in light cariole over
the ranch. Although his domain was
nearly as large as the adjoining wheat
plain. it was not like that monopolized
by one enormous characteristic yield,
but embraced a more diversified prod.
uct. There we're acres and acres of po-
tatoes, in rows of endless and varying
succession. There were miles of wild
oats and barley. which overtopped them
as they drove in narrow lanes of dry
and dusty monotony. There were or
chards Of pears, apricots, peaches and
nectarines. and vineyards of grapes so
comparatively dwarfed in height that
they scarcely reached to the level of their
eyes, yet laGsn and breaking beneath
the weight of their ludicrously dispropor-
tlonate fruit. What seemed to be vast
green plateau covered with tiny patches,
that headed the northern edge of the
prospect, was an enormous bed of straw
berry plants. But everywhere, crossing
the track. bounding the fields, orchards
and vineyards, intersecting the paths of
the whole domain, were narrow irrigat-
ing ducts and channels of running water.
"Those," said the major POLITICALLY,
"are the veins and arteries of the ranch.
Come with me now and I'll show on
its pulsating heart" Descending from
the wagon into pedestrian prose again
he led Rose u hundred yards further to
a shed that covered a wonderful artesian
we'll In the center of basin a column
of water rose regularly with the even
flow and volume of a brook. at is one
OF the largest in the state" said the
major, land is the life of all that grows
here during six months of the year"
Pleased as the young girl was with
these evidences of the prosperity and
position of her host, she was struck.
however, with the fact that the farm
laborers, vine growers, nursery men and
all field hands scattered on the vast
estate were apparently of the same indie
pendent, unpastoral and unprofessional
character as the men of the wheat field.
There were no cottages or farm build
lngs that she could see, nor any appar-
ent connection between the household
and the estate. Far from suggesting
tenantry or retainers, the men who were
working in the fields glanced at them
as they passed with the indifference of
strangers, or replied to the majors
greetings of questionings with perfect
equality of manner or even businesslike
reserve and caution. Her host explained
that the ranch was worked by a COM
pany ION shares:" that those laborers
were in fact the bulk of the company,
and that he, the major, only furnished
the land, the seed and the implements.
"That man who was driving the long
roller, and with whom you were indig-
nant because he wouldn't get out of our
way, is the president of the company
"That needn't make him so uncivil,"
said Rose, poutingly, ''for if it comes to
that you're the landlord" she added
triumphantly.
mo, said the major good humored-
ly, 81 am simply the man driving the
lighter and more easily managed team
for pleasure, and he's the man driving
the heavier and more difficult machine
for work. It's for me to get out of his
way And looked at in the light of my
being the landlord it is still worse, for
as we're working on shares I'm inter-
rupting his work and reducing his prof
its merely because choose to sacrifice
my own"
need not say that those atrociously
leveling sentiments were received by the
young ladies with that feminine scorn
which is only qualified by misconception.
Rose, who under the influence of her
hostess nationality had vague i'm
preston that they sounded something
like the French revolution, and that
Adele must feel like the Princess Eliza
beth, rushed to her relief Ike good
girl. But, major, now you're gentle
man, and if you had been driving that
roller you know you would have turned
out for u.s."
II don't know about that" said the
major mischievously. ''but if | had !
should have known that the other fellow
who accepted it wasn't gentleman.
But Rose having sufficiently shown
her partisanship in the discussion, after
the feminine fashion, did not care par
ticularly for the logical result. After
moments silence she resumed, And the
wheat ranch below-is that carried on
in the same way%
Eyes; but their landlord is bank,
who advances not only the land but the
money to work it, and doesn't ride
around in buggy with couple of
charmingly distracting young ladies'"
And do they all share alike?" con-
tinued Rose, ignoring the pleasantly;
"big and little-that young inventor
with the resty"
She stopped. She felt the ingenue's |
usually complacent eyes suddenly fixed |
upon her with an unhallowed precocity
and as quickly withdrawn. Without |
knowing why, she felt embarrassed and |
changed the subject.
The next day they drove to the Con-
vent of Santa Clara and the mission |
college of San Jose. Their welcome at |
both places seemed to Rose to be a |
of caste greeting and spiritual |
zeal, and the austere seclusion and re-
serve of those cloisters repeated that
of an old world civilization
that had already fascinated the young |
western girl. They made other excur-
sions in the vicinity, but did not extend
it to visit to their few neighbors.
With their reserved and exclusive ideas
this fact did not strike Rose as peculiar,
but on a later shopping expedition to
the town of San Jose certain reticence |
and aggressive sensitiveness on the part |
Of the shop keepers and tradespeople
toward the Randolphs produced an I'M
ut impression ON her mind. She
III rot help noticing, too, that after
lae first stare of establishment which
greeted her appearance with her hostess
II, tl.a