Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-02-15
Through Santa lIaraWheat
By FRANCIS BRET HARTI

lhe ranch. Although his domain was
nearly as large as the adjoining wheat
PLAIN 1t was not like that monono1;za5
oy one enormous characteristic Weld.
OUT embraced more diversified prod.
uct There Were acres and acres of no
tatoes' IN rows of endless and varvino
succession. There We're miles of wild
oats ana barley. which overtopped them
as they drove in narrow lanes of drv
and dusty monotony. There were or
charas OF pears, apricots, peaches and
nectarlnes. and vineyards of grapes so
comparatively dwarfed in height that
they scarcely reached to the level of their
eyes, yet laden and breaking beneath
the weight of their ludicrously dispropor.
tonate fruit. What seemed to be a vast
green plateau covered with tiny patches,
that headed the northern edge of the
prospect, was an enormous bed of straw
perry 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
It's pulsating heart" Descending from
the wagon into pedestrian prose again
he led Rose Il hundred yards further to
a Shed that covered a wonderful artesian
well. In the center of a basin column
OF water rose regularly with the even
flow and volume of a brook. ut 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 iudo-
pendent, unpastoral and unprofessional
character as the men of the wheat field.
There were no cottages or farm build
ings 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 Il com
pany ION shares" that those laborer.
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 Ions
roller, and with whom you were indig
nant because he wouldn't get out of oul
way, is the president of the company"
THAT needn't make him so uncivil,
said Rose, poutingly, "for if it comes Il
that you're the landlord" she added
triumphantly.
NO" said the major good humored
ly, 81 am simply the man driving tn
lighter and more easily managed team
for pleasure, and he's the man drivin.
the heavier and more difficult machin
for work. It's for me to get out of hi
way. And looked at in the light of m
being the landlord it is still worse. TO
as we're working 'on shares I'm inter
rupting his work and reducing his prot
its merely because | choose to sacriic
my own"
| need not say that those atrociousl
leveling sentiments were received by tn
young ladies with that feminine scor-
which is only qualified by ymisconception
Rose, who under the influence of he
hostess nationality had vague i'm
preston that they sounded something
like the French revolution, and tina
Adele must feel like the Princess Eliza
beth. rushed to her relief Ike goo
girl. But. major, now you're gentle
man, and if you had been driving tina
roller you know you would have turne
out for us"
~ don't know about that" said tn
major mischievously, "but if | had
should have known that the other fello,
who accepted it wasn't gentleman"
But Rose having sufficiently show
her partisanship in the discussion, afte
the feminine fashion, did not care pal
ticularly for the logical result. After
moments silence she resumed, And th
wheat ranch below-is that carried o
in the same way"
"Yes; but their landlord is a banl
who advances not only the land but til
money to work it, and doesn't rid
around in buggy with couple {
charmingly distracting young ladies'"
And do they all share alikeY col
tinued Rose, ignoring the pleasantr,
"big and little-that young inventC
with the resty'
She stopped. She felt the ingenue
usually complacent eyes suddenly tixe
} upon her with an unhallowed precocit
and as quickly withdrawn. Withol
knowing why, she felt embarrassed al
changed the subject.
The next day they drove to the Coz
vent of Santa Clara and the missile
! college of San Jose. Their welcome
both places seemed to Rose to be
. mingling of caste greeting and spiritu
zeal, and the austere seclusion and +
serve of those cloisters repeated thi
suggestion of an old world civiliZatic
c that had already fascinated the your
e western girl. They made other excu
e sions in the vicinity, but did not exter
a it to visit to their few neighbor
! With their reserved and exclusive ide
; this fact did not strike Rose as peculia
!, but on later shopping expedition
]. the town of San Jose a certain reticen
n and aggressive sensitiveness on the pa
p of the shop keepers and tradespeoI
'e ,5varl the Randolphs produced an u