Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-12-05
A $40 GOLDPIECE.

Don't stop at LII Better re
main over night at ca and go on
clear through to Id the next day."
These were the parting words of our
genial host of the Ukiah inn, Mendoci
no county, Cal had purchased cou
pie of horses and pack mule lower
down in the valley and was taking
them along the old Oregon stage route
to my home in the northern part of the
state.
Accompanying me were my overseer,
Robert Thorndycke Hawkins, or, as he
was more generally known, Ranoheria
Bob, and an easterner named Wilson,
who was going to spend few months
on the ranch ''to see how it was done.
had not advertised for boarders nor
contemplated starting q ''tenderfoot
nursery but Wilson, whom had met
at the Palace hotel, seemed such gen.
ial, pleasant fellow that it was impos-
sible to refuse his earnest request to
Join us in our mountain life. Bob was
rather opposed to the scheme, but not
being prominent factor in the matter
Wilson came along.
Our route lay through section of
country which had elapsed into demi
civilized state, the mines there having
in a measure become exhausted, the
stage route abandoned for the more
expeditions railroad and the immense
timber tracts still being too far distant
to be worked to any advantage. The
men as we'll as the other conditions took
backward growth, and those who re-
manned were very favorably described
as tough" hence the cautioning in
struction from our landlord.
Acting upon such advice, we planned
our daily route so as to pass L. L.
at noon. We were all we'll equipped
with rifles and side arms, and looked
forward to a very pleasant journey.
Our horses were in fine condition, as
also was the mule. Perhaps it is need
less to say that Bob and myself rode
the former, while Wilson was happy on
the mule.
The view was charming, with con-
stantly changing vistas. Now exquisite
groups of bouquet shaped elm trees
haunted the river bank, and again an
open, undulating meadow with wooded
hills in the near distance, backed by
the great blue tinted mountains of the
Coast range We travelled on, enjoying
the constantly changing view, without
any incident uncommon to any trip of
the kind, and the evening of the second
day found us at ca. From here
Id was 81 miles and L. L. but
80. AS these were the only settlements
in the country, we felt it incumbent on
Us to make an early start, as it would
be good days work for the horses,
who were beginning to show effects of
their recent efforts.
Various rumors as to the sanctity and
future prospects of the L. L-ites 1--WE
classified them as geologists do other
hard materially kept reaching us as we
journeyed on. So corroboratory were
the reports that we looked upon our ap-
proach as one in the olden times must
have felt on nearing Sodom or Gomor-
rah. IL was one of those places
(Which fortunately are becoming few
where no restriction is placed Oh any
class of society, and the medieval law,
might makes right" is the only rec
ognized judicial power. There were per-
haps 200 people in all forming the fixed
population, though at certain seasons
there might be double that number.
The only visible means of support of
the inhabitants was catering to the
vices Of their fellow men. 1t was the
escape valve Of that lawless class who
haunt the borders of new civilization
Miners came there to spend Sunday and
the result of their past weeks toll
Herders who might have been leading
hermit's life in the mountains for three
months brought there the result Of
their labor and did not leave until it
was all exhausted. We did not believe
much of all this that was told in re-
gard to the place, considering the great
er part of the information of that myth
ical construction common to the char
acter of such a region.
Our intention of starting early in the
morning from ca was frustrated
by one of the horses casting shoe, and
it was nearly 9 when we entered the
woods beyond ca However, we
had the prospect of moonlight night
and did not despair of reaching Id
in fairly good season. We crossed the
watershed at the Mendocino valley, and
were descending into that of Hum
boldt, the road following the twisting
Eel river. Here begins the greatest red
wood belt III the state, and as we trav-
eled lower down the valley we saw the
trees which were 100 feet or SO high on
the foothills assume such mammoth
proportions that the distance to their
tops could scarce be measured in as
many yards. They now became an i'm.
portant factor in the topography of the
road, which deviated from its course
continually, obedient to the dictation
Of these monarchs. This constant inter-
ruption made what had been a fairly
direct road system of geometrical
curves, impossible to follow in any fix
ed direction. From a certainty it be-
came labyrinth. The great size and
abundance of the trees stilled the at
mosphere, giving somber effect to all
the varied sounds natural to the woods.
We could see limbs swinging at the tops
of the trees and yet scarce hear or per
Ceive trace of the wind, which must
have been strong to move them SO yio-
lently. The very jingle of our saddle
equipments seemed discordant amid the
deeper harmouies.
It was here, in the stage times, that
Black Bard, the oethighwayman, reap
ed many rich harvest. His was chiv-
alrous nature, and his memory is held
sacred in many cabin in the woods.
One stage driver told with pride how,
after relieving him Of the mail and
Wells Fargo's box, Black Bard asked
him for chew of tobacco. His nom de
plume arose from the fact that, after ri
fling the mail, he would jot down a
doggerel verse upon the back of some
specially lucrative envelope-an extern
poraneous address of sympathy to the
owner of the package-and sign ''The
Black Bard" His final capture, after
many liberal rewards, was unique. Be-
ing interrupted in his self enforced in
snectorship Of a mail. be. departed in