The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-02-07
"SADIE." !"
"a Southern Oregon sunbeam.)

"a Southern Oregon Sunbeam.)
The latter part of May, 1894, a small
party started out from Jacksonville, |
Oregon, to visit the famous Sturgis |
miles distant. The day |
was perfect, not a cloud in the sky |
to shadow the ardor Of anticipation. |
as the occupants Of carriages and bug |
gies started to ascend the mountain
that rises back of Jacksonville; the |
foothills were broidered with vineyards |
and orchards, rich in their green foli-
age, and high above them the broad
driveway wound around a steep cir
cuitous grade, with here and there a
small stream of sparkling water drop
ping from the mountain side into the
culve1,t below, forming a pleasing con-
trast to the heat and dust that op-
pressed the air. When the summit was
reached and the tired horses stopped
for short rest, while with widely dis
tended nostrils they drew in the fresh
air of the mountain top, the entire
party turned it's eyes backward to
gather in the beauties OF Rogue river
valley, that lay spread out Like a
gorgeous panorama at Its feet.
From THE deep blue line Of the Siski-
yous to the Table Rocks, the placid
waters Of Bear creek flowed in cease
less murmurings. until they were lost
in the waters of Rogue riveF, and swept
by its resistless tide onward to the sea-
Numerous villages and hamlets, silent
in the distance but with the smoke
curling up from mills and workshops,
told of the ceaseless rounds OF busy life
Within them A Southern Pacific rail-
way train was sweeping southwark
through the valley, telling its STORY
of commercial and Industrial life that
had called 1t hither. In the east Mt
Mclaughlin reared its snow-capped
head high above the Cascade range,
and numerous smaller peaks were
variously conjectured to be worthy of
historic names with never a caviler,
whether to call them Mt. Tacoma or
Mt Rainier, and for once that vexed
question was sweetly settled by giving
place to each. Surely NO fairer picture
Was ever transferred from summer
landscape to the imperishable walls
Of memory than swung out that day
from q cloudless sky in the valley of
Rogue river. Again the mine; down
the steep hillside, over mountain
the party wended it's way, basking in
the grateful shade of the forest, and
drinking the variegated beauty and
bloom that filled the air with delicious
fragrance. The home Of the proprietor
of the mine was reached; not the ideal
miners cabin of the past, but the neat
modern home of the householder, hold
ing in its treasures a delicate, refined
lady, and a lovely little 9-year-old girl,
the Sadie of my story. What mat
tered lit if the roots of the alfalfa and
orchard trees were gathering their
life forces from a soil rich in virgin
gold, and the tiny rivulets that rippled
from the mountain side, made bare the
bedrocks scanned with the precious
metal? Here, forty years before, had
the owner of the mine builded his
| miners cabin. Here had he grown
gray in simple pastoral life. Here had
| he wrested from nature by honest toll,
| the knowledge of geology THAT revealed
| to him the wealth upon which his pos
sessions rested. In the mountain fast
| nesses he had wooed and won the del
| icate woman who had crowned his life
| with loving kindness, and separated
| the droSs from the fine gold of his
| better nature. All! here had come to
| the home a diviner revelation, a fair
| and delicate flower was fast unfolding
| it's tiny petals in the sunshine of love
| and affection; Southern Oregon sun
| beam was giving an added effulgence
| to the home life, and shedding a. ray
| serene upon the mining camp. Whence
| the grace and courtesy with which the
| miner and his wife received their
| guests! Had nature in its finest har-
| mony, impaired to them q benson
| that radiaited in their cordial welcome
Eagerly the party listened to the story
| of the miners experience, and with
THAT strange fascination that the sighd
| of gold begets, they admired the spec.
linens and nuggets, that were brought
| out from nook and corner for their in
| spection. Still in the gold pan on the
top of the bookcase were several hun.
| dred dollars taken from the sluice
boxes the day before. Little Sadie
carried about the specimens and
tossed the golden dust dn the blower
and balanced THE larger pieces in the
| gold scales with the childish uncon.
Germ that indicated that she had never
realized the value OF gold; to her II
was simply a. part Of the great scroll
of nature from which she had learned
untouched by the greed and av.~:cs
that later on darkens the pathway OF
human life. When the father spoh
the happy, carefree life of the Chi !
and that she mutt soon go away with
her mother t. school, the little enc
caught the gentler cadence of his
voice, and into the startled blue eyes
at once came the full meaning Of the
coming separation. She slipped
| around to her fathers side and climbed
deftly to his knee, and stroked the
| grizzled beard with her tiny hand
the father turned upon the child a low
ing look Of affection that Indicated THAI
she was the dearest of all his earthly
possessions. Not less Loyalty did the
child give to the mother a lingering
fond embrace, and agadn she was
| caroling with the wild birds, with nc
| thought of the clouds Of tomorrow
Over the rushing tide Of water that
poured through the ditch down to the
| mine, the party wended its way
led by the child. A full force Of men
| were cleaning the bedrock with steel
picks and little willow brooms. In
great shadows, upon the cleaned bed
rock elaar noo1S of water wara stand