The record-union., 1896-11-08
WANATAH'S GRATITUDE.
(Written for the Record Union" by
a aaaicA 4

Harold Francis)
Last August, accompanied by a
f: lend, I made a trip to Lake Tahoe,
covering the distance in light buck
board. We had sure-footed, steady
little horse, and as we intended to avail
ourselves of all accommodations on the
read, our luggage was necessarily light.
We started from Sacramento about q
a. m., arriving in Placerville about sun
down after a long, dusty and uninter-
esting drive. After seeing to the wants
ard comfort of our faithful little ami
NAL, we enjoyed a hearty supper and
retired early, being soon lost in sound
slumber in spite of a hard bed.
We arose early next day and man
aged to get started again by 8. The
air was cool and bracing, and as we
entered the wooded country We thanked
Heaven that We had left behind the
dusty roads, the barren hills and the
scorching heat, which we had expert
| creed the preceding day. We logged
along slowly through forests of majestic
pines which reared their lofty tops to-
ward Heaven, interlacing at times 50 as
TO form perfect arch, with only here
and there a glimpse of the clear blue
sky. Ere long we reached the South
Fork OF the American River and soon
came to a halt upon its bank to water
our horse and satisfy the inner man. We
ate With a keen relish everything we
had and proceeded towards our desti-
nation for the day.
AS We drew near to Pacific House, 80
romantically situated With the turbu-
lent American River in the rear and a
steep, verdant hill in the foreground, we
were at once SO favorably impressed
that we hastened to stable our horse,
ard after a rest on the cool Veranda
ST ent the remainder of the day trout
fishing. In the evening we were treated
to some excellent music by titled En-
glishman, who, with his friend, had
been sent by an English syndicate to
OK ersee some of their mines near Pla-
ceryille. He related some very amusing
il cidents Of his life on the Continent
and in the East. One of them particu-
lary good was that while travelling on
a train in India a well-dressed lady en-
tered the car with her baby and Nal
tese ca. When the conductor collected
her fare he insisted that the cat be
| taken into the baggage car. She re-
n-onstrated, but on being told that it
vas against the rules gave in, and the
cat was accordingly banished from the
car. 1t drew towards night, and finally
the beds We're made up. About this
time the child became restless and
made a terrific fuss The poor woman
walked the car; she tipped the colored
porter to try and soothe the bowling in
FAINT; she resorted to the bottle, but it
'. as all in vain. The passengers at first
sympathiZed with the unfortunate
mother but as the noise continued un-
II morning they grew disgusted. In a
!ull in the baby's screaming one of the
ra ssengers cried out from his berth:
For Gods sake take out the baby and
bring in the cat.''
On the third day we started early,
intending to make Strawberry Val
ley House that evening. 1t was an
ether ideal day and all nature seemed
in tune. The scenery, too, was charm
irg and far surpassed any we had here
tofore encountered. We passed Water
fall Bridge and followed the course of
the river, which at times looked in the
distance like a huge, shining serpent
basking in the sun. Ever and anon a
tinkling mountain stream ran across
the road, giving strength to the vast
ard ferns which lined it's banks. The
silence of the place was occasionally
broken by the warbling of a golden
finch or the saucy chattering of blue
jay. or, mayhap. by the tinkling of bells
which announced the approach of some
mountain team. Presently we left the
river for while and threaded our way
amid huge granite powders, with an
occasional farmhouse.
1t drew toward noon and we were
intending to stop at the first inviting
retreat along the road when We came
upon a house which attracted our at
tention partly on account of the variety
Of beautiful potted plants on the porch
carnations, hydrangias, fuchias. gera
NUNS and what not-and partly on
account Of the scrupulous neatness of
the place in general. An elderly lady
stood in the doorway chasing out the
flies with her apron. We halted at the
door and inquired if she could sell US
some milk to eat with our lunch. She
graciously asked us to make use of her
porch for that purpose and called out:
"Oh, Mary, fill the brown jug with milk
and bring it to me-" Needless to say
we accepted her invitation and pro-
ceeded to enjoy our repast. Presently a
squaw brought the milk She vas thin
and wrinkled and her hair was streaked
with gray.
At this juncture the ladys husband
appeared jolly, gray-haired old man.
He was very friendly and proceeded to
make time fly by relating to us the con-
dition of things when he first came to
that part of the country, "the days of
old, the days of gold, the days of 40"
About q. block from the house was
huge mass of powders and we re-
marked TO him that they had impressed
lis all along the road as being excellent
places for highwaymen to conduct hold
ups
.'Highwaymen and hold-ups, laughed
he, mot in these days. But in the early
mining days they were an everyday oc-
currence. When / built this house this
was vast wilderness and there wasn't
q decent stopping place this side of
the lake. ! conducted a sort of inn and
money rolled in like water. The boys
were free with their dust and this spot
was center of hustle and commotion.
Every man was armed to the teeth and
If you happened along with any valua-
bles in your pocket unarmed your credit
wasn't worth a chew of tobacco:
neither was your life for that matter.
But for all that / managed to keep a
rretty orderly place, and it can be said
&c my credit that no one ever lost his
life in my house. But talking about
bcwlders,' he continued, those very
ones down there bring to mind the time
| saved old Mary's man"
We were here informed that the
squaw who served us the milk was
Mary, and the old lady having seated