River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-08-26
An Admiral Of AirShipS.
BY ELWYs O. HOFFMAN.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

N BY ELHYh l. HOFFMAN n
e--=--=ss-=====-s-===3
CLARK. Of the Oregon house, is tell
ing this story. Clark. with his pipe
in his mouth ud reminiscent express
sion in his gray eyes. lie is lying under
tie rough shed of the old blacksmith
shop. which, like big bat, clings To
the mouutaI De just where the great
North Yuba skies sharp bend and
roars down the canyon towards Clim-
minis point. Before him, at his feet,
there are few yards Of almost level
ground sort of platform, IL fact
dug ont If the steep mountain side, on
which stands the shop. From the outer
edge of this platform il is a sheer drop
Of a hundred feet TO the bed of the
river below: and above il the mountain
rises So steeply and so woodedly that
one cannot see its top. From one side
of the platform narrow. twisting
trail Leads Gown 10 the river; and from
the other side "a rutty wagon road winds
up al very steep grade and disappears
from view among the gray nut pines
and tile green poisou-oak bushes that
cover the hills. II was down this mar
row road that CIarl, and his outfit came.
Two wagons and four horses. 10 say
nothing If a dog and rough-looking
hoy. comprise Clark's outfit" and
Clark Is peddler who runs fruit and
vegetable wagons between MarysviIle
and Browns valley.
\ mile or 81 down the river. at CHM
Minis point. there are Indians at work
in the gravel. and once a week Clark
comes down here 10 sell them fruit.
on the little PLATFORM in front Of the
old shop he camps. and the Indians.
in parties Of two. three. and half
dozens, come up the twisting trail
from the river aud dfcler with him TO-
all sorts 81 fruit. They are not stiugy.
these Indiaus-what To them are the
little PARTICLES of bright stuff they
wash from the river bed. when they
are hungry for watermelons and such
things. and Clark shows them how
much he viii give them in exchange
And Clark weighs the dust in the little
scales that never lie" and they GO
back 70 their rude windbreak. or
rough shauty. minus their weeks ear
nings. but enriched by boxes of pIums
and other fruits.
Once in awhile Clark camps over
night IT this old shop. and whenever ne
does al the Indians near there, some
two or three dozen, come up and camp
with him Wild times they have then:
for Clark always brings big jug Of
hal "a AflI.r Inr, D. -
how the Indians get hold of il. Clark
himself has not told me this-CIarI,
AYERS that the stuff that transforms
''Scar- Paced Dick" from a peaceable
citizen To the Terror of the Hills" is
brought 10 the Nuaa in bottles and
drawn from barrel which rcposes he
hind the bar of a saloon I'm French Cor
raj. FIVE or six miles away. But how
ever this may be. whisky the Indians
get; and the more whisky they get. the
more trade Clark enjoys. Guileless
Clark,
Clark has made his sales. and his
wagon is almost empty. The boy and
the dog and one team have gone up the
valley. and Clark is only waiting To
smoke bit before he also pulls out.
And so. while he rests. living on the
soft, smooth pine needles that have
sifted in under the shed. his pine il,
his mouth and Ms long legs out
stretched. tie is telling a story to a man
who is devoUriug some big blue u'ums
rs though he had been trallpinc over
the hills for two long hours. And this
is the story he tells:
There's somethin' goin' on down
here among the Injuns l don't know
exactly what it is. but think its some
thin conccrr.in' old Potts Who's
Potts2 Well, I'll tell you who Potts
T. Potts is squaw-mau: but that
amt all, Potts Is crazy. But before he
became q luratjc-vho was hea Well
he was Potts. that's aII-LeVi Potts. Of
Ohio. lie came ont To California in the
early DAYS and he went into MINING
lie didn't pan ont much al it-didn't
get into the Savyey Of il. guess: any
WAY. he didn't get rich. and So he went
. work. for people up here in the hills.
You know Charley Coles ranch M
bridgeport Well. you've noticed them
stone wallis. one on each side o. the ron.
there by the housed Potts built them
lie put an thcm big rocks in place with
his hands. one on top the other riu
he had fence made that reckon vii,
last good while loncer'n he Will. II
was no picnic TO build them walls
either. for them rocks was pretty heftv
! tell YOU. But Potts was stronr-tbe
strongest man at liftiu' that ever came
into the hills. Did sou ever see him.
No2 Well, he's siN-fo0ter, broad.
ShouIdcred. straight, and with arms
long and list big punches Of muscles.
He's not a. strong now a he was once.
but in spite Of the life he's led and the
years hes PASSED. he's strong enoupI,
10 handle two ur three ordinary men.
well. after Potts was I'm the hills
here for awhile he got To teamin' on the
road. IL was while he was teamin' that
ne began 10 git looney. The long. heavy
grades. the hot summer. the sweat and
the dust. seemed To break him down
] don't much wonder at IL. for il ART
very pleasant W. b-teamin' amt. CO.
in Up them steep grades with two
wagons loaded with uH they'll carry.
and II or "a horses and mules To han
dle-aud sometimes balkiu'-it aiu't
cheerful work. In the first place. the
road aiu't straight-it's rs fun of crooks
and turns rs the Nuba there" waving
his pipe. -Of course you drive with
ierk-liue-though the team generally
knows as much about bringIu' them
wagons around a turn As YOU do. But
the grade is 50 steep, and the wagons
loaded so heavy, that You cant 20 more
than few yards At time; and it's the
everIastin' stoppin' and startin' that
wears a man pldm out
Every time YOU start the horses
and mules have 10 scratch gravel 10 sit