The San Francisco call., 1897-12-26
LANDMARKS ON
CALIFORNIA TRAILS.

We who live in the California or to-
| day. or those of us who whirl across
the continent in comfortable palace
cars. have but faint conception OF the
periIs and trials endured by the pio-
neers who braved untold dangers to
reach the goldfelds.
Countless deeds of daring, of suffer-
ing and of awful deprivation have been
recorded, while countless other tales Of
like nature are among the unwritten
history of our great West.
A pathetic story of hardship and
death, which has been almost unknown
since 1S49 up to within a few years, is
connected with a white wooden cross
near the eastern boundary of Nevada.
Passengers on the Central Pacific
have often noticed when about an
hours ride west of the Nevada and
Utah line, this white cross cleaning
against the green of a hillside, and,
inquiring of the trainmen elicit the
fact that the black lines seen on the
cross are the words, "Maiden's Rest" 4
In 1849 a train of Iowa emigrant
came across the plains, and at tn,
point marked by the lonely cToss the
made their camp. Among the eni'T
grants were John Sewa1 and his twin
daughters, Alice and Rose, and George
lover of Rose.
Both girls were beautiful, but very
delicate, and the long journey had so
told upon them that rest was decided
upon at this place before undertaking
the trying journey across the Nevada
desert.
The love story of the young people
was we'll known to all the party, and
the pretty romance had been one of the
charming features of the trip, and
many long hours had been lightened
for all the company in planning for the
future of these two young creatures
when they should reach the goldf1eldS
of California.
But it was not to be. On the second
day of their rest Rose was stricken
with a violent fever. All that could be
done for the suffering girl the kindly
emigrants did, but it was of no avail,
and three days after the first signs Of
the fatal fever she died with her arms
about her lovers neck, and her last
breath was spent in an appeal for help
that she might live.
Alice, who had been unremitting in
her care of her sister, broke down un-
der her grief and was soon delirious.
For almost a week she moaned and
prayed for rest, and at last it came
rest from the hardships and sorrows
of the world-and Roses grave was
opened and the beautiful twin bodies
were laid together.
Fear of Indian depredations prevent
ed the sorrowing father and lover from
marking the grave of their loved ones,
but it's location was indelibly stamped
upon the memory of eacn member OF
the party. Saddened and disheartened
the emigrant train moved on at last,
leaving their dead to eternal rest. Cali
fornia's golden land was reached, and
the members of the party were soon
scattered among the mining localities
worked at that time. John SeWan and
George brennan kept together, bound
by the sacred tie of Roses love, ana
at last they drifted to the mines in
Mariposa, where they worked with
varying success for several years. They
had lost the keen desire for wealth,
which had been their motive in leaving
Iowa, and at last both had become
morbid and careless of life. Sewall
died from lung trouble in the late fff-
ties, and brennan, overcome with grief
and loneliness at the loss of his friend,
was found one day in his cabin dead
by his own hand. He sleeps in his 1so-
lated grave near the hamlet of Nor
mon Bar, and long ago friendly hands
placed slabs of beautiful gray granite
around the lowly mound, and hundreds
of tourists have wondered over the his
tory of it's occupant.
Years after another member OF the
party who had been with the true
men during their life at the mines,
made his way back toward the East
He had not been successful III his
search for gold, and was now old and
poor. but in his heart he cherished the
| memory of the two girls. who had SO
long slept in the lonely hillside grave.
He found the spot and made the cross
which marks the grave, and with loE-
ing hands cut the letters of its simple
inscription on it.
There are many such landmarks
along the old wagon roads which led
to California, but I think none ale
more touching than this cross over the
grave of these pure girls.
PU the aid of old manuscript af