The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-03-02
AN EARLY SETTLER.
MRS. RUBY SAUBER WRITES FROM
STONYFORD, CALIFORNIA.
A JOURNEY AMONG THE HILLS
Mrs. Sauber Tells of the Delights of Cali
fornia and Describes the Pleasures of
Life in Our western Paradise
Fruits of California.

10 the EdltOr-D0ar Slr:-B6fOre
leaving Kenosha, in the autumn of 10,
the editor of the TELEGRAPH COURIER
requested me to write to his paper, SO |
occasionally did so. | suppose that the
invitation to write expired with the
editor who extended it, but thinking
the old settlers may be pleased to hear
from one of their number, presumed to
write again.
i My father, Thomas Rowland, built a
log cabiH and put up stack of hay in
Pleasant Prairie in the summer of '35.
He returned TO Illinois and moved his
family to the new home in the October
following. Our wagon became disabled
several miles before we reached our
destination consequently 1--WE had to
f" hoof it, F" as a Californian would say,
Mother carried my baby brother and
father carried me. In this way we en-
tered the dear old home, where father
resided until the spring of '69. The
greater part of his family were Joung
enough to attend the free school at
Kenosha, and my children attended the
same school, with the exception of the
youngest, who was under school age
when we came away.
[ have three daughters who were
successful school teachers. One gave
up teaching when she married, but
second, who taught her first school in
the Holmes district, near Kenosha, still
teaches. Last winter two of my
daughters, one daughterin-law, my
granddaughter and my son were all
| teaching.
Last May was the coolest spring
month we have had since coming to the
state. June came on and the sun
poured his quenchless beams down upon
us from cloudless sky, and every one
who could leave home fastened away
from the Sacramento valley,-some to
sea shore, others to the foothills or the
mountains. My second daughter and
family moved to Big Meadows, their
summer home, experiencing a trying
time In crossing the high Sierras in a
snow storm.
Early in the summer my second son
and his wife came to take care OF their
blind mother during their vacation and
soon we were ready to fee to the hills,
all excepting Mr.. Sauber, who, being
more of a Salamander than the rest Of
US, stayed at our home near Chico. My
brother Alfred also remained at his
home in Chico, his family having gone
to San Jose. Perhaps these old SOL
diers who faced the rebel bullets in the
days of Honest Abe felt naught but
scorn for the fiery lances of Old Sol.
Before the middle of June my son
and his wife, my granddaughter and
grandson "a boy of 16) and myself rad
left the intolerable heat Of the valley
| behind, and hidden ourselves in the
deep, cool canyon of Deer Greek. This
is the summer home of my eldest
daughter. She bad previously gone to
watering place with her husband and
two youngest children, so we five in
fants were at liberty to do as we
pleased.
We had raspberries at our first meal.
After the raspberry season came cur
rants and bIackberries, then the
apples were big enough to stew. Later
came nectarines, prunes and peaches.
| With good stream of spring water,
fresh bread, butter, cream, milk, veni-
son, salmon and toOthsome mountain
trout you may be sure we had no lack.
During the middle of the day the
heat was sometimes oppressive, but as
the sun did not peep over the cliff to
the east until o'clock, dropping once
more from view below the monstrous
bluff that lowered up on the west side
of the canyon about 4, the mornings
and evenings we're cool and pleasant
for work or play.
Being DESTROYS of making summer
| home for himself, and having hit upon
a wildly picturesque spot in the canyon
some two miles down stream, my son
accompanied by his wife, moved TO the
new quarters about the last of July, in
order to pitch camp there. They
erected a rude bower Of poles and full
leaved branches, under group of oaks
that stood on a strip oflevel ground in
the creek bottom, close to the rumbling,
grumbling stream. Bedsteads, table
and benches we're made of unpeeled
poles and unshaved shakes, and repre-
sented the type of furniture which is
usually seen adjoining what might fit
tingly be termed sheep camp archi-
lecture.
The only way of reaching the new
camp was by trail too narrow for two
horses to walk abreast, indeed so mar
row in places as to cause even single
animal some inconvenience in following
it. My son placed me upon old Flora
whose twenty years of mountain
climbing had rendered her Indifferent
to the most dizzy course, and, walking