Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-10

! aETNi6NG lHlO my poSseSSiou requires
tSGsSW few words of explanation.
| had met the major at Glow jinks
night" at the Bohemian club In Sar
! Francisco. l was stranger to Call
| fornia. Everything was delight tc
me-the free hearted hospitality that
distinguished the people, the delightful
climate and on this occasion the frank
ness, the bonhomie and the good fell
lowshlp of this 'slow links night"
| We had paired off together after
some Of the festivities, and our laugh
ter had aided the comfortable feeling
| long cigar. Good fortune had it tina,
the major sat beside me.
In some way or other the talk turned
| to the early feyerish days of California
when everything was make or lose at a
turn of the spade Tor card, for that
natter, the days when chance and
luck were items in the reckoning OF
success and when fortunes changed
hands on the easy come, easy CO.
principle.
| was very proud to sit beside the
major. He had charmed me from the
first Tall and soldierly looking, he
had the air of reserve about him and
at the same time the cordial glance and
| voice that compel affection and deep
| interest / had not been surprised to
hear that he was one Of the most sue
cessful lawyers on the Pacific coast.
~, 30 %1,n inr
! two names had been mentioned that
seemed we'll known to most of the
group about the little table. They
were the names of Roach and Pearson,
knights Of the green cloth, types of
men that have almost disappeared in
the last decade.
Every odd occurrence" had remark
ed the attorney general, who sat di-
rectly opposite me. st was cause
celebre that flashed in the pan, so to
speak, but | remember them as two
cold, calculating gamblers that knew
neither fear nor pity, and the stran-
gest mystery peryades the whole af-
fair"
Every one seemed to recall it and
there was universal assent. was
afraid to ask particulars, as 1t was
evidently so old story that 1t might
be boring to the company, no matter
how great my own interest might be.
But later in the evening the major
and walked home together, and l re-
ferred to 1t.
TITS long tale" said the major,
"and If any one is qualified to tell it
am that man.
Before parting / had the majors
promise that he would write 1t out for
me. and few months later after my
return to the east / received II, and a
stranger tale in some ways never was
written. The few lines that prefaced
the manuscript of the narrative were
written on my friends official paper,
dated San Francisco.
~ have at last fulfilled my promise"
his note concluded, "and here Is the
story. 1t fully explains the statement
that made last winter-to wit, that /
know more of the affair Of Roach and
Pearson than any man alive Then,
without further premise or preamble,
he commences:
In the early days had never once
supposed that my acquaintance with
these two remarkable men would out
live the weeks we had spent together
thrnshlng the hurrying headwaters OF
the MERGED. and that we should have
become the friends we subsequently
did is a considerable source Of wonder
to me now.
was only photographers assist
ant at work In Yosemite when l struck
up an acquaintance with these friends
Of mine that were to be at their camp
(pitched Just where the bridge now
crosses the stream), and when my en-
ployer left the valley stayed behind
and Joined them at Fearson's invita-
ton. did not know then that they
were in durance, rusticating as 1t were,
until an episode Qn which Roach had
figured prominently should drop out
of the publlc's mind.
| have a vivid recollection Of those
days. The painting trout foundering
seuuoias and redwoods, with the
breeze in the upper branches SO far
away that often felt dizzy as watch
ed them moving, the quick descent OF
night, the spat and clutter Of the camp
fire; Roach, big scar down his face
and over one hand, sitting there al
ways playing solitaire with two packs
of cards no bigger than two fingers.
He smoked great costly cigars that
came wrapped up in foil and tissue
paper, and very particular he was
about his coffee-I used to do the cook
ing.
liked Pearson the better. He had
splendid deep sounding voice. He
knew the uttermost parts of the earth,
and am sure that he had been sol
dier-he was stamped with it from his
heels upward. Probably he was
thrty-eight when I frst knew him.
Roach was older-how much 1t was
hard to say. His age changed with
his moods. Pearson and | read Shake
speare together from volume bound
like Bible with clasp.
| became more and more attached to
them, and think they grew to IKE me
also. was an imaginative youth and
with it all, as innocent and as friend
less as founding. Many times after
ward did recall those first days under
the great trees and the sound of Fear
sons voice ma he read aloud, and I