New-York tribune., 1906-12-20
literary Nese'
and Criticism.
ruo Entertaining Books of Outdoor
Life IN California.

sf1-1,eos chapter headings and other Illustrations
sy p Boyd smith svo, ID. viii 2s6. Houghton.
Nifhn Co
-~zT PASS BY Stewart Edward White. Frontis-
piece IN oolors 10y FSrna5a LgngTen ena a1 nlne
VII lsZ The Outing Publishing Company.
,, her latest Interpretation Of California life
,uss Austin tells the story OF the sheep that
<.vs formed no snconsiderable feature of the In
srs.rtaI Development OF the state. From the
.-sr coming Of the hocl1s. in June. 177O brought
= bv Don Fernando de Riviera y Moncada from
vsl,csta 70 san Diego. down to the present day
.ba author unfolds her narrative Of the growth
rv increase and importation Of the hocks brings
,,s into intimate touch with the ways OF the
sheep and OF those who care for them. describes
..s natural and legal enemies they have had to
,rrwat or avoid. and never fails 10 inruse her
sacrs with a pervasive charm Of fancy which
ever so unpoeucsI & factor as the tariff is un-
shle wholly 70 dispeL In 1853 ". ". HoIIister
hrought three hundred ewes over the emigrant
.-su and laid the foundation OF fortune.
Bat think of the fatgues Of It, the rivers to swim.
re passes 10 attempt, the watch fires the far
s..-s erT riEhts-ard shear's Isvis ioi1~neS- 3s
Seven ri.esi No doubt they had some pressing and
. the mere evidence Of the fact that HolIister was
man o. @ l&5Ee patience. During the next year
a Panama and the Improvement Of tie breeds be-
gar.
The business Is now carried on by wool grow
ers. shepherds and sheep herders The first.
operators on a large scale. are mostly Americans;
she second, owners OF the focks which they at
tend. sre mostly foreigners. generally French or
Basque; the third are mere hirelings and are
also usually foreigners. French, Basque or Mexi-
oan- There is less loneliness in the occupation
.han IS commonly attributed 10 st. in the au-
thors opinion. She has never encountered an
insane sheep herder. Almost invariably two
rnen are pu- 70 4 flock. and these are seldom
three days together out Of touch with the owner
or head shepherd. who. travelling with supplies.
directs several bands AT once. baking bread, re-
renishing the outfit, spying ahead for fresh
paEtures and purveying news" They have their
owl joy Of living:
Bvery sort o. life has its own zest for those
VIC a-e @ - - - - - I--oI - - $50 20 aelis S 81
his V.-- web controls the movement OF money and
1rheat than to the shepherd who by passage OF
birds M The stream tones. by the drift Of pine
pollen On eddies Of slack water. keeps tally Of the
pastures. The smell OF the sheep is TO the
hs-der IS The smack and SAVIOR Of any mans work.
Also II ls RS>.-e 20 one it On III,
T-4thi1 a Fock-lenslh.
In such appreciative fashion does the author
approach her oongenial subject. Illuminating it
with many anecdotes. some droI, some sad, let
ting US into the secrets Of flock mind dog mind
and shepherd mind. To the man mind the dog
mind seems the most marvellous:
How long recollection stays by the dog is not
"a Filon Gerard after he had lost third OF his
ban5 when The Santa Anna came roaring up by
is wings after shearing OF nexI year, passing
oiose 70 another band Fuon,s dogs set themselves
unhidden 20 routing out OF H. and rounding with
ther own, nearly twenty head which the herder;
being an honest man. freely admitted he mad
sprtng before.
Whatever there is OF appeal TO man in the
outdoor life OF the wilderness Mr.. White may
Re counted on TO translate 10 those who are
compelled 10 sit ar home or 70 hustle about in
cttes; and this whether he IS writing a novel
or rs iu the present volume, a tale OF actual
adventure Indeed, he puts so much Of nature
into his tiction. and so much Of imagination into
his recital OF facts. THAI his two styles very
closely approach each other. In The Pass he
tells q trip taken by himself his wife, guide.
e small pack train and two entertaining dogs.
among the mountains OF California. Their chief
experience was the breaking Of a new trail
through from the Roaring River country into
the Valley of the Kaweah. They either missed
The old TRAN or else there wasn't one, and their
pioneering natures fmpeIled them 10 20 on rather
than 70 fetrace their steps. Mr. White is at
pains 10 explain that he does not consider the
opening Elizabeth Pass" as he called II. an
extraoTGina-y feat. but has merely attempted ito
fhow how such things are undertaken and to tell
q The joys and petty but real difficulties 10 be
met with on such an expedition" Whether petty
Or great The task inv3'v=d some danger and no
Atte ci-r2nforI although of the kind that one
INVITES when venturing amid such scenes The
sJtrac-tol ol the book lies IN the authors ability
70 carry IS with him his way, 10 participate
II MS DerpleZIties. 10 sympathize with him IN
MS defeats. 70 rejoice with him IN his successes
anc 70 be a sharer in all his interests and en-
tacsiasn- lie admits that the point which he
sttacked probably represents the widest and
hoEt rugged Of the Sierras"; but the exhilara-
uon ~ The afr, the grandeur Of the hills, the
beauty OF the lakes and Of the mountain
meadows, al served 10 dull the edge OF difficulty
sno 70 inspire q feeling OF optimistic good
hurnor. Even cooking afforded pleasant diver
AoH- IF you have no eggs, why. never mind.
Fernaps dried prunes VIII do. Try IL anyway.
once made a very good pudding out Of the re-
mains u boiled maccaroni, some cold cornIneal
nush, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. This. when
baked through and well Drowned atop. proved to
D nlsryeLoUsly popular. : admit that It does
not sound very good"