Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1908-05-14
WITH A LOAD
...OF...
SPRING LAM lbs.
BY C. A. Stephens.

So
One of my youthful neighbors,
Charles Coburn by name, who m1grat-
ed from Maine to California a few
years ago, writes me most interesting
letters occasionally, telling me how ne
is faring out there and what life is like
in the Golden State.
One of these long letters came only
a week ago., and among other things,
describes a somewhat startling adven-
ture which befell him while On the
way to the railway station with a load
of lambs.
Young Coburn's new place, as shall
have to explain, is up among the Sier-
ras, at no great distance off the stage
road which~leads from Berendo and
Raymond over to the famous Yosemite
valley. At the old Coburn farm in
Maine the boys were trained to dairy
ing, sheep-raising and f~ruit-growing,
and Charley wished to follow these
lines Of farming in California.
He therefore settled in one of the
elevated mountain valleys, where
sheep can be pastured and apple-trees
thrive.
For climatic reasons it is only in
these Sierra districts of California that
apples grow well. Here they flourish,
and Charley was able last season to
market 1000 bushel boxes of winter
fruit from his young orchards. With
the thrift Of a true son of the old Pine
Tree state, too, he is putting his saw
ings into sugar-pine timber lands up
in the mountains, which bid fair to
yield large profits in the not distant
future.
But my present story is of his ad-
venture on July list with a crate of
spring lambs, while he as~driving
down from his mountain farm to
the railroad.
There were % fat lambs in the large
crate on the double wagon, and the
distance which he had to drive was a
little more than so miles, over three
mountain ridges, much of the way be-
ing through Pine growth.
He had made an early start, and ex-
pected to get down to the railroads.&c.
ton by nightfall.
Cne of his horses was taken sick
on the road. however, when only ten
miles out. He had to unhitCh, and for
| a time expected to lose the animal. 1t
tlay writhing about in great distress for
| several hours. At last he rode the 9TH
er horse to the ranch and store Of a
| settler eight miles away for a bottle
of "colic cure"
Altogether the day was far advanced
before he was able to proceed On his
way, so far that, owing to the weak
ened condition Of his horse, he was at
first minded to drive back home; but
as the night was warm and not very
dark, he decided to go on. The lambs,
in fact, were required in Los Angeles
on the Sd.
He therefore drove on rather slow
ly, hoping to make the outward trip
during the night.
Meanwhile the lambs, huddled in the
hot crate, were getting hungry and
thirsty. AS yet, no really humane meth.
cd Of transporting such animals is
available in cases like this. Ere long
as. the horses descended through the
dark pine growth into the valley OF {
little creek, the lambs all began bleat'
ing pla%intively.
Otherwise the night seemed abso
lntely still. Through the dense blacl
boughs of the treetops a few stars
shone dimly; but not a breath o
breeze stirred the sultry air, and th'
bleating of the lambs woke strang
cadences off in the silent depths of thu
woods.
It touched the young farmers heart
and al soon as they reached the creel
and had crossed, he stopped and be
gan watering all the lambs from
bucket, dipping up one bucketful al
ter another, passing it in to them a
the door in the rear end of the craft
He was thus engaged when a cras
il the brushwood close at hand, fol
lowed by a loud. harsh screech, brok
the stiffness.
Well he knew what it was! but On
denizen of the forest ever gives yer
to that b~lood-curdling screech-th
mountain lion, or panther; and that h
had one of these ugly brutes to de;
|. with there alone in the night was f.
! from adding to the pleasure of that b.
. lated trip! There was little time fl
considering the matter, however. Bot
horses started violently and sprar
forward.
g Without stopping ever to shut Il
a crate door. Coburn jumped to get no
u Of the reins, crying, whoa, jim
q Whoa, Topsy!"
He heard q splash in the creek b
= hind him. but leaDed forward best
L the wagon. and with a. quick boun
regained the drivers place, only to I'll
y that the reins had been pulled off t
. dashboard under the horses fe,
~ They were now running.
:" It was ascending ground here, a,
= the road turned sharply to the lie
Still calling out reassuringly to t
horses, he attempted to get the rel
by swinging forward on the a
" tongue and reaching them at the So