Amador ledger., 1910-06-03
OUR TRAVELLING
CORRESPONDENT

In the evening of May IL, after wait
ing for the up train so as to secure the
mail, the train being an hour late, the
stage pulled out for Forest Hill p miles
distant away. The driver proved to
he man that | had seen many times
around Emigrant Gap 43 years ago,
although had not had a personal ac-
quaintance with him. He was suIky
over his forced wait at the depot for the
train. hree men besides myself were
passengers on the stage. Down the
steep grade the stage went with no
comforting thrill to us passengers.
Perhaps the stage driver had got used
to being thrown about in the stage as an
old salt to the plunging of his steamer.
Hardly word was spoken for 21a miles
and then at the bottom of the grade lead
ing down to the forks of American river
we made our way up the left fork
with steep craggy mountains hanging
over our heads. A half mile away a
housed bridge could be seen spanning
the river. A few minutes only we were
crossing the bridge for cur ascension
up the huge mountain on the other side.
We climbed slowly and steadily up the
steep grade moulded into shape by
hands of pioneer days-men that have
long since crossed to the great un-
known. Two of the passengers were
young men hardly into their majority.
They were both collegiates new fledged.
both bouyaunt and ambitious in hope of
the future. From their conversati on
they had met by accident, one was 60
ing up to where he had some friends
working on an electric plant. The other
was going up to the Hill and vicinity
and from the tenor of his conversation
was in the nature of geologist and was
going on an eye inspection OF the
county. Both men were genial and
affable and full of halirious spirit. They
had net grown old and gray with disap-
pointment that will follow them like a
shadow in the future, for no man es-
capes it.. The other man was Ger
man. Like most Germans, his tongue
held him down to his nationality. He
was a man of sense and from his con-
versation was too man OF more than
ordinary learning. His whitening hair
told him to be passed middle age. He
and the two younger men kept up con-
tinuouS conversation in which took no
part, only as a causal listener. NV
mind was absorbed in the action OF
nature that had cut through the great
mountains, and left its imprint by the
torn craggy sides that hung precipitous
above the stream whose slVery gleam
moulded its shape far beneath US.
When we left il at the bottom il was a
river, now il appeared simply winding
brook crossing itself in shadowy shape
far below, We were now properly up
on top Of the Forest Hill divide. On
every side of us was steep mountains
cut through by deep gorges and canyons
with precipitous sides and ragged cliffs
standing o Ier them. In dream | saw
nature in her great work of creation
when convulsion and earthquake thun-
dered with terrific force in an awful
chaos around; where mephitic gases is
sued from the deep chasms that their
force had opened, when the earth in its
primal stage knows neither animal nor
vegetable life, where all was chaos, all
was commoton in inevitable action OF
natures endeavors. From nv reyerie
turned and looked at the setting sun now
an. orb OF gold, now dropping out OF
sight in the dark blue sea OF space in
the west Soon the shadows of night