Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-11-07

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transportation was at a standstlli. Inc
days and weeks dragged out. and the
strike held. The Coastwise Steam
Navigation Company and the Hawaii
an, Nicaraguan, and Pacific Mexican
Steamship Company were tied up COM
pgetely. The expenses OF combating
the strike were tremendous, and they
were earning nothing, while daily the
situation went from bad to worse. I'M
til peace at any price" became the
cry. And still there was no peace,
until Daylight and his allies played out
their hand, raked in the winnings, and
allowed a goodly portion of CONT
nent to resume business.
,Daylight's coming to civilization had
not improved him. True, he wore
better clothes, had learned slightly
better manners, and spoke better Eng
lish. But he had hardened, and at the
expense of his old-time, whole-souled
geniality. Even his human affiliations
were descending. Playing lone hand,
contemptuous of most OF the men with
whom he played, lacking in sympathy
or understanding Of them, and certain
ly Independent Of them, he found lit.
tie In common with those to be en-
countered, say at the Alta.Paciflc. In
point of fact, when the battle with the
steamship companies was at its height
and his raid was inficting inealcula-
BILE damage on all business interests.
he had been asked to resign from the
Alta-Pacific. The idea had been rath-
er to his liking, and he had found new
quarters in clubs like the Riverside,
organized and practically maintained
by the city bosses,
One weekend, feeling heavy and de-
pressed and tired of the city and It's
ways, he obeyed the impulse of
within that was later to play an impor.
tant part in his life. The desire to
get out of the city for Whit OF coun-
try air and for change of scene was
the cause. Yet, to himself, he made
the excuse OF going to Glen Ellen for
the purpose of inspecting Drlckyaro
which Noteworthy had sold him. He
spent the night in the little country
hotel, and on Sunday morning, astride
saddle horse rented from the Glsn
Ellen butcher, rode out of the village.
The brickyard was close at hand on
the fiat beside the Sonoma Creek.
Resolving to have his fun first, and
to look over the brickyard afterward,
he rode up the hill, prospecting for
way cross country to get to the
knolls He left the country road at
the first gate he came to and cantered
through bayfield,. The grain was
waist.high on either aide tho wagon
road, and he shifted tho warm aroma
Of 1t with delighted nostril5. At the
base Of the knobs he encountered a
tumble.down stake-and-rider fence.
He tethered the horse and wan
dered on foot among the knobs. Their
tops were crowned with century'old
spruce trees, and their sides clothed
with oaks and madronos and native
holly. But to the perfect redwoods be-
longed the small but deep canyon that
threaded Its way among the knobs.
Here he found no passage out for
his horse, and leading the animal, ne
forced his way up the hillside. On
the crest he came through an amazing
thicket Of velvet-trunked young ma.
dronos, and emerged on an open hill.
side that led down into a tiny valley.
The sunshine vas at first dazzling in
Its brightness, and he paused and
rested for he was painting from the
exertion. Not Of old had he known
shortness of breath such as this, and
muscles that so easily tired at stif
climb. A tiny stream ran down the
tiny valley through a tiny meadow
that was carpeted Knee-high with
grass and blue and white nemophila.
Crossing the stream. Daylight fol.
lowed faint cattle trail over low,
rocky hill and through wine.wooded
forest Of manzanita, and emerged
upon another tiny valley, down which
filtered another springfield, meadow.
bordered streamlet.
ut sure beats country places ana
bungalows at Menlo Park" he com.
muned aloud; and If ever I get the
hankering for country life, it's me for
this every time"
An old wood-road led him to a clear.
ing, where dozen acres Of grapes
grew on wine-red soil. A cow.path, more
trees and thickets, and he dropped
down a hillside to the southeast ex-
posture. Hero. poised above big for
ested canyon, and looking out upon
Sonoma Valley, was small farm
house. With Its barn and outhouses
it. snuggled into a nook In the hill
side, which protected it from the west
and north. It was the erosion from
this hillside, he judged, that had
formed the little level stretch Of vege-
table garden. The soil was fat and
black, and there was water in plenty,
for he saw several faucets running
wide open. Forgotten was the brick
yard. Nobody was at home. but Day
light dismounted and ranged the vege-
table garden, eating strawberries and