The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-12-16
"reminiscences of M
Western Travels.
Northern California.


Toward night we left the train at
Montague, little junction town. and
here on the platform were waiting for
US our Western uncle and two of his
daughters. Mutual recognition was made
easy by the fact that photographs and
descriptions had been exchanged in ad-
vance Of our coming. and it was only q
few moments before we were flying
across the valley in big automobile that
was surely a welcome change from the
train. At the house another warm well
come awaited US from Aunt Kate and
another cousin Helen, to say nothing of
Snookums, the French poodle. and Tom
my, the cat. Our trunk, which had fol-
lowed US over from the junction via
motor train soon arrived, and having I'M
packed we did full justice to the delicious
supper that awaited US, in the course of
which we had our introduction to arti-
chokes, which were served as salad.
The evening was fully occupied by a
long auto trip through the valley in the
moonlight, most delightful experience
Next day, which was as warm as July,
we devoted to getting acquainted with
our new cousins, and riding about the
country in the machine. The strange
vegetation delighted US. the air was
sweet with the faint fragrance of the
chaparral blossoms, in full bloom on the
bushes which covered the hilsides, and
with the manzanita, made the landscape
a thing of beauty. l shall have to con-
fess that in my ignorance tried to gath
err chaparral and manzanita blossoms for
a bouquet, and that Cousin Blanche had
a good chance to laugh at me when re-
tired discounted from their sharp thorns
and tough stems with only few little
wisps to show for my trouble.
A visit to a gold dredger which was at
work in the valley about mile away
was very interesting. The dredge op.
Grated in the field, digging up the earth
with an endless chain of buckets and
washing.the dirt to remove the particles
of gold, then dumping the refuse dirt
and rocks working on and on unceasing-
ly through beautiful green fields, and
leaving behind desolate heap of rocks
and dirt. Financially, suppose, it was
a paying proposition, but from an artis-
tic point of view it was hideous mis-
fortune.
Next day the machine was requisition-
ed again for a long ride down the valley
through alfalfa fields to Weed, where we
were to visit mammoth lumber mill.
We fingered along the way, taking pic
and other characteristic views. particu-
larly of Mt. Shasta, which rose from its
immense base about twenty miles away,
looking like nothing so much as the Jap
anese mountain Fujiyama in shape and
general appearance, and seeming to me
the very ideal OF what mountain should
be. They told US it was a two-days'
journey to reach the top, and very ar
duous trip at that. We had no desire to
attempt the climb, but preferred to ad-
mire it's IA, 600 odd feet at respectful
distance as it stood sentinel above the
valley with its snow covered head in the
clouds.
When we finally reached Weed, very
courteous gentlemen showed US about
the mill, which was operated under the
very shadow of Mt. Shasta. This mill
makes boxes, crates, sashes and doors
from pine logs averaging 10 inches in
diameter. The band and circular saw
together cut million feet of lumber in
three days; this is cut up, kiln dried and
then manufactured. The band saw, cut
ting logs two feet in diameter and l6
feet long into two inch planks at the rate
of log minute, and machine that
literally unrolls log by shaving off a
veneer hundred feet long, one-fourth
inch thick, and as wide as the log is long,
were of particular interest to US. Door
panels are made of three pieces of this
veneer glued together with crossed
grain. This method of making the We
neer allows board any width, and the
cutting is absolutely without waste. At
the time we visited the mill there were
100, 900 doors in stock, which in itself
was sight we'll worth seeing.
On the way back home we raced a
thunder storm, beating it by a narrow
margin. This same thunder storm prov
ed to be our hoodoo, for during the en-
suing two days the weather"cut dido, I"
as Uncle Sam aptly put it, and our ideas
of California climate took sudden tum-
BILE. For the remainder of our stay the
weather was cold and windy, with
squalls of srow and rain at intervals,
which was such a contrast to the balmy
July weather that had greeted our ar
rival that we shivered and shook and
gladly stayed indoors by the fire. This
we were not altogether sorry to do, as it
gave US more opportunity to know our
California cousins, and more ragretful
when the time came to leave, as it did
all too soon. On the last day of April
we motored to the Junction again and