Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1919-03-21
From Ashland TO CedarviIle
o. H. BARNHILL

at the hands of the driver, a big.
burly Irishman who was frothing at
the mouth because some benighted
homesteader at Vya, Nevada, was
shipping in shingles by parcels post
Bill expressed feryent hope that
the shingles would catch fire and
burn up. or that he might have the
pleasure of rubbing the consignee's
nose upon them until the latter's
smelling apparatus looked like a
double -barreled shotgun.
In the dim, gray light of early
dawn, thru softly falling snow, we
plodded along the muddy roads.
which we're covered with six inches
of snow. The staging was slavish
and after six weary hours we had
covered but fifteen miles. After a
splendid dinner at roadside ranch
house we resumed our way, begin
ming the real climb of the Warner
Range, which still separated us from
the Promised Land. The snow had
long ceased falling and the sun shone
brightly upon veritable fairy-land
of snowy mountains and groves Of
pine and fir trees, the branches of
the latter weighted down with great.
cottony loads of snow. Never before
had we seen such wondrously beauti-
full winter scenery. The summit was
crossed at an altitude of nearly T.
900 feet, thru snow which on the
upper side OF the road was Wheel
high in places. Men were working
with shovels to keep the pass open,
for this is state highway, the only
one in Modoc county.
Seven steep miles down Cedar
Canyon brought us to Cedarville. II
was after four o'clock and the driver
had to make the return trip to Al
turas that evening. He expected to
get to bed about two o'clock the next
morning, declaring that he didn't
wish to spend too much time in bed,
for fear of bed sores. At the post
office a crowd of Surprisers awaited
our coming. They soon had our
number, for when we asked for our
mail the clerk pointed significantly
to a wagonload of boxes and bags
piled in the lobby, intimating by his
dark looks and the threatening at
titude of the bystanders that we
were to be shot at sunrise, after be-
ing boiled all night in hot sulphur
spring for presuming to move by
parcels post when the roads were so
heavy. Guiltily and with cold-stif-
fened limbs we found our way to
the Golden Eagle Hotel, where a
warmer welcome awaited us. When
we settled our account there three
days later at IS per diem we under
stood why such sunny smiles greet
ed our arrival in the Surprise VAL
ley.
In view of the preceding, it should
perhaps be explained that trip from
Ashland to Cedarville by auto in
the summer time is pure pleasure.
Snow wind and mud have been the
order of the day here for the past
month. The unusual precipitation
occasions much pleasure, since 1t
assures good crops this year, after
several drouthy seasons. The people
here are the friendliest we ever met.
After church the first Sunday we
held an involuntary reception, be-
ing introduced with much cordiality
to almost everybody. Talk about
getting the glad hand! If we had
come to rescue a party of shipwreck-
ed sailors marooned on a desert isle
we could hardly have sheen more
warmly welcomed. We did not feel
at all like strangers in a strange
land, but rather like long-lost rela-
tives returning safe to the home fold.
The people here had in some way
gotten lin advance mighty good
opinion Of us, which we hope they
will never have reason to change for
the worse Mr.. Owens daughter and
her husband hauled out our things
and helped us unpack, while anoth-
er neighbor brought us wood, pota.
toes and other supplies and loaned
us some furniture.
/ II LNLSD TIIU NJ ND vxnnry DnAu,