Bret Harte Union High School - Sierra Vista Yearbook (Angels Camp, CA)

Page 77 text:

Tales of Town and Trail s is ss Well, a group of us old timers was sittin' right here in this very spot, talkin' about the rich gold strike which had been found that day, when the sheriff and a posse rides down this street toward the old saloon. Now this sight was so usual in those days that at first none of us paid much 'tention to them until we noticed a crowd of the miners, from down at the old brewery, following them up. So bein' curious like we joined the rest and finally came to the saloon. By this time, we knew that Joaquin Murietta was the cause of all this excitement. It seems that Joaquin was seen and recognized by someone when he rode into town, and- when the sheriff was informed he set out to catch the man who was terrifying the whole country. When we got to the saloon the sheriff sent some of the men to surround the place and then he calls for Joaquin Murietta to come out and take his medicine. Such a change as come over this town! Everything became so quiet and not a man stirred,-not even Joaquin came out from the saloon as everyone expected him to do. The sheriff calls out again and when no one an- swers, the crowd rush inside but Joaquin is gone. Well, the sheriff and his men searches that saloon from top to bottom but still can find no trace of Joaquin. He had just naturally vanished into thin air. By this time the sheriff was beginning to think somebod'y had fooled him, when one of the men calls from the cellar that he is Wanted there. There was a dash for the stairs as all us curious miners crowded into the cellar to see what We thought would be the object of our search. Imagine everyone's surprise to find a tunnel leading to the house across the street. Every man there knew as well as the sheriff that our clever Joaquin was probably miles away, laughin' at the way he had again outwitted the 'gringosll' Gee, Tommy uttered, wide-eyed with astonishment, he must have been a pretty smart bandit. Didn't they ever catch him? Oh, yes, Uncle Jeff replied, but that's another story and I'll save it for another time. Thanks, Sally answered. Don't forget, we'll be back tomorrow for that other story. , After fondly watching the two children run down the street, he again turned his weather-beaten old face toward the distant green hills, and his thoughts drifted to the da'ys when the historic little town was a roaring mining camp and he was a gay young miner whose ambition was to capture the bold and daring badman of those days- Joaquin Murietta. -J EAN RAGGIO '36. -..ef 35 15..-