Cloverdale Union High School - Spectator Yearbook (Cloverdale, CA)

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nervous system, I was greatly interested in them and found their contemplation a pleasant recreation for my matter of fact mind. The work was hard and continuous, so we did not have much time for philosophic contempations. Then Randall sent us up to Terrace to join a party under D. D. Dooley, called Drunk and Dirty, because of his habits. Because of his unusual ability in making preliminary surveys through rough country, the R. R. Co. overlooked his fault of sometimes getting on a spree. Unfortunately for us, Dooley was on a spree, and though drunk, insisted on starting out immediately. There was Red, the driver of the line wagon; two Italian laborers, Joe and Honey; Griffiths Atherton and myself. We sat three in a seat with our luggage piled up be¬ hind. We were to go south along the Hogup mountains, following the west shore of Salt Lake until we came to the Lake Side mountains, and then we were to turn westward and go to the Nevada line, passing south of Pigeon Point, and north of Pilot Knob. In this region the rugged mountain ranges that rose from the plains had beach marks, clam beds, and mute signs of marine life of thousands of years ago. The lake or ocean had at one time been high above the present level of the water. Dooley had taken a liberal supply of whiskey, which he offered to all. Atherton and I refused; the Italians drank some, but Red and Dooley fast developed into a drunken spree. When several days out we lost our way. Atherton and I were in an unknown country, the Italians knew nothing of desert lore, and the driver and our chief were beyond giv¬ ing us any help. It was a pretty mess. One evening we miss¬ ed the spring Red said we should find. The night was spent in hunting for it, but the next day we sought shelter in the scant shade of a scrubby cedar growth upon the hill sides. The heat and intense thirst, were unbearable. Red and Dooley both became delirious and finally unconscious. Towards evening Atherton and I noticed some snow in the crevice of the rocks on the north side of one of the peaks. We toiled painfully up to where it was and found about two 19

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Before Adam (With No Apologies to Jack London) The Warwick Home Club of the University of California ad held its annual reunion. The fellows were seated around the table after the feed listening to the stories of the grads Harlow told of the capture Juarez by Madero. He had visited the scene of the Mexican hostilities in company with Jack ondon and was loud in his praises of him. Dad Dunlap lis¬ tened with a bored air. Dad had helped build a railroad through White Horse Pass, in Alaska, served three years in le army in t ie Philippines, and led quite an adventurous life Jack London is a boomer,” said Dad. “He does not under¬ stand Socialism, and his book ‘Before Adam,” makes me tired O yes, a boomer is a bluffer. Those are the fellows who never hold one job long enough to get it warm. When I was in Utah had an experience that beats anything Jack London ever win r S ° r range that 1 keep sti11 aboi,t jt - so people no call me a liar; but I know you fellows will be inter- ested and take it for only what it is worth. During my Sophomore year in college ' I became quite chummy with bred Atherton, the artist. He is a grea stu- dent of Mystic Philosophy, believed in Theosophy, the Occult sciences and the transmigration of souls. We both had to qui co ege for lack of funds and he was also worn out from overwork. W e got work on the Central Pacific reconstruction, under • I. Randall. W e all called him Hi for short. We were first assigned to duty with a surveying party upon the western •shore of Salt Lake, running the lines for the Lucin Cut-off It was a grand country, vast alkali plains, crossed by rugged ranges. 1 he days were hot and simmering; the nights cool and clear as crystals. It was a strange weird land, full of fanatics. Having only Greeks and Austrians for companions, Atherton and I grew very intimate, and while I laid most of 11s strange beliefs to the imagination of an over-wrought 18

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bucketsful, which gave us some water. Whil e we were gone the Italians had taken the horses and left us in the lurch. We could see them far across the alkali plain. Their skeletons were afterwards found in the desert. We gave Red and Dooley some of the water, but the combined effects of heat, thirst and alcohol had left them in a delirious condition. You can imagine the despair that came over Atherton and me. e were weak from thirst and heat, without the horses and lost in an unknown desert with two helpless compan¬ ions. We decided to try to reach the west shore of the lake, hoping to find some fresh water there. That night we worked our way across the mountain range, carrying some food, the small remaining amount of water and half dragging our com¬ panions. We often sank down from very weariness and I was sure Atherton was losing his head,too. He began to talk about his belief in the transmigrations of souls and to tell me he could, by throwing himself into a trance, remember any of his previous lives. He could detach his soul from his body and visit distant scenes, and by pure thoughts and simple liv¬ ing, could live any of his previous lives over again. About dawn we laid down to rest once more. The sun was well up in the sky when I was awakened by Atherton. Red and Doo¬ ley were still in a stupor. But a change had come over the country. The hills were thickly wooded and the waters of the lake were rolling their billows up to our very feet on the old shore marks five hun¬ dred feet ' above the present level of the lake. Atherton wore an old skin and had clothed the rest of us in the same manner. Down by the beach I saw somelndians or natives also dressed in skins—men, women and children all alike—and they were fishing. I thought the heat had gone to my head and shook myself, rubbed my eyes and tried to get back to earth. You are not dreaming, said Atherton, “I have brought you all back with me ten thousand years, when I used to live with the Cave People in these hills.” I was sure he was crazy and did not believe my own senses. I could not get nd of the hallucinations. “You remain here,” said Atherton, “While I go and get help from the people yonder.” Atherton 20