Lick Wilmerding High School - Commencement Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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QI zrfaiafar sure IQ, better and its dancing girls prettier. As the mines were very rich, the pros- perous miners were drawn here from everywhere. Along with the herd came Silence llamlin, a man with a mysterious past, Godfrey, the dandy gambler of high luck and low reputation, and Rosita, the queen of the saloons. Rosita was the most beautiful and most dangerous dancing girl of the period. Her past was in darkness, but her present was known only too well to the men whose fortunes she had taken. Godfrey was known as 'fthe Gentleniann or the Dandy Gambler because of his habit of wearing a high silk hat and Hne clothes. No one knew anything about f'Silencel' Hamlin, they did not even know if that were his real name. It caused quite a bit of comment, however, when he left Dutch Flat for Luck- less Flat, several miles away. A few miners had prospected there, but none had found gold. One of the hangers-on of the saloon followed HSilence. He returned with a story of gold in greater quantity than was being taken from any known mine. Vllithin three weeks, the population of Luckless Flat was more than Eve hun- dred. A saloon was built. Godfrey and Rosita appeared, too, but no one at- tached their advent to anything except the sanie cause that was bringing other gamblers and dancing girls in numbers. Joy reigned in cainp for several weeks. One night a weird cry floated down to the town from t'Silence's cabin. The 'tDandy Gambler and the Queen of the Saloons exchanged frightened glances and, unnoticed, went outside for consultation. NVe,re foolish to pay that man money any longer. IIe has held sway long enough. No one knows where we came from or who we are. Iietls leave this place. Perhaps we can shake him off our track. I'm sick of having my life spoiled by that man, he said in a nervous way. 'tYou're right, John, but somehow I'm afraid of Tim. I feel as if I owe him something, but I do hate him so, she returned. 'tGo back in, Hettie, I'll go up to his cabin and give him the money we have, and tell him we are through with him for good. 'fDon't go, John. IIe'll kill you. HI can handle a gun, too. Go back in. I'll be all right. Goodbye, Hettie. See you later. t'The Dandy Gambler did not return that night, so the next day Rosita went in search of him. She found two bodies on the floor of Hamlin 's cabin. They had killed each other. She, too, failed to return, and later the miners found her with her arms around Godfrey and her own knife in her breast. The diseoverers did not understand what had brought these three together in death, and without trying to solve the mystery, they buried them. One day Pete, a negro errand boy, happened to pass the cabin, and was found the next morning unconscious in the bushes near by. Ile told a strange story. He had noticed a strange bluish-white light shining from the shack through the dusk. Ile carefully crept closer, but before he could get near enough to see inside the cabin, he was struck into unconsciousness by an un- known hand. The miners all laughed, but when the strange cry that they had heard for- merly repeated itself a few nights later, many of them left. After a few weeks the ghostly manifestations became so terrifying to the inhabitants that even the rough miners left and the camp was deserted. Time destroyed all the Illjage 2531

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-silt -M afwfsr life, W g Ig. Gbust jflat ROKA KAN'rEies, SIJ 66 AnnLif: up our horses, Jos. It's cool enough to go riding now. Jos, the all-round man and confidant of the two girls, looked anxiously and said, Shore enough, gals, it ls not been particuler fine weather for your racing at Ghost Flat, but that 's no place fer two young gals when evening 's nigh. U g 'fOh, boshl Senor Jos, you are foolish, responded Dolores, while her dark Spanish eyes flashed. Her father was a descendant of one of the few families that had been able to hold their land during the American occupation of Cali- fornia. Though their possessions were but a quarter of the original grant, they still owned about thirteen hundred acres of cattle land. Dolores con- sidered herself American, but she had all the traits of her race. She was tall and dark, and looked a very interesting figure in her Uchapsw, 'flannel shirt, and large Stetson hat. IIer friend, Helena, was an orphan who had been reared by Dolores' father. The two girls had grown up together like sisters. I-Ielena, being a daughter of the North, lacked the fire and romance of her darker friend, but the two girls balanced each other remarkably well, and the former in a cowboy outlit looked just as rough as her Latin friend. The two girls swung, vaquero fashion, into their elaborate Mexican saddles, and after hurdling the small ditch by the corral they started at a jog-trot over the well-worn path through the forest. In about a half hour they reached a large meadow in the center of which were the ruins of a forty-niner's cabin. This plot was called Ghost Flat and was the customary racing ground of thc girls. Dolores' swift pinto had always been the victor of the contests, and this time was no exception. In the midst of the second round, however, he stepped into an unseen squirrel-hole and fell, throwing her. Her right arm was broken and she was stunned for a moment. The pinto's leg was badly strain- ed, and he could not get up. t'Oh! Helena! what shall we do? Poor Pintie-is he badly hurt? I don't know,'l replied her friend. 4'But I do know that you are, and you're in no condition to ride back. I'll have to go back alone for help. .Pin- tie will be all right. Don't worry, for Illl be back as fast as I can. Helena mia, it 's getting dark. Please don't leave me alone in this place. Bosh! as you always say to Jos. Recall your proud Spanish blood and let it do you some good for once, Helena responded laughingly. 'tYou are right, Helena. I am a Carillo, and they never fear. Adiosf' With 'fAdios, Dolores, Helena sprang into her saddle and was gone. HI'oor Pintie. I wonder if they will have to shoot him? I won't let them ! thought Dolores. Ghost Flat is a queer and weird place by night. I do not like it. I wish that Jos had never told me that story about it, though it amused me at the time. I don't want to think of it, but I can't help it. This is the story of Ghost Flat: In the year 1850, Dutch Flat was a busy mining town. It wa.s like all the other mining settlements of the time, except, perhaps, that its liquor was llPage 2-Hi

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QI stfwfarstife IQ, miners' huts, and even the saloon fell to dust, but Silenee!' Ilamlin's cabin remained in almost perfect preservation. VVhen the settlers again returned. after a. few years, they called the place t'Ghost Flat and left it strictly alone. A bluish-white light streamed through the bushes. Dolores screamed and fainted. A few minutes later she regained consciousness and found Helena and Jos bending over her. t'Dolores, dear, what is the matter? What frightened you so? Helena asked. Madre de Dios! Helena! she exclaimed hysteric-ally. The bluish-white light-I saw it! Take me away quickly. Well, Dolores, I never did think our lantern would scare you that way. Shore that lantern 's got a funny light, but I never expected it to frighten the proud Spaniard! 4'Jos! The lantern? Why, sure enough, it has a bluish light. Oh !-but ltintie, Jos. Will you have to shoot him? IVell, I reekon not, and if I 1-alkerlate rightly l1e'll be well afore you, the way you look now. On the way home, Dolores asked, Jos, was the mystery of the ghosts ever solved? What really frightened l'ete?'l 'WVall, you know niggers. Probably that light was nowhere near the eabin, but Was one of them thin mountain fogs, huggin' the hollow. But something struck him. That's true, but they found out later that the drunk who had first followed 'Sileneel had gone after 'Silenee's' gold. Pete eame along. He finds it dan- gerous to have people near, so he hits Pete and then plays ghost, 'tWhy of course! exclaimed llelena. 'tNothing eould be more logical. Jos, why didn 't you explain it to us before? Why did you frighten us so? XVall, I kind o' enjoyed searin' you gals, said Jos apologetieally. We understand your little joke! I guess that after all Ghost Flat is more full of tradition than of ghosts, responded Dolores thoughtfully. K4 GXDQEQLZD Q ihirate ieulh BIELVIN BLUM, 31J Oh! How niee to be a pirate bold And find a lot of treasured gold, A hundred iifty-five years old, Right in the sand 's own fold! I'd build a great big ship, A sword and dagger at my hip. And sail the seas with a boom and bang!- Me and my pirate gang! I'd sail the briny Spanish Main, Under any sun or rain, And then, with a whoop, and rush, and yell, Home I'd run to the dinner bell! IlPage 2611