Lowell High School - Red and White Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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Y KX? '15 I I hr linknnmn Bern HEN a man goes on he anticipates clear would insure them would be surprising both surprised and trip when a storm, in the wilds of lien a summer hunting trip in California, skies and starry nights. I.loyd's to him. Any other kind of weather and irritating. I know. And I was irritated last summer on. 1ny hunting complete in every detail, caught me docino County.. My surprise was not lessened, but my irritation very, decidedly was, when quite by chance- providentially, I sometimes think-I stumbled on a trail that led me to the lonely cabin of an old settler. Such a mean little shack it was, but trim and weather proof, and the man-well, he might have stepped out of a page of lilret Harte. XYith the simplicity of true hospitality he took me in and made me comfortable. He warmed, he fed and he entertained me. I listened like a three years' child to his stories of early California life. of thrilling events in which he had been present but never prominent. Let me give you the gist of one of them. f'It was one spring in the 'Forty-nine' days when plaeer mining on a large scale was carried on in the valleys of the foothills. Below us ran a swift river, the rocky banks of which rose almost perpendicularly to a great height. At one point the canyon widened into Z1 small valley about tive hundred yarclsgwide and twice as long. This was the location of about ninety placer mines. The winter just passed had been unusually severe and the snowfall very heavy: but now under the spring rains it was rapidly melting. The creeks had become rivers: the water had risen so high that it was near danger mark in our small valley. ' Five miles up the river was another mining camp. And that morn- ing the miners in this camp had narrowly escaped being buried alive by a terrible landslide. Loosened by the spring thaw, a whole mountain-side slid down into the narrow canyon. It formed a dam in the river and backed the water up several miles. The miners on near-by claims fled immediately. They realized the danger and clidn't tarry to see its results. Then some one thought of the camp down the river. They must know: a warning must be given themg the dam of loose dirt might give way at any moment, and all the property and life down the stream would be wiped out.. Some one called for volunteers to carry the warning. A Xorwegian, a recent comer, and as yet a stranger to the miners, was the only man to step forward. He had with him long skis, in the use of which all his countrymen are skilled. He took one careful look at the dam, noting its dangerous condition. then he sped swiftly away on his reckless race against death. Now up hills and down dales. through virgin forests. across treacherous ravines. T1L'er1Iy-nizze

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fused and pe1cc1x1ng her already Cl1Il1l1'11:llCCl ICSOLIILCS become llflllllx xmalle She tcaolxed as tl1e only alter11at1xe Irom utter starvatton to Qell nexx Npapera m the streets So there she stood 111 tl1e center of our doxx ntoxx 11 shopptnx chstnct, l1er hand ca1ess1ng the toubcled black haxr ot het samted l'll.lNlDd.1lCl: tlnld ceaeelesblx regard1n0 the Qellieh throng: ot women too lntent on tht. putchabe ot Nome 1l'I1l1l3.tCI'1Zll trtpperv to be 111111dIul 01 the xx Orld L,ltC1Nt1UPl'l tt t11e11 very dome of tl1e n1en too OCCl.lP1CCl xx1tl1 111o11ex Qrabbm-T to be need tul ot axmpathx and mercx Thub almobt Qtotcallx bear1n0 tl1e Xlklwnltllllta ot tottune and to an unobaerx ant xx atcher 111d1l'te1ent to the rebult ot her labor she bold l1e1 xx ares to the paxberbx Xt hrxt huw111eaa was good lt xxfa- umverxallx hehex ed that xx ar tould not labt more than we xx eeks xxnthout both tacuonu heconnng exhauxted 111 111111 lllll111llOI1b and money, a11d CV613 ed1t1on ot the xauoub journals xxax eaqul SI1cltLl1CCl up 111 tl1e l1ope of the mtelheence ot Nome dccmxe atuon I1 t xx1t tl1e dlsaater to Herman hopes of easx conqueat 'tt the hlarne the t111wL1ttcwNt11l efforts of the Trench to Cl11VC the l1ocl1e trom thur Ia1r land a11d tl1e en stung deadlock on the banks ot the XISHC tl1e precedlng exc1ten1ent Qaxc xxav to a dull letharex ot dmnterest and a certam nnufr techno ot Nelt consgtatul.. t1on that we xx erent 1n xt and Mane knexx that gaunt hunger xx ould soot stare them 1n the face lhen came that XXl'1lCl1 1S moat feared hx Lxelx mother bv exerx xxut and bx exfelx xxxeetheart 111 lrance tl1e great black bO1ClCI'CCl ephtle bearmf as 1ts message under the LHSIQU of the lLpllbl1L and the 1l1SCI'lpl1lOll lxlmertc, fl l'1Ol1I'lCll1 Xr1Nt1de Letcvre Xnd undemeath 111 lrench the snnple plnawe He Iought brax elx and xx ell he ched hke a l1e1o De Castelnau lXlar1e xx as pro5t1ated xx1th orlet -Xlthough she had been axxa1e ot the I7ObSllJll1tX ot X11bt1de talhnq 111 battle bhe had alxxaxx Lontrlxed to Cl1Slll1Nw her gloomxf fotehodmga and theretore thc an tul calanntx VSl'11Cl'l noxx hetell her struck l1er ab sexferelx a 11 xxl1ollx unexpected Her dauntlew nattnc xx h1ch had for 50 long fought oh advelsxtx Nuccumbed under thu treeh on wlaught of outrageoub fortune and hltck debpalr welied l1er 'lhe patrons or l1er l1ttle stand no lO1'lgCI rece1ved tl1e hawhtul mule and the 'l.Pl5lCLlE1flXE2 NICFCI Nl :.1eu ax thanks 111 tnll tor then' purehaae not d1d lean xx ear anx lO11QCI the lJI'12,llt red t1e arranged xx 1th auch LO11bUll'tlll3.tC, cart each lllflflllllt hx a Cl0flI1Q' mother Penmleaa, Ntarxnng then countrxf -.eennnglx doomed ll destructton, then sole p1otector lt appeaxed esNent1al at last to abk as51st.u1te ot a chautable l1'l5lIltllt101l l1ut a nature auch as Hanes doee 11ot aetept alms Qhe far preferred l1er p1e5ent hopelew occupahon knovxmg that tle finger ot mexorahle fate pomted to led rum but ptexerxmfr that xelt uspett ot wlnch no human power could dcprlve l1er lhe 1nex1table finally occurred fxxo more apmts xxere ennrred ont a Nurelx and szlently as the CXtl11Ct101l ot a candle txxo more bodns sucked mto tl1e xxlnrlpool xxere draqeed doxxn sxx1ttlx mto Ita xortex txxo mme heart'-, to111 from tl1e CIUIVCIIHQ brea-tx ot the Nlktllllfx xxe1e sacrmted O11 tl ltar of blood lust Enxx xnu ll llurrrt Det 1 Tz. mtg wglzt ' 'J' Y . f A , Y. - . 1 , , VV Y 1 . S 1 . - 1 . as W . . . Q . X 1 .- W . 1 5 i ,Y l l S N 1 'R A 1 - l an I ' ' 1 -' 'l J1' l 5 ' ' - -- - - r r A - ' f ' - .'.'.-' . Y., J , n . , - 1 5 .. ., ' ' . . f ' . ' ' ' s T 1, - 4 1-' -Q v . ' - ' - . ' , , . , . . - , S I- . 1 , , Q. ., M. A- I , A in J ' ' ' ' 'tw' p ' Q -- 1 . 'u it . , - , 4 ,- a. 1 1' - J' - - r - A' F ' L.. l 4, . x. ' ' D ' -Y ,, -- ' , at , 1 ' ' , rs 1 -- v ' . , , A - W 1 ' v ., x ' ' L f - -Y . . . ' r - . ., . '- ' , ' .1 . ' -, N D . Ki L - ligalite, l rater11ite those words of Sorroxx' a11d despair, Mort Sur le champ , , Q. - . . S . 1 . L. 5 E A . . I - . 7 4 A Q- . F I' . Y . , . - , . . J, ,S , I. . 1 N 4.5 . .1 . Y , 1 1 v 1 1 . - -v N ' 1 ll Q 1 K , . - - . . . L .. I ,T . A - . N S ' A . v V, . 1 .-- ' - 'rl - s N '1 .L N A I 'V t 4 - w K - . ,' l ' . F . A -Q ' 5 I ' .f '.' ik .. . ' . - ' ' ' W ' 1- ,7 ' .1 ' ' ' . . ' - . - f - - - ' ' ' - f e- - - --1 1 - 1 Q 1- V7.7 lu L- ' N ' :I rv - 3 5 Q v a - : . 'I f. -714.42 .wi

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he pressed on in his errand. Qne mile, two miles, three miles were soon passed. Almost the four miles of distance had been made, when he came to an obstacle which defied him to go further, and seemed in a fair way to stop him. It was a ford, rendered by the spring freshets quite impassable. He sought up and down stream without any success. Hut obstacles could not daunt him, they only stimulated his determination to cross, 'There shall be no A1ps,' he thought. f'Then he reached a place where the river narrowed, so that it was not more than forty-five feet wide, and where the opposite bank was lower than the one he was on. The thought Hashed, 'Could he leap that gap? He had often jumped further than this in tournaments at home. At any rate he would try. Thoughtfully he ascended the hill, and carefully surveyed the path for his descent. Slowly he started down, then faster and faster he sped on, until at the brink he was racing with the speed of a comet. He made the descent erect, but he crouched as he neared the river. Then just at the edge, he sprang to his full height. For an instant he seemed poised in mid-air. His eyes must have caught a glimpse of the rushing river beneath him, death must have seemed perilously near. l'Sut death to him didn't mean the passing of one soul, but the passing of one hun- dred and oneg for the hundred miners who, unconscious of their danger, were working in the little valley below, must go out if he did. So he couldn't lose his head, but 111-usf hold himself steady and land safely. He did. Losing no time over 'lamenting his misfortune in landing on a sharp piece of ice and severing one of his Fingers, he went on. Soon he reached the camp and gave the alarm. Quickly the miners abandoned everything for the safety of' higher ground. They had no time to lose. Up the canyon could be heard the roar of rushing waters, and the seething, angry mass soon foamed over the little valley. f'The miners looked down on the destruction of all their possessions. on a scene of desolation. But they were grateful to be alive. and they thought of their rescuer. They would give him all they had to give now. their heartfelt appreciation, but some day- Put where was he? Nowhere to be found. Silently he had gone away and none of them ever saw him afterwards to recognize him. I wish you could have heard the old man tell the tale. it was so simple and convincing. I was divided between regret that the hero had so effaced himself, and satisfaction that he had been really big enough to do it. I ventured to remark that there hadn't been others like him, but the old man answered indignantly: Oni the contrary, young man, there were many in 'Forty-nine'. Then, the fire burning low, he sug- gested that we turn in. The next morinng I took my leave, not without a curious pang. As he waved farewell to me I noticed, for the first time. that there was a finger missing on his right hand. I often wonder. l T.-XRRY S. .-XmN.xN'ri. Dec. 'l6. Thirty