The San Francisco call. [volume], March 13, 1910, Page 4, Image 4

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE
LOVE STORY
OF
COLOMA
Genevieve Y. Parkhurst
THE traveler, coming upon a de
serted ' Sierra mountain town,
with broken down stage coaches
(reminiscent of heavy travel, road
tgents and sawedoff shotguns), weather
beaten shacks, empty dance halls, sa
joons and dens the predominant fea
tures, would naturally look for ro
mance; and the stranger who rodeMnto
Coloma, where gold was first discovered
In California, was not disappointed in
the hope of coming upon a story 'of
more than ordinary interest. The last
actor In the story is dead now. His
new grave, beside another that was dug
many years ago — a grave that he was
glad to seek for his final rest — looks
down on the wreck of the town where
this real human drama was enacted In
California's golden days of romance.
"Blind Ben" is at rest beside the woman
he loved. And before he died he told
his story and hers — a story of beauty
and pathos, of love and self-sacrifice, of
perfect companionship rudely broken
by death.
It was In Coloma, situated up in El
dorado county in the heart of the low
Sierras^ that James Marshall discovered
gold in IS<B. In Its time it was a pros
perous mining town, %vith thousands of
inhabitants, with vivid life on every
side — gambling, drinking, carousal. On
the slope of the hill back of the town a
monument commemorates the man who
made California famous through his
discovery. Not far away flows the
American river, on the bank of which
the first nugget was found. Now,
where once were mines at which men
toiled feverishly, there are orchards and
gardens and ranch houses, and sleepy
content.
His Home a Shack
It was in a little shack that fronts on
the main and only street of the town
that "Blind Ben" lived. For years be
fore he died he spent his time cutting
wood, tending his little garden, or sit
ting for hour* at a time looking with
unseeing eyes out over the hills across
which the woman he loved came wan
dering Into, his life.
It was some weeks ago. Just before
his death that the stranger passed
through Coloma, gathering Information
about a mining proposition, and, having
•watched the old man as he puttered
around the house and garden, some
times talking to himself and always
•with a faraway look upon his face, be
came Interested In him. The stories
told of him at the town store, about his
repeated assertion that he saw things
and his refusals on their account to do
the county's bidding and seek a peace
ful old age In the almshouse, as well as
his loneliness, prompted the stranger
who had come from the city to cross
the road and seek a friendship with
the octogenarian as lonely and deserted
as the roadway Itself. It took some
\u25a0while to draw him out, but finally his
Isolated soul reached out for the sym
pathy and comprehension that had been
denied him by those who surrounded
him.
At last he spoke. "So you want to
know all about her, do you?" He
paused to knock the ashes from a
burnt out corncob pipe that lay near
him on the steps. He fllled It, li&hted
it, and began: •
"I can't forget the day I first saw her.
'She came Into camp — lat's tee." Hft
puffed fiieamily away. "I guess It wai
some 10 years «fter he found gold in
the tail race over yonder.'* i
He pointed to the hilltop where Mar
shall's statue was silhouetted . against
a vivid blue sky, and away toward
the rocky river bed where Marshall
made his discovery. "She was a little,
pale, fluttering thing, cold, and , dlrt-
Ktalned from riding miles through'the
driving rain in a stage; without a top
to It. But say,, stranger, she "was the
Jmd with eyes ' like the starlight, and
from the. minute that I laid- eyes on
Her I knew the 'nugget- I had been
looking for all these years, and. I
thought right that the nugget was too
The Death of "Old
Ben" Ends a Remarkable
Romance of Real Life
which had its setting at
the place where James
Marshall Discovered Gold,
and which began soon
after that History Making
good for me ever to possess. Sh«
wasn't my kind, she wasn't. • There's a
go'#. that's way down deep In the
earth, it's the mother lode. You can't
get to It with pick and shovel, you've
got to have machinery ,and shafts and
tunnels and all of the things that cost
an awful lot o f money, but when you
get it, my! it beats them all. Well,
that's the sort she was, and I knew it
when I saw her standing there." He
took the pipe from between. his teeth
and pointed with it across the way to
a tumbled down hovel that had once
been a miner's cookhouse.
"When they told me that this little
baby-blue-eyed thing had come to cook
for us lot of scum, I felt like throw
ing every mother's son o* them out
into the street and making them shovel
dirt to send her back where she come
from. But she weren't wurritln', not
a bit," he chuckled, with a side long
nod of his head. "She walks up to all
of the fellers that were standing
around gaping like a lot o' scared
pups, and asks them their names, giv
ing a hearty shake with that little
hand o1o 1 hers not big enough to kill a
mosquito. And then she. came to me.
She didn't make for to shake right
away, but first gave me an earnest
look that sent the blood runnl.p' a
race up and down -me. Then she
laughed and. said in a friend-like way:
"'And you're Mr. . Storekeep, '; .I
reckon!' "
"'Mr. Storekeep!' Did you eve^hear
the first sweet notes of the meadow
lark when he's sure the rain is over
and the sun's out to stay? Well, that's
the way them • words sounded to me.
My heart was beating till I thought It
would burst. 'If you called me Angel'
Gabriel you couldn't please me more.
Ur. Storekeep!'" He repeated it under
his breath, caressingly, and wiih a sigh
deep from the heart of things never
to die. Then he braced his decrepit
shoulders and ; oontlnued more cheerily:
"Shp -hadn't been ; here ; more j than * a
few days when every man -In. the 'camp
was plym on! his. head about her. "Of
course it didn't do none of us any good,
and we never, told her 'about it, <. 'cause
the | rougher we mountain men ' get \ the
more we values womeni but we i showed
It in a lot o' little ways. 'As" the days
wore on a kind of; pinched Mook? that
she had when she camejwe'nt away/and
her, cheeks". grew*, rosy *>'and%her.; "eyes
were brighter than ever. 1 We never asked
her where;she came' from nor^.what ; she
wa6 doing up here away from; her. kind/
It '.. wasn't I none ;o* bur ; business so| ilong
as siie" made ,us 'happy, and that : she
did to the queen's taste. -Why,' the sun
showed always where. she was; she was.
that kind and cheery to -every one. But
at las}, we noticed a change., 'When she
thought' no one ( was lookin' she was sad
and worried,' and then"- when she'd } see
some "one « a" comin' she'd 'try., to lauglv
and sing,, but* it didn't sound 'right. It
set all of us to thinkin'.'.but we couldn't
Imagine > what* it ;could; be. "We .knew
it, wasn'tVbad news, I .was post
master'and never a letter, did; she get
as-I*knew ; ;of/. \u25a0 . "': \ :^'.'-' : \u25a0'\u25a0.. - r - --':-.
; ."About v. two ; weeks ' before, this ; a
smooth - handed;, slick .'chap came
Into camp and set up ; a gambling hall.
None' ofiUs took to I him: much.*" 'He '-.was
so sweet , above,' you know .} that -'way
below, there "was a lot o'.nastiness brew
ing and;, waiting, to bubble £up i to", the
top ; wheh* ! least s expected.;; ':' There i; was
some talk: about ;his bein'. aiduke's son,
but .; It .was; an ' awfull slide \u25a0' down ; shaft
from dadH° kid.V. But he "played square
—-he, knew> his: men.." Hetbragged-'too
much'; about'r his Vaffalrs ;::with';^women,
; but we Vgave ; him" warning^ that ; around
Coloma we didn't^ stand; for nothing like
;that/' J :.-^\x:''-. \u25a0'.-V- •>;.' : .:-*y:- : ::\ : - : :':>i.- : : '..,;<'••;'
r >"Well, , when \*lr noticed , how - Lady,
Gay; looked-^— that.fwas my v name"ilfor
her/ and; every; one sort ?qV, ; took a toilt7---
I beganlToVworry. i -''.One feyenirig;,I \u25a0 was
sitting*- behind \ the^corher,' my the * store
thinklnggthings rf oyer^* and^wishing Jil
.wasimbre?likeiheraso',that';limightJbe
' -.\u25a0"\u25a0- ' ." .' : \u25a0; ." \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0;\u25a0 * . \u25a0'
able to taKe things into my own hands
for; better :.or for worse, when.^air of
a sudden in rushed Texas j Tom, one of
the miners, all", excited arid.'; out 'V
breath, who as soon as he;. could get
his>wind shrieks out, 'Say, Ben.there's
hellto pay down at\,the Dook's- den.
Lady ;Gay's there ; playing the 'wheel
and ihe's gambling away for dear life.
You /know • there's - something 1 wrong,
for - she ain't gone' in one; 1 of them
places- since- she's' been ' liere. I think
it's time some' of us took a, look Into"
it.'" ; - .'<\u25a0-"\u25a0- '' \u25a0<- -\u25a0\u25a0" - ; . "" v v ' "; -•\u25a0•;'
.01d ... Ben, arose and, talcing the
stranger by the sleeve, i called \ his at
tention.to; a spot a hundrea.yards or
so-- down"' the road. "You "see ; where
that apple orchard is there on the other
sider; \u25a0 ;;•\u25a0,.. -.», ;•\u25a0 ;. " \u2666 -. .'
'j The stranger .saw. ;,,>.:,
: "Well, cthafs where -it used 'to be.
Say, I was 6ver r the. counter and down
the •; street ' jbefore-'Tom" • had / half 'a
chance; to breathe..;- When I ' g6"t
the 'hall ; : what a sight ;I saw !" ' The* old
man ., was | growing * excited | and \ all 'of
the tremor i, had "left -his ; voice , as. he
continued: -^There ;wastl'acly ? Gay. [with
a pile' of almost -.a. foot 'across
and \u25a0 near* as l»igh, ". stand ing • atone "end
of,<theitable,~ and : his n6bs;at the jother
end;i twirling/-; the-"l'vvheel.'; J :,There;'wds
twobright spots burning oh her^cheeks;
and 4 when'v she r'saw I me ; she her
breath and; I thought' for. ; a^ minute: she
.wa»-a-golngr % to cry.< She i ; wouldn't 'look
me ]In j the J eye j but 'kept : start ngfat j the
plle'in'front of her: ? Duke.Tas ,we
called 'himi v was,^weir;down liri",
mouth,:- ; as ;he Tonight }£ be, . or y; nearly
every : bit oV money %in the :bank ; was
gone:- But- after-a?few;minutesiCwerit
by ' his 1 uck \u25a0 chah ged 'and ; wi th -a - T spin
o'^ the 'wheel ja^Tgoodt slice V'of.'Lady'B
money^ went.; flying,- across j the .V; table.
And:tßo'J-back' ! andV.*forth,it went ? for
' 80 IH A \u25a0'* timG " ' \u25a0*\u25a0 T " ' -' "~" 7 '\u25a0"\u25a0"\u25a0'-* \u25a0 \u25a0 ~'* " \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0"'-\u25a0 ,"\u25a0''"'\u25a0
Tie/ stopped a ; while and then In a
soliloquy, he continued. -
"It was a long, bleak, bare hall, with
just a' table and: a wheel set, up. on it.
A' tew chairs were set up around the
table. On the walls fastened in Iron
holders.; were. : some sputtering lamps
and candles that lighted up the crdVd
of men and -women. An old . double
barreled muzzle loading, gun i-wlth pow
der, pan and cap arrangement, stood 'in
a "corner, and the. boards of the "shack
were that! loose the rain from, outside
came-ln'everytlme there was; a squall,
dripping -on "the floor or pattering on
the> lamps : and .\u25a0 making .them sputter
and raise a.smea of wick and oil. And
the women !'\u25a0 , >; He' shook his head. \u25a0", By
this "time he had, forgotten the exist
ence." of 'the stranger, and: was
ing ;to .vehemently.' 1 . '.'I hate
to -think; of .my' -little Lady Gay in the
same breath wlthithem," he said with a
shudder. V. "All; painted- up and)black
ened ;and' • with a greedy \look about
.them.; They- didn't "like her/ cause she
wouldn't' everrun: around the town with
them,;ahd*theyL was glad; to think -she'
was; getting ..the .-.worst fof , it.- \ What
made.; me*.; feel., badi^was': knowing: that
• never", before : had: she ;gone to gambling
densj or, dance halls, and it set me think
ing; awful hard; ">When"< I first, went In"
t the' Duke; was pretty fgreen In the gills,
but' when :he, began to, win again; a sort
of /look.;o'i; triumph^ on hir pale,' thin
?face *made-me • to ;'punch . him,
when /the i. hard, women bet
gan \o, look ;,pleased,' too. • -ll * knowed
how/glad'they were to ; see. her snowed
;under.v^:Shei,kept?itrup. that -way s for
two/or) thfee^ hoursXwithout I speaking
"or 'noticingi anybody except : tocall out
\u25a0I n;a strained 'voice : .' "Twenty . oh" -the
:black'jy or \u25a0 '10 ; on ; the-'re<i !'.,.\u25a0 ;•:'" Just-J: as
'.the* cocks -were i crowing . for, the dawn,*
; and|the'-first;redTglo"w.of.the sun peeked
the f clouds/at':! the * top's o' I the
The San PranciscD Sunday Call
hill, Lady's last cent went to the Duke.
She was as pale as a ghost, and that
thing at the other end of the table
looked across at her with a* glad sneer.
She took one hurried glance around the
hall, and, stooping down, hoisted from
under the table a great sack of gold
dust. I held my breath for about one
second, but I knew that whatever she
did was aU right, she was that straight.
Suddenly In back of me I heard Texas
Tom saying to himself, 'I swan, I never
thought she waa that kind!'
. ' "It didn't take me long to grab the
hound by the. .back of the neck and
drag him outside where I nearly shook
the stuffing out o' him. 'Let go, Ben,'
he yelled. ( 'I didn't mean no harm, but
you know she never got no such sum
cookln' for — *
\u25a0 "He didn't get no farther, for I made
for to. strangle him as I said. 'When
you think things like that about her,
keep them to yourself!' He managed
to gasp out, 'Well, you don't need to
get so ornery 'bout it. I love her tool*
'"You love herr I shrieked, drop
ping him In my surprise and hate.
'When a man really loves a girl he'
hasn't room in his heart for thoughts
like them, he only has room for love/
"Just then -I heard a racket in the
room inside, so I left him and walked*
. back into the place > and there was
Lady Gay whiter than death, standing
• near the table where out of the opened
• sack shot' was rolling all over the
table, it wag the same sack that I
had fllled with shot to use for a door
weightand had missed two days be
fore! The Duke took, a glance and
.making "for her with one bound, he
grabbed a hold of her as he shouts:
"'So that's the way you'd cheat and
get rid of me ; Is it? You who were
going to play a square game, to see
.how it would go! ; You thought I "was
no good, did you? What about your
self?' " ~
VAnd then he spoke a word what
; no man says about a woman when I'm
around. I put my hand. to my jeans to
get my gun •* ready, and found that I
had left It in the store, for I was a
peaceful man. and never went lookin"'
for a scrap. I looked around thlnkin'
toborry one. and there in the corner
i I saw the old gunahat some one had
Meft standln' there. I didn't take the
time to see how. it was loaded, nor how
Baf fi -I Tff' , - 1 Was that mad that I
% couldnt think, much of anything but ;
ithe \one-;\ one - ; " <»an;t take as : much % time
as -I am takin' in-the telHn'. I grabbed
the ornery- old .thing, and cocked it
; and leveled It ami pulled the trle-er
Itwent off. but I forgot the powder
pan ami I had my eyesdown ' too close'
and all I remember now was that I
saw one big flash and ' Lady Gay
rushin' towards me; cryin'" anil
screamin' and ;throw!n\ her arms :
around 'me. Then /came a terrible"
; burnln'in my eyes, .and I. knew T was
.blinded, but I didn't; care." Lady Gay
loved me." V; \u0084;'\u25a0" - /
•^; He paused for a long time as he
f wiped the -perspiration from his hoary
i head with a, stained and tattered hand
; kerchief. He. heaved ahlgh and cSt 7
,** tlnued: : • . ' ; \u25a0 / : - \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0•
A A d^ ft * r thls ' 1 there ; isn't i much to
Uten.-Theviast^hat was >e en-;of h tn;
Duke, he was sitting by the river
about 10 miles above here, picking the
feathers oft himself. The story all
leaked out afterward as to how he
had been pestering my Lady, and she
couldn't get rid of him without telling
some of us and she was afraid of mur
der because she knew what we thought
of women, so she got desperate and
took things Into her own hands, and
thought she would try and beat him &•
his own game. But of course sh«
wasn't his caliber.
"We'll, since then I ain't been able ti
see, but didn't need to. Lady and !
were married shortly and the light that
she brought into my life was brigMer
than any bit o' sunshine I had ever
seen. As soon as I was able she ua^d
to take me back and forth to the store
and islt there all day, and Lord pity
any one who ever tried to cheat me. 1
had heaven for two years. Ev»ry
night, after we ate our supper, she'd
let down her hair (It was the color o'
God's sunshine) and when I'd run mji
hands through It. . no eyes ever saw
plainer than I did. I could see every
smile on her lips, every dimple in her
cheeks, and when we would take long
walks up Into the mountains, she
would tell me about the flowers and
the trees and the colors of the hills,
because she knew how I loved every
nook and corner of the land.
"And then after two years I noticed
that she was short of breath and that
she 'stepped rather heavy, and when
I asked her about It. she kissed ma
and whispered that there was going
to be another Lady Gay. \u25a0 'No.* I said.
'there can't be another Lady Gay, but
It will be one more 'Joy added to thos*
we already .have.' And 'then w» said
we'd call it Joy."
Here the old man began to sob. \u25a0•
he continued, "but there was never any
'Joy,* for when the child came a few
weeks later, he took my Lady Gay
away with him. She was too good for
«ne and this world.
"When they took her away from m«
and laid her up yonder I prayed to dl«^
I knew I couldn't go unless I killed ]
myself, and she never would have stoo<i'
for that, so there was nothing for m«
but to live on In darkness, thlnfcing of
her and wanting her through all of th«
*ong years.
Fact or Dream?
"But one evening In the autumn whan
all the trees and bushes was tinged
with the blood of the dying year, across
the hills with the glow b' tfce settin*
sun? touching up her hair -came my
Lady Gay. just as she used to In th»
old days, when she would run up lnt<»
the hills to pick some flowers. Sh»
came right into my arms and here sh»
has stayed ever since. They say I'm
crazy, but I'm not. They don't know
what I see and what she is to me. and
I wouldn't take my eyesight back In ex
change for what I have in her for all
of the gold that lies burled; In these
mountains." '
In telling this story Ben had lost al 1
of t the attributes of age. He stoorf
upon the steps anil demanded and
begged, '^he isn't dead, she isn't dead
You believe me. "don't you. stranger?"
The stranger assured him of implicit
belief, for how could one be dead when
she had left a phantom strong and real
as Lady Gay had left with her bllnJ
husband?.
_ "Of course, she's here, and that's wh?
I'won't go to any other place." And
with that he went Inside and shut th»
door.
. i^ w ew _,, ww * eks ago he died and wa»
laid by his Lady Gay up on the slope el
the ; mountains under the pines. H»
was , the last relic of all that Coloma
had meant to California in the romance
and_ life of the early days, and althougS ,
-M« l passed away - * nd a new gener
ation has come In to take up the clalmi
that were long since abandoned, thii
old man with a heart as y6ung as th*
flower; oays of, spring left as heritage
a ..retrospect filled with the blessed
faith. and perfective that passetfc un
derstandings. •