December 24, 1964 (24 pages)

NORTHERN MINES & CALIFORNIA "BRS AERA RAI eet eet 4 et REPORTS Bat + Fete Ht +O A YULETIDE TALE Christmas In The Mountains cA Fond Recollection Nevada City's Grace Himes recalls the spirit of anearlier and simpler period in the life of California in this personal memoir ofa family holiday in the Armistice year, 1918. The story is true, and like many of Mrs. Himes' works, it is a tale of adversity over which, somehow, the Yuletide spirit of joy and brotherhood prevails. By Grace Himes "A year of absolute rest in the fresh air, good food, lots of milk and just as little worry as you can manage.." Big kind Dr. Peers of Colfax looked sympathetic concern as he wrung my husband's hand, "A cabin in the mountains would be the thing, Charlie. Your wife understands how to care for you --your expenses would be less and you will get well faster. For many cases of tuberculosis, home care, if yournurse understands, far exceeds anything a hospital can supply.” ‘My husband who had been such a rock of strength to all of his people who, one by one, had suc‘cumbed to dread t.b., was now stricken himself. My eyes blurred as I reached for his hand. "Look at me, Chal, I'mas good as new, aren't I, Dr, Peers?” But the doctor tooked grave. "Never again as good as new but you will live out your life if you are careful." Five months before, Dr. Peers had sent me homé, an arrested case of t.b. After the first shock of Chal's illness had worn off I was almost glad of this happening. Now I knew his troubleI could give him the right care and he too could overcome it. As soon as I could think at all I thought of my people and their newly acquired ranch in the Shasta County mountains. And knowing my people I knew they would help me now in my great need, Not with money--we did not need or want money, but we did need to be near someone who cared and I knew they did. They answered my letter by return mail, “We are starting a two-room cabin for you folks a little way fromthe house. Come as soon as Charlie can travel," That letter to us carried something of God. When one is in deep trouble all but those whocare, sincerely, fade out and we are indeed ‘an island unto ourselves’. This mountain ranch and the Whitmore country was still strange to my people and they had had only reverses since buying the place, but still they could lay aside their own worries to reach a helping hand to us. I was almost happy as I sorted and discarded the things pilec around me. Chal would get well now. He would have absolute rest away from the responsibility of managing a gold dredge in war time. And it wasn't just a dredger --itwas Number 8 --the first steel and largest dredger in the world. It had to make a record anda terribly ill man had been giving his life to see that it did. Oh! it would be good to get away from even the sound of dredgers. And then doubts assailed me. The company house we were leaving was complete with all the comforts arid many of the luxuries of life. How would it be far in the mountains with no ice and no electricity? I need not have worried. We loved the soft glow of the kerosene lamps from the first, and a covered bucket lowered in the icy ditch water was all the refrigerator we needed, Madeline, our four year old daughter, put playthings in every open box that I was packing. I took all of them out but old Nellie her best loved doll, Everything had to be freighted in from Redding --only necessary things could go. Theh I braced myself against the worry of the long trip for Chal, for 200 miles those days took longer than 3000 miles now. Some way we managed the motor trip from Natoma to Sacramento, the night train from Sacramento to Redding where we rested for a day, and the long, hot, dusty stage ride from Red— ding to Whitmore. The stage driver knew everyone on the road and she wasted at least two hours by drawing up to collect and pass on gossip with every one we met. But it was over at last. My two brothers had met the stage at Whitmore and we were on our way totheranch, My parents were standing by the gate with outspread arms and smiling faces even though the smiles were mixed with tears. And no house, however grand, before or since, has ever looked so wonderful to me as did that little rough lumber two roomed cabin we were to live in for a year. I had sent things on ahead so all was ready ———— CHARLES HIMES..He shot a "wild" hog. for us, even the bed turned down for Chal, My husband's bed and my couch almost filled the smaller room but because one wall was just screen wire we seemed to havethe whole out of doors, The larger room, perhaps 15 by 20 feet, would be ‘our kitchen, living room and Madeline's bedroom. Large screened openings were cut in the south and west walls; there was a constant stream of air through the cabin at all times. A large cast iron heating stove, a home made table, two or three chairs, a kerosene cook stove, some shelves, acorner closet--and the little place looked completely furnished. Even the door was just a screen, My brothers looked askance at the wide openings. "But, Grace, it gets bitterly cold up here and snow will blow in. How about Madeline?" "She will grow stronger every day and she is free of infection living this way.” And she did; none of us had even a cold the year we lived in our cabin. The boys made a small bed frame and tacked canvas for Madeline's mattress. I pushed her bed to the open window where the first thing she saw on waking in the morning was miles of forest. The first thing she heard was Cow Creek's roar, My brothers took time from their work, that screamed to them from every corner of the ranch, to pile cords of dry oak and pine by the door, And my parents brought milk and fresh vegetables to our door, And Chal's health began to come back, almost from the first day, Whitmore was such a beautiful country. Chal was born and reared in the Colfax country. This was much the same with its forests that stretched to the horizon, its creek of melted snow. Deercame down to the meadows to feed with the cattle and quail withthe chickens --even making their nests near the barn; and Cow Creek was full of trout for the taking. But I could never seem to learn to fish. Anyway I hadn't the time, so I persuaded the boys to turn off the ditch below the cabin and I fished with my hands, I'd come home wet and bedraggled but with a pail full of trout! It was of course against the law, but after afew months I only worried about getting fresh meat for my family. The law didn't seem to matter, Thirty-five miles from a butcher shop had made outlaws of everyone I met up there but to me they seemed the kindest, most generous people I'd known in my life. Most of them had little more than a bare living but it seemed the poorer they were the more they wanted to share with others. One little man who lived far up on the mountain in a tiny cabin came to us one day with a P96I ‘HZ Joquieseq***1038nN AauN0D epeAeN*** > December 24, 1964..Nevada County Nugget.. ge eS a ee ee a a ee Pe 2 eee th. -s

NORTHERN MINES & CALIFORNIA "BRS AERA RAI eet eet 4 et REPORTS Bat + Fete Ht +O A YULETIDE TALE Christmas In The Mountains cA Fond Recollection Nevada City's Grace Himes recalls the spirit of anearlier and simpler period in the life of California in this personal memoir ofa family holiday in the Armistice year, 1918. The story is true, and like many of Mrs. Himes' works, it is a tale of adversity over which, somehow, the Yuletide spirit of joy and brotherhood prevails. By Grace Himes "A year of absolute rest in the fresh air, good food, lots of milk and just as little worry as you can manage..." Big kind Dr. Peers of Colfax looked sympathetic concern as he wrung my husband's hand, "A cabin in the mountains would be the thing, Charlie. Your wife understands how to care for you --your expenses would be less and you will get well faster. For many cases of tuberculosis, home care, if yournurse understands, far exceeds anything a hospital can supply.” ‘My husband who had been such a rock of strength to all of his people who, one by one, had suc‘cumbed to dread t.b., was now stricken himself. My eyes blurred as I reached for his hand. "Look at me, Chal, I'mas good as new, aren't I, Dr, Peers?” But the doctor tooked grave. "Never again as good as new but you will live out your life if you are careful." Five months before, Dr. Peers had sent me homé, an arrested case of t.b. After the first shock of Chal's illness had worn off I was almost glad of this happening. Now I knew his troubleI could give him the right care and he too could overcome it. As soon as I could think at all I thought of my people and their newly acquired ranch in the Shasta County mountains. And knowing my people I knew they would help me now in my great need, Not with money--we did not need or want money, but we did need to be near someone who cared and I knew they did. They answered my letter by return mail, “We are starting a two-room cabin for you folks a little way fromthe house. Come as soon as Charlie can travel," That letter to us carried something of God. When one is in deep trouble all but those whocare, sincerely, fade out and we are indeed ‘an island unto ourselves’. This mountain ranch and the Whitmore country was still strange to my people and they had had only reverses since buying the place, but still they could lay aside their own worries to reach a helping hand to us. I was almost happy as I sorted and discarded the things pilec around me. Chal would get well now. He would have absolute rest away from the responsibility of managing a gold dredge in war time. And it wasn't just a dredger --itwas Number 8 --the first steel and largest dredger in the world. It had to make a record anda terribly ill man had been giving his life to see that it did. Oh! it would be good to get away from even the sound of dredgers. And then doubts assailed me. The company house we were leaving was complete with all the comforts arid many of the luxuries of life. How would it be far in the mountains with no ice and no electricity? I need not have worried. We loved the soft glow of the kerosene lamps from the first, and a covered bucket lowered in the icy ditch water was all the refrigerator we needed, Madeline, our four year old daughter, put playthings in every open box that I was packing. I took all of them out but old Nellie her best loved doll, Everything had to be freighted in from Redding --only necessary things could go. Theh I braced myself against the worry of the long trip for Chal, for 200 miles those days

took longer than 3000 miles now. Some way we managed the motor trip from Natoma to Sacramento, the night train from Sacramento to Redding where we rested for a day, and the long, hot, dusty stage ride from Red— ding to Whitmore. The stage driver knew everyone on the road and she wasted at least two hours by drawing up to collect and pass on gossip with every one we met. But it was over at last. My two brothers had met the stage at Whitmore and we were on our way totheranch, My parents were standing by the gate with outspread arms and smiling faces even though the smiles were mixed with tears. And no house, however grand, before or since, has ever looked so wonderful to me as did that little rough lumber two roomed cabin we were to live in for a year. I had sent things on ahead so all was ready ———— CHARLES HIMES...He shot a "wild" hog. for us, even the bed turned down for Chal, My husband's bed and my couch almost filled the smaller room but because one wall was just screen wire we seemed to havethe whole out of doors, The larger room, perhaps 15 by 20 feet, would be ‘our kitchen, living room and Madeline's bedroom. Large screened openings were cut in the south and west walls; there was a constant stream of air through the cabin at all times. A large cast iron heating stove, a home made table, two or three chairs, a kerosene cook stove, some shelves, acorner closet--and the little place looked completely furnished. Even the door was just a screen, My brothers looked askance at the wide openings. "But, Grace, it gets bitterly cold up here and snow will blow in. How about Madeline?" "She will grow stronger every day and she is free of infection living this way.” And she did; none of us had even a cold the year we lived in our cabin. The boys made a small bed frame and tacked canvas for Madeline's mattress. I pushed her bed to the open window where the first thing she saw on waking in the morning was miles of forest. The first thing she heard was Cow Creek's roar, My brothers took time from their work, that screamed to them from every corner of the ranch, to pile cords of dry oak and pine by the door, And my parents brought milk and fresh vegetables to our door, And Chal's health began to come back, almost from the first day, Whitmore was such a beautiful country. Chal was born and reared in the Colfax country. This was much the same with its forests that stretched to the horizon, its creek of melted snow. Deercame down to the meadows to feed with the cattle and quail withthe chickens --even making their nests near the barn; and Cow Creek was full of trout for the taking. But I could never seem to learn to fish. Anyway I hadn't the time, so I persuaded the boys to turn off the ditch below the cabin and I fished with my hands, I'd come home wet and bedraggled but with a pail full of trout! It was of course against the law, but after afew months I only worried about getting fresh meat for my family. The law didn't seem to matter, Thirty-five miles from a butcher shop had made outlaws of everyone I met up there but to me they seemed the kindest, most generous people I'd known in my life. Most of them had little more than a bare living but it seemed the poorer they were the more they wanted to share with others. One little man who lived far up on the mountain in a tiny cabin came to us one day with a P96I ‘HZ Joquieseq***1038nN AauN0D epeAeN*** > December 24, 1964...Nevada County Nugget... ge eS a ee ee a a ee Pe 2 eee th. -s