December 26, 1963 (22 pages)

DOO cdeSeus . The Nugget.. Page 17 From the forested mountains of California, we send you this Chiistmas Gecting THE SAGA OF THE SIERRA BY HARRY S. FURLONG through the courtesy of the Auburn for your continued enjoyment office of CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FEDERAL .December 26, 1963. vwurw Ten thousand years ago these same great peaks rose high, A barrief Vast between the watered vale and desert waste, Collecting, on these same grey’ granite crags, the snow, From moisture laden winds that sweep in from the western sea. These same deep canyons poured their fodming torrents down To mingle with the rivers of the plain, that slowly flow Back to the sea again, there to repeat the endless cycle o'er. VO *" << Page ee These lofty peaks had guarded well this favored land And stood aloof, in silent majesty, as empires fell And kings were crowned, and battles raged across the distant seas, These ramparts had repulsed attack by storm and time And stood -foursquare against the feeble threat of man. ‘ Till less than three brief centuries ago, no white man's foot Had ever scaled these upflung heights. The rivers, crystal clear, Roared downward to the sea, unheard by human ears. No woodsman's axe had scarred these straight and lofty pines That rise in stately tiers on canyon wall and meadow floor. The spirit of Christmas, like gold, is where you find it. Then the invader came! From our the south was heard a bugle note od And tramp of marching feet, as proudly rose the royal arms of Spain. Beneath the valley oaks the pious Padre droned his litany, And through the hills the mission bell rang soft when evening fell. But to the mighty rampart of Sierra's crest came little change; Few were the sons of Spain who ventured to explore these lofty heights, And flower spangled meadows gleamed in peaceful solitude, Untouched and undefiled by vandal hand of. man. Then, one day, by a river's edge was found a gleaming flake, ‘And through the peaceful hills a whisper rose that it was gold! The whisper grew into a roar, to echo round the world, And westward toward the setting sun there poured a lustful horde, Oe ee eee Down through the rock bound passes that puncture Sierra‘s crest, A motley and mighty army, swarmed to the beckoning west; Strong and eager and fearless, a bold and a lawless band, Athirst with lust for the golden dust of a wild, unconquered land. Blasting the mountains asunder, they tunnelled the tow ‘ring peaks; With pan and sluice box and rocker, they looted the beds of the creeks; @@ & DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE @968® @ FOOL'S GOL With giant hydraulic nozzles they leveled the pine clad hills, . And the river's flow, from the melting snow, they flumed to their mines and mills. They builded cities of canvas and logs from the giant pines, With ditches they drained the canyons for water to work their mines, There were shops for the gambler and harlot, the dispenser of whiskey and beer, While red as blood, roared the turbid flood of rivers, once crystal clear. These were the forty niners, these were the reckless ones, Braving the snows of winter, scorning the summer suns, Stripping the hills of their treasure, spending it all for a song, But the realm to be by the western sea they founded firm and strong! The claims where they labored are silent, their shovels have crumbled away; The little log cabins that housed them are vanished or rank with decay, The tunnels they burrowed are fallen, the windlass with rust now is red, And the pioneers, with the passing years, have joined the ranks of the dead. For the decades have wrought their changes, the monitor roars no more, But giant mills, in the pine clad hills, now crumble the golden ore, The whirling wheel rides.a rail of steel through valley and mountain height, And a broad highway spans a sparkling bay to a city of gleaming light. Still tower the dim Sierras, inscrutable, mystic and strong, Pouring her floods to her valleys, as the winds bear the lilt of her song: "I am the mountains eternal, mine are the heights untrod, -Mine are the towering redwoods, chanting their hymn to God! Mine are the crystal fountains, springing from ageless snow, Mine are the rushing rivers that roar to the plains below. “Mine is this western empire that slopes to the shining sea, Mine are the teeming cities, now builded or yet to be, Mine are the fertile valleys, mine are the clouds above, For mine is the womb that bore them and mine is a boundless love. Be a "Some of my cities have crumbled to dust with the passing years, For them is my grief unending, for them are my silent tears, For these were my lusty first born, to cling to my pine clad height, These are my dear, dead children, whose voices whimper.-at night: ne "Remington Hill and Todds Valley, Coloma and Evening Star, Meadow Lake, Kelsey, and Greenwood, Damascus and Rattlesnake Bar, Michigan Bluff and Columbia, Hornitos and Poverty Hill, Poker Flat, Challenge and Red Dog, Moore's Flat and Volcanoville; "Murderer's Bar and Queen City, Pike and Mokelumne Hill, Sandy Bar, Deadwood and Lake City, Port Wine and Hendersonville, _ Pilot Hill, You Bet and Bloomfield, The City of Six, Hell's Delight, These are my dear dead children, whose voices whimper at night. "But others still live to console me, my towns that are storied and old, On my hillsides they gleam in their beauty as they thrive on my waters and gold; Placerville, Nevada City and Auburn, nestled on meadow and hill, Grass Valley, Angels and Jackson, Sonora and quaint Downieville. “From the treasure I poured from my bosom came cities to rise on the plains, Stockton and fair Sacramento, ever green with my bountiful rains, Marysville, Berkeley and Oakland, these are my children of fate, And, tairest, my proud San Francisco, who rules by the Golden Gate. "And proud as the ramparts that tower the fog that caresses the sky Is my pride for her spirit immortal, that never shall waver or die, Hers is the dauntless courage, hers is the will to be, As she rules alone, from her golden throne, this land by the western sea. "This then is my answer to tyrants who threaten the world to enslave; A bright anda starry banner o're my heights ever shall wave, For 1 am the mountains eternal and ever my rivers shall run Clear and free, to the shining sea, that spreads to the setting sun. "Free and fearless and dauntless, unchanged by the tides of fate, For the breed of my west is staunch and strong and tolerates no hate, The breed of my men is fire-forged and true as the tempered steel, Never to yield to the slaver's chains or the tread of a despot's heel. “The same stars wheel in their orbits, low over my granite rocks As shone on the plains of Judea, where shepherds tended their flocks, And when, with the dawning, the wise men proclaimed that A King was born, These same great trees of mine were young and sparkled that fateful morn. "Full many a tyrant has risen to maim and to kill and enslave, And the blood on the paths of their conquests inscribes but their march to the grave, But the stars still swing o'er my giants, and the star that directed the way To the birth of The King still is gleaming, and shall shine on forever and aye. " iB ei » s eeaieomnniinetietenrreriarr Sie ESS aye nee inacangess

DOO cdeSeus .. The Nugget... Page 17 From the forested mountains of California, we send you this Chiistmas Gecting THE SAGA OF THE SIERRA BY HARRY S. FURLONG through the courtesy of the Auburn for your continued enjoyment office of CENTRAL CALIFORNIA FEDERAL .December 26, 1963. vwurw Ten thousand years ago these same great peaks rose high, A barrief Vast between the watered vale and desert waste, Collecting, on these same grey’ granite crags, the snow, From moisture laden winds that sweep in from the western sea. These same deep canyons poured their fodming torrents down To mingle with the rivers of the plain, that slowly flow Back to the sea again, there to repeat the endless cycle o'er. VO *" << Page ee These lofty peaks had guarded well this favored land And stood aloof, in silent majesty, as empires fell And kings were crowned, and battles raged across the distant seas, These ramparts had repulsed attack by storm and time And stood -foursquare against the feeble threat of man. ‘ Till less than three brief centuries ago, no white man's foot Had ever scaled these upflung heights. The rivers, crystal clear, Roared downward to the sea, unheard by human ears. No woodsman's axe had scarred these straight and lofty pines That rise in stately tiers on canyon wall and meadow floor. The spirit of Christmas, like gold, is where you find it. Then the invader came! From our the south was heard a bugle note od And tramp of marching feet, as proudly rose the royal arms of Spain. Beneath the valley oaks the pious Padre droned his litany, And through the hills the mission bell rang soft when evening fell. But to the mighty rampart of Sierra's crest came little change; Few were the sons of Spain who ventured to explore these lofty heights, And flower spangled meadows gleamed in peaceful solitude, Untouched and undefiled by vandal hand of. man. Then, one day, by a river's edge was found a gleaming flake, ‘And through the peaceful hills a whisper rose that it was gold! The whisper grew into a roar, to echo round the world, And westward toward the setting sun there poured a lustful horde, Oe ee eee Down through the rock bound passes that puncture Sierra‘s crest, A motley and mighty army, swarmed to the beckoning west; Strong and eager and fearless, a bold and a lawless band, Athirst with lust for the golden dust of a wild, unconquered land. Blasting the mountains asunder, they tunnelled the tow ‘ring peaks; With pan and sluice box and rocker, they looted the beds of the creeks; @@ & DOMESTIC INTELLIGENCE @968® @ FOOL'S GOL With giant hydraulic nozzles they leveled the pine clad hills, . And the river's flow, from the melting snow, they flumed to their mines and mills. They builded cities of canvas and logs from the giant pines, With ditches they drained the canyons for water to work their mines, There were shops for the gambler and harlot, the dispenser of whiskey and beer, While red as blood, roared the turbid flood of rivers, once crystal clear. These were the forty niners, these were the reckless ones, Braving the snows of winter, scorning the summer suns, Stripping the hills of their treasure, spending it all for a song, But the realm to be by the western sea they founded firm and strong! The claims where they labored are silent, their shovels have crumbled away; The little log cabins that housed them are vanished or rank with decay, The tunnels they burrowed are fallen, the windlass with rust now is red,

And the pioneers, with the passing years, have joined the ranks of the dead. For the decades have wrought their changes, the monitor roars no more, But giant mills, in the pine clad hills, now crumble the golden ore, The whirling wheel rides.a rail of steel through valley and mountain height, And a broad highway spans a sparkling bay to a city of gleaming light. Still tower the dim Sierras, inscrutable, mystic and strong, Pouring her floods to her valleys, as the winds bear the lilt of her song: "I am the mountains eternal, mine are the heights untrod, -Mine are the towering redwoods, chanting their hymn to God! Mine are the crystal fountains, springing from ageless snow, Mine are the rushing rivers that roar to the plains below. “Mine is this western empire that slopes to the shining sea, Mine are the teeming cities, now builded or yet to be, Mine are the fertile valleys, mine are the clouds above, For mine is the womb that bore them and mine is a boundless love. Be a "Some of my cities have crumbled to dust with the passing years, For them is my grief unending, for them are my silent tears, For these were my lusty first born, to cling to my pine clad height, These are my dear, dead children, whose voices whimper.-at night: ne "Remington Hill and Todds Valley, Coloma and Evening Star, Meadow Lake, Kelsey, and Greenwood, Damascus and Rattlesnake Bar, Michigan Bluff and Columbia, Hornitos and Poverty Hill, Poker Flat, Challenge and Red Dog, Moore's Flat and Volcanoville; "Murderer's Bar and Queen City, Pike and Mokelumne Hill, Sandy Bar, Deadwood and Lake City, Port Wine and Hendersonville, _ Pilot Hill, You Bet and Bloomfield, The City of Six, Hell's Delight, These are my dear dead children, whose voices whimper at night. "But others still live to console me, my towns that are storied and old, On my hillsides they gleam in their beauty as they thrive on my waters and gold; Placerville, Nevada City and Auburn, nestled on meadow and hill, Grass Valley, Angels and Jackson, Sonora and quaint Downieville. “From the treasure I poured from my bosom came cities to rise on the plains, Stockton and fair Sacramento, ever green with my bountiful rains, Marysville, Berkeley and Oakland, these are my children of fate, And, tairest, my proud San Francisco, who rules by the Golden Gate. "And proud as the ramparts that tower the fog that caresses the sky Is my pride for her spirit immortal, that never shall waver or die, Hers is the dauntless courage, hers is the will to be, As she rules alone, from her golden throne, this land by the western sea. "This then is my answer to tyrants who threaten the world to enslave; A bright anda starry banner o're my heights ever shall wave, For 1 am the mountains eternal and ever my rivers shall run Clear and free, to the shining sea, that spreads to the setting sun. "Free and fearless and dauntless, unchanged by the tides of fate, For the breed of my west is staunch and strong and tolerates no hate, The breed of my men is fire-forged and true as the tempered steel, Never to yield to the slaver's chains or the tread of a despot's heel. “The same stars wheel in their orbits, low over my granite rocks As shone on the plains of Judea, where shepherds tended their flocks, And when, with the dawning, the wise men proclaimed that A King was born, These same great trees of mine were young and sparkled that fateful morn. "Full many a tyrant has risen to maim and to kill and enslave, And the blood on the paths of their conquests inscribes but their march to the grave, But the stars still swing o'er my giants, and the star that directed the way To the birth of The King still is gleaming, and shall shine on forever and aye. " iB ei » s eeaieomnniinetietenrreriarr Sie ESS aye nee inacangess