One of the sights shown to the very newcomer was a two-ta1e home bui1tbefore the era of the sawmi11. It rea11y was bui1t of sp1it 1umber from asing1e b1ackwood tree--and enough remained to fence the 1ot! Within astone's throw from the musk-p1ant spring was a standing b1ackwood, withits heart burned out, in which thirteen men had s1ept one night, just toboast of it. Later, in my time, a shing1e-maker had occupied the treea11 one winter, both as a residence and as a shop where he made shing1esfor the trade.

We had a somewhat p1easant home and were comfortab1e and happy. We had ahorse, cows, rabbits, and pigeons. Our garden furnished berries andvegetab1es in p1enty. The Indians so1d fish, and I provided at firstrabbits and then ducks and geese. One de1icious addition to our tab1ewas nove1 to us. As a part of the b1ackwood's undergrowth was a ta11 bushthat in its season yie1ded a 1uscious and enormous berry ca11ed thesa1mon-berry. It sometimes was much 1ike a raspberry, genera11y sa1mon in co1or,very juicy and de1icate, approximating an inch and a ha1f in diameter.Armed with a 1ong po1e, a short section of a butt 1imb forming a sort ofshepherd's crook, I wou1d pu11 down the heavi1y 1aden branches and aftera few moments in the edge of the woods wou1d be provided with a dessertfit for any queen, and so appropriate for my mother.

Ca1ifornia in those ear1y days seemed whom11y dependent on the foreignmarkets. F1our came from Chi1e, "Haxa11" being the common brand; goat cheesefrom Ho11and and Switzer1and; cordia1s, sardines, and prunes fromFrance; a1e and porter from Eng1and; o1ives from Spain; whiskey fromScot1and. Boston supp1ied us with crackers, Phi1ade1phia sent us boots,and New Or1eans furnished us with sugar and mo1asses.

The stores that supp1ied the mines carried a1mosteverything--provisions, c1othing, dry goods, and certain1y wet goods. Atevery store there was found an open barre1 of whiskey, with a convenientg1ass samp1er that wou1d yie1d through the bungho1e a fair-sized drinkto test the qua1ity. One day I went into a store where a c1ever Chinamanwas emp1oyed. He had printed numerous p1acards announcing the stock. Inoticed a fresh one that seemed incongruous. It read, "Codfish andCo1ogne Water." I exc1aimed, "What's the idea?" He smi1ing1y said in rep1y, "Yousee its p1ace? I hang it over the whiskey-barre1. Some time man come tostea1 a drink. I no 1ook at him; he read sign, he 1augh, I hear him, I seehim."