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The Silverado Squatters


        by Robert Louis Stevenson









THE scene of this little book is on a high mountain。  There 

are; indeed; many higher; there are many of a nobler outline。  

It is no place of pilgrimage for the summary globe…trotter; 

but to one who lives upon its sides; Mount Saint Helena soon 

becomes a centre of interest。  It is the Mont Blanc of one 

section of the Californian Coast Range; none of its near 

neighbours rising to one…half its altitude。  It looks down on 

much green; intricate country。  It feeds in the spring…time 

many splashing brooks。  From its summit you must have an 

excellent lesson of geography:  seeing; to the south; San 

Francisco Bay; with Tamalpais on the one hand and Monte 

Diablo on the other; to the west and thirty miles away; the 

open ocean; eastward; across the corn…lands and thick tule 

swamps of Sacramento Valley; to where the Central Pacific 

railroad begins to climb the sides of the Sierras; and 

northward; for what I know; the white head of Shasta looking 

down on Oregon。  Three counties; Napa County; Lake County; 

and Sonoma County; march across its cliffy shoulders。  Its 

naked peak stands nearly four thousand five hundred feet 

above the sea; its sides are fringed with forest; and the 

soil; where it is bare; glows warm with cinnabar。



Life in its shadow goes rustically forward。  Bucks; and 

bears; and rattle…snakes; and former mining operations; are 

the staple of men's talk。  Agriculture has only begun to 

mount above the valley。  And though in a few years from now 

the whole district may be smiling with farms; passing trains 

shaking the mountain to the heart; many…windowed hotels 

lighting up the night like factories; and a prosperous city 

occupying the site of sleepy Calistoga; yet in the mean time; 

around the foot of that mountain the silence of nature reigns 

in a great measure unbroken; and the people of hill and 

valley go sauntering about their business as in the days 

before the flood。



To reach Mount Saint Helena from San Francisco; the traveller 

has twice to cross the bay:  once by the busy Oakland Ferry; 

and again; after an hour or so of the railway; from Vallejo 

junction to Vallejo。  Thence he takes rail once more to mount 

the long green strath of Napa Valley。



In all the contractions and expansions of that inland sea; 

the Bay of San Francisco; there can be few drearier scenes 

than the Vallejo Ferry。  Bald shores and a low; bald islet 

inclose the sea; through the narrows the tide bubbles; muddy 

like a river。  When we made the passage (bound; although yet 

we knew it not; for Silverado) the steamer jumped; and the 

black buoys were dancing in the jabble; the ocean breeze blew 

killing chill; and; although the upper sky was still 

unflecked with vapour; the sea fogs were pouring in from 

seaward; over the hilltops of Marin county; in one great; 

shapeless; silver cloud。



South Vallejo is typical of many Californian towns。  It was a 

blunder; the site has proved untenable; and; although it is 

still such a young place by the scale of Europe; it has 

already begun to be deserted for its neighbour and namesake; 

North Vallejo。  A long pier; a number of drinking saloons; a 

hotel of a great size; marshy pools where the frogs keep up 

their croaking; and even at high noon the entire absence of 

any human face or voice … these are the marks of South 

Vallejo。  Yet there was a tall building beside the pier; 

labelled the STAR FLOUR MILLS; and sea…going; full…rigged 

ships lay close along shore; waiting for their cargo。  Soon 

these would be plunging round the Horn; soon the flour from 

the STAR FLOUR MILLS would be landed on the wharves of 

Liverpool。  For that; too; is one of England's outposts; 

thither; to this gaunt mill; across the Atlantic and Pacific 

deeps and round about the icy Horn; this crowd of great; 

three…masted; deep…sea ships come; bringing nothing; and 

return with bread。



The Frisby House; for that was the name of the hotel; was a 

place of fallen fortunes; like the town。  It was now given up 

to labourers; and partly ruinous。  At dinner there was the 

ordinary display of what is called in the west a TWO…BIT 

HOUSE:  the tablecloth checked red and white; the plague of 

flies; the wire hencoops over the dishes; the great variety 

and invariable vileness of the food and the rough coatless 

men devoting it in silence。  In our bedroom; the stove would 

not burn; though it would smoke; and while one window would 

not open; the other would not shut。  There was a view on a 

bit of empty road; a few dark houses; a donkey wandering with 

its shadow on a slope; and a blink of sea; with a tall ship 

lying anchored in the moonlight。  All about that dreary inn 

frogs sang their ungainly chorus。



Early the next morning we mounted the hill along a wooden 

footway; bridging one marish spot after another。  Here and 

there; as we ascended; we passed a house embowered in white 

roses。  More of the bay became apparent; and soon the blue 

peak of Tamalpais rose above the green level of the island 

opposite。  It told us we were still but a little way from the 

city of the Golden Gates; already; at that hour; beginning to 

awake among the sand…hills。  It called to us over the waters 

as with the voice of a bird。  Its stately head; blue as a 

sapphire on the paler azure of the sky; spoke to us of wider 

outlooks and the bright Pacific。  For Tamalpais stands 

sentry; like a lighthouse; over the Golden Gates; between the 

bay and the open ocean; and looks down indifferently on both。  

Even as we saw and hailed it from Vallejo; seamen; far out at 

sea; were scanning it with shaded eyes; and; as if to answer 

to the thought; one of the great ships below began silently 

to clothe herself with white sails; homeward bound for 

England。



For some way beyond Vallejo the railway led us through bald 

green pastures。  On the west the rough highlands of Marin 

shut off the ocean; in the midst; in long; straggling; 

gleaming arms; the bay died out among the grass; there were 

few trees and few enclosures; the sun shone wide over open 

uplands; the displumed hills stood clear against the sky。  

But by…and…by these hills began to draw nearer on either 

hand; and first thicket and then wood began to clothe their 

sides; and soon we were away from all signs of the sea's 

neighbourhood; mounting an inland; irrigated valley。  A great 

variety of oaks stood; now severally; now in a becoming 

grove; among the fields and vineyards。  The towns were 

compact; in about equal proportions; of bright; new wooden 

houses and great and growing forest trees; and the chapel 

bell on the engine sounded most festally that sunny Sunday; 

as we drew up at one green town after another; with the 

townsfolk trooping in their Sunday's best to see the 

strangers; with the sun sparkling on the clean houses; and 

great domes of foliage humming overhead in the breeze。



This pleasant Napa Valley is; at its north end; blockaded by 

our mountain。  There; at Calistoga; the railroad ceases; and 

the traveller who intends faring farther; to the Geysers or 

to the springs in Lake County; must cross the spurs of the 

mountain by stage。  Thus; Mount Saint Helena is not only a 

summit; but a frontier; and; up to the time of writing; it 

has stayed the progress of the iron horse。









PART I … IN THE VALLEY









CHAPTER I … CALISTOGA







IT is difficult for a European to imagine Calistoga; the 

whole place is so new; and of such an accidental pattern; the 

very name; I hear; was invented at a supper…party by the man 

who found the springs。



The railroad and the highway come up the valley about 

parallel to one another。  The street of Calistoga joins the 

perpendicular to both … a wide street; with bright; clean; 

low houses; here and there a verandah over the sidewalk; here 

and there a horse…post; here and there lounging townsfolk。  

Other streets are marked out; and most likely named; for 

these towns in the New World begin with a firm resolve to 

grow larger; Washington and Broadway; and then First and 

Second; and so forth; being boldly plotted out as soon as the 

community indulges in a plan。  But; in the meanwhile; all the 

life and most of the houses of Calistoga are concentrated 

upon that street between the railway station and the road。  I 

never heard it called by any name; but I will hazard a guess 

that it is either Washington or Broadway。  Here are the 

blacksmith's; the chemist's; the general merchant's; and Kong 

Sam Kee; the Chinese laundryman's; here; probably; is the 

office of the local paper (for the place has a paper … they 

all have papers); and here certainly is one of the hotels; 

Cheeseborough's; whence the daring Foss; a man dear to 

legend; starts his horses for the Gey

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