Sixty Years of California Song | Page 9

they had shrunken
above my knees. At this place we met Mr. Dent, a brother-in-law of
General Grant. With him also was a Mr. Vantine. When these men saw
the unfortunate condition we were in, they gave us each a pair of

overalls and a hat. So we were once more a little more civilized and
passable. On our way up the coast we encountered a heavy storm. We
had prepared to camp under a fine tree, but a large dead limb hung
directly over us. I told father that we had better move as there was
danger. But he thought it safe to remain where we were. But I insisted
that we move, and finally he listened to my pleadings and we each took
an end of the bed and lifted it over to the other side of the tree, away
from the dead limb. We had hardly gotten settled into the bed before
the limb came down with a crash, immediately across the spot from
where we took the bed. Had we remained, nothing could have saved us
from instant death. The next day we left Knight's Ferry without a dollar
and reached the mines that afternoon about 4 o'clock. One of the miners
gave me a claim. The next morning I started my first gold mining.
Father was obliged to rest after all this dreadful experience of nine or
ten months. I bought myself a rocker and began to work my claim. The
first day I had washed out $9.50. In eight days I had gotten out $650.
After getting the gold father went to Stockton and bought a supply of
groceries and started a grocery store at Scorpion Gulch. I took up
another claim and in ten days' time I had taken out a collection of
nuggets and small gold to the amount of $1,600."
This was sent home to the family in the East with the message for us to
come to California as soon as we could get ready.
After father started for California we were obliged to vacate the
parsonage for the family of his successor. So the church was raised and
a fine story made under the church for our use while we remained there.
We were all obliged to work and help mother in some way. The older
ones were teaching and we who were but children sewed a certain
amount each day before our play hour came. My sister Mary now
played the organ in the Presbyterian church and Mr. Aiken was the
director of the choir. I was about ten years old at this time, and with the
new minister other changes came in our church and we left the choir to
others who came after us. Shortly after this I remember going one
Sabbath to the church to hear sister play the pipe organ. While in the
choir loft Mr. Aiken came in. He came over and asked me how I came
there. I told him I had come with my sister. "Who is your sister?" "Miss

Kroh, who plays the organ." He looked surprised. Presently I saw them
conversing. When sister came to her place she said to me, "When the
choir arises to sing you go over and stand with the alto." I demurred
and she said, "Go and sing as you have been singing in our choir. You
know the music." After that Sunday I sang with the choir five years,
until we came to California. I was then fifteen. That is how I became a
choir singer when ten years of age. Mr. Aiken used to pick me out from
among the children of the public schools and place me in the front row
in every school I ever attended while he taught the music.
Mr. Aiken became musical instructor in the schools in 1848. It was
then I was selected to join the choral class. There were fifty boys and
girls picked from the different schools and we had a fine drilling each
Saturday afternoon in the basement of the church. One of the boys had
a high soprano voice and we all admired his singing to adoration. He
was as courteous as his voice was beautiful--unspoiled by praise. We
had one chorus we all loved, of which he was the soloist, and we were
not satisfied with the rehearsal until we had sung, and the young master
had so beautifully rendered the obbligato to the song, "Shepherd, from
your sleep awake, Morning opes her golden eyes, etc." How well I
remember the words of the song and the beautiful boy singer that left
the impression of his voice in my life, and I can see the picture as plain
as if it hung on the wall of my studio today. From that voice and