One More Valley, One More Hill, Post 6

Chapters 10-13

Chapter 10

Clara and the gang were certain that all hope was lost. As they walked along the trail they found fake graves that people had set up with threats to the people who had started this whole gold thing in the first place.

Hundreds were turning back. But Clara's group kept trudging along. When they thought they could go no more, they discovered a river. They had run out of water so this was a huge blessing. When I first read this, I thought that they had found a mirage from a distance, and an anti-climactic story was to come. Boy was I wrong! 

When they had started back up, they heard news that the gold was for real. DUDE!!! It wasn't a hoax after all!! There was an ample of gold! Can you imagine how awful the people who had turned around must have felt when they found out? Good thing for Clara though, because she didn't turn around. Clara and her group of argonauts were invited to settle in a little gold town. Clara still prayed that she would be able to find her daughter. 

Chapter 11

Settling in the little town, Clara noticed there were no negro women there. There were negro men, but no women. Clara did however, know that there could be some negro women there, because she had just showed up. She heard that some may be working as housekeepers. 

I found the town they were living in very easy to visualize. I think that the people were all friendly to each other. 

Clara was able not to rent, but to purchase a little home for herself. It cost her just $25. It wasn't the best place in the world, but it had a roof and four walls... made out of mud and logs, respectively. It had enough room for her laundry business, and prayer meetings that she was going to hold. 

Chapter 12

Cherry Creek (the town where Clara lived) was growing rapidly. every day Clara saw new buildings that were not there the day before. A man named Jacob Adriance arrived in town. He wrote in his journal that he was lonely. Clara comforted him by bringing him food almost every night. 

Clara wanted to have a big role in starting the Methodist church. She helped hold prayer meetings in her home. As the town grew, laundry competition did the same. Customers may have had to equivocate on which business they would give their money (er, gold) to. 

Education was very rare among the Indian people. But a school was built, and it thrived. 

And in no time at all, it was Christmastime. Clara celebrated in a little house with some friends.

Gold Dust
Used for money

Chapter 13


Chapter 13 is relatively short, and just covers the interaction between Indians and white folks. Lynda Lowery (the author) describes someone as "An old Cheyenne wise man named Sweet Medicine". Sweet Medicine warned the Indians about white people, how they would come, and what they would do. He told the Indians that the white people would try to change the Indian's way of living.

The Indians were used to words meaning something. In my family, the word(s) "serious" or "I promise" mean that what the person is saying is true, no matter what. That's what the Indians were used to, so when we (the Americans) broke a treaty after a long time of faithfulness to our word, they (the Indians) were shocked. They probably thought of us as immature, or even an enfant terrible children.