Obstinacy

Notwithstandlng the fabulous wealth of the Klondike rogion it cannot boast of a road paved with gold, as can California. The Bear state has plenty of extravagant cltizens, but it remalned for a widow and wldower of Sonoma county to commit the crowning act of folly, which furnished that locallty with a public thoroughfare of the New Jerusalem style. It was a case of sheer obstinacy. John Johnson, a widower of Bloomfleld, wished to improve the road from hls home to the village of Valleyford. For this purpose he received permission from Widow Martha Jones to take rock from a hillalde on her farm. While carting the rock he noticed what seemed to be specks of gold shlning in the sunlight. Scenting wealth, he sent samples to San Francisco to bo assayed and learned that the Btone he was building hls road with was gold-bearing quartz worth from $8 to $10 a ton. Then he sought the widow and, pointing out the fortune which seemed to be hielden in the hill, proposed to share the cost and proflt of development. But the widow was coy financially as well as sentimentally. She did not believe in Johnson or fcis gold-mine yarn, and in the language of the Bowory "trun 'em down hard." Her permission had been given to put the rock on the road, and that was all she cared to have done with it. Johnson was furious, but he saw his opportunity. The widow had given the rock for the road - on the road it Bhould go even it were worth $100 a ton. So all summer long Johnson's wagons worked until four miles of road were built, but the widow didn't weaken.