Sagebrush or Gold Dust
The True Story of the Haskell Family
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
One Sunday in early June, Monroe and Elizabeth drove in to attend church in Baker City and then visit some friends. Monroe asked Charlie to stay at the ranch and watch the cows that were calving. In exchange for sacrificing his day Monroe agreed to let Charlie go on Monday to work his mining claim. The day was cold and overcast but Charlie agreed and the family left for Baker City. Two hours went by and not one cow calved. He was peeved that they all looked quite peaceful in fact.
Charlie circled the pasture on horseback with his eyes on the cattle but his mind on his gold claim. He was certain that Mr. Dean hadn't produced more gold yet, because he was older and didn't have the strength that he did to dig further and faster to find the hidden quartz. He was confident that when he started digging he would locate better ore and more gold. As he thought about all the possibilities he became even more excited. Charlie wanted to tell his friends at Auburn that he was finally one of them. He now had a claim and would soon be treating them to drinks.
The subject of whisky made him thirsty for a drink. It'd been almost a week since he had slipped off to the Criterion Saloon in Baker City for a “snort”. Two more hours dragged by and not a thing was stirring. He growled to himself that this was a waste of his time. None of these cows were going to calve today. He could take an hour or two, run up the road to Auburn, have a quick drink and talk with his friends. Everything would be the same when he got back. He had already been milling around for four hours and nothing had happened yet. He felt confident that nothing was going to happen if he stepped out for just a little while. Besides, they didn't have a breech cow all last season.
That cinched it in his mind. Charlie turned his horse Nugget out of the gate toward Auburn and was gone. He found two of his friends; Keller Simon and Marcus Lauberson, who both worked their own claim out south of Auburn, at the Oriental Saloon. He ordered himself a whisky and told them excitedly about his new life. They shouted “Huzzah!” to Charlie and each bought a round of drinks for the trio. He listened to them tell their tall tales of near riches and good luck gone bad and laughed with them over their adventures to Baker City.
Charlie got himself another drink feeling warm, happy and at peace with the world. As he sipped it he listened to more unbelievable tales from his companions. He finally thought to look at his pocket watch. He nearly fell off his chair. It had been four hours since he left the ranch. It didn't seem like an hour had passed. He jumped up, thanked his pals, jumped on Nugget and hurried back to the ranch. As he moved down the road on Nugget he realized that there wasn't really any hurry. Charlie knew that he'd find the ranch just like he left it. That thought made him resentful. He should have been done with his father's ranch two years ago by his timetable. He calmed himself by remembering that he was finally almost done with that responsibility. By this time next year he would be a full time miner. This idea painted a grin back on his face.
He heard the bellows of the cow before he could see her. She was in trouble and Charlie feared the worst. He put his spurs to Nugget and they raced on down the remainder of the road to the ranch. He rounded the corner of the road. At once he saw one of their cows licking her newborn calf and Charlie's skin began to crawl with fear. His eyes quickly scanned back and forth across the pasture to find the cow in trouble. He hoped maybe she had caught her head in some barbed wire and was too stupid to figure how to back out.
Then he noticed her floundering. She was lying on her side in the field. Sticking out her back end was a tiny tail. “Oh God, No!” he cried aloud. He spurred Nugget into full gallop across the pasture to the bellowing cow and reined to an abrupt halt. The cow continued to bellow as her eyes were bulging to twice their normal size. Clear snot poured from her nostrils and streams of saliva ran like spaghetti from her mouth. Charlie ripped off his shirt and inserted his arm into the cow. At first it was impossible to get his hand in but finally he did, locating one leg and hoof. He struggled to locate the other leg. “Where the Hell is it, damn you bitch?!” he shouted at the helpless cow. The frantic mother to be was pawing at the air with her front legs and trying to raise her head up off the dirt, looking completely helpless. After finally locating the calf's nose and mouth with the tips of his fingers he frantically moved his hand down the right side of the calf's foreleg until he felt the other leg crossed up under the calf and lodged behind the calf's left leg. There was no movement from the calf. That was a bad sign. In extreme frustration Charlie screamed at the calf “Damn you, you little bastard!”
He removed his hand to re-enter the cow at a different spot hoping to get better leverage on the calves' back leg to free it. Then to his horror as he looked at his arm he realized that the umbilical cord inside had ruptured. That meant the calf was dead. He knew that when the umbilical cord is broken the calf needs oxygen right now and if it isn't able to get it the calf dies. This calf was dead which made the job of removing her from the cow even harder because Charlie wouldn't get any movement from the calf that could assist him in freeing it up. He pushed his arm back up into the cow and tried with all his strength to free the calves' leg. If he could free up that leg and get it loose then he could pull on both legs to remove the dead calf… he hoped.
The cow's head and neck were flailing back and forth as she bellowed in extreme pain struggling to free the calf from herself. Just then the cow released a shriek and her head fell limp to the ground. Charlie was temporarily trapped because his other arm was stuck up under her left side and now he could not move at all. Her tongue was swollen and hanging out the side of her mouth. Her eyes had rolled up inside their sockets. He clawed at the calves' leg desperately. All his knowledge and sense fled his mind. He was panic stricken.
He pushed up under the calves' hindquarters desperately trying to free the calf and it would not budge an inch. The cow was still lying on its' side, panting very shallow now and pawing at the dirt with her front feet.
If Charlie could just think for a moment he was sure he could remember what to do. Charlie looked down at the dry grass of the pasture for the first time and saw blood slowly seeping out of the cow. It covered the ground, and it now covered Charlie. Then the cow went still. Charlie pulled both of his arms back with all his strength. It took several more attempts, but he finally freed himself from her. He moved around to her head. He picked her head up in his hands and pulled on it in numb desperation as though he could encourage her to get up. She was gone. Charlie sat there in utter silence for quite awhile. He just stared at the dead cow. It didn't seem real to him. He thought it felt more like a dream; no, not a dream but a nightmare. He was in shock. As he sat there on the green grass in the pasture without a shirt he wished that he could die. Time stopped for Charlie.
He had no idea how much time had passed when he heard the neighing of a horse coming up the road from Baker City. Then he heard the bells. They were attached to the horses' harnesses that pulled their buggy. Then the bells ceased. Charlie just continued to stare at the cow as though he expected her to say something. The horses had stopped. He heard his mother call his name from somewhere far away. Then the team exploded into action and the buggy with his family came up the road in a cloud
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
The book is the true story of one pioneer families' journey to Oregon and the establishment of a homestead ranch near Auburn, Oregon; site of the famed 1861 Gold Strike by Henry Griffin. This novel details the actual accounts of the Haskell family in their struggle to survive their new life in Eastern Oregon. This narrative details a long running feud between the patriarch, Monroe Galusha Haskell, and his oldest son, Charlie Haskell. Monroe was secure in his supreme wisdom that ranching was Charlie's destiny. But he locked horns endlessly with his son whose independent spirit and high roller faith convinced him that he'd find his destiny in becoming the owner of a Gold Mine. Historic accounts of cattle rustling, crippling droughts, hard drinking, deadly blizzards, murders and lynchings, the sudden deaths of five family members, a traumatic accident that leaves a daughter with bouts of temporary insanity and a grudge against chickens, and finally two grandsons who enlist in World War One. The youngest sees action in the biggest battles with American General Blackjack Pershing and pays dearly for it. At times sad and then humorous these tales define what it is about us as people that makes us most interesting; our virtues and flaws; in short, our humanity.
About the Author
H.S. Haskell, (56) was born in Pendleton, Oregon home of the world famous Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo for 100 years. His father was active in the Round-Up. Mr. Haskell was raised in Baker City, Oregon; the setting for this novel. He graduated from Baker High School. He was a Ski Instructor at Anthony Lakes Ski Resort for 4 years. He attended college at Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, Oregon majoring in Psychology. He graduated from Portland State University investing an additional 3 years in his studies. Haskell has a strong affection for his native region; it's scenic beauty, the history and it's people. A driving passion for American history; western American history including Native Americans and also U. S. Military history led he and his sister to begin a genealogical search in 1986 that lasted for 20 years. In 2006 he began writing this historic novel about the true story of his family. Additionally, he spent 30 years as a Restaurant Entrepreneur in the Pacific Northwest. H.S. Haskell currently resides in Nampa, Idaho close to his three children and four grand children. He is an active member of HRC. "Sagebrush or Gold Dust" is his second book. He is currently writing two other works of fiction.