PREFACE 17 



cared for it in storms, furnished a cool shade 

 for it in summer, were now in the way. Your 

 limbs had tried to climb into the upper window 

 of one of your children's stores. That was 

 enough, a new element had come to town on 

 a railroad, to make Silverton like other towns, 

 so the giant tree heard its fate from a jury 

 that were strangers. The tree might have 

 called for help, but its real friends, the old 

 pioneers, were away. Some of them each pass- 

 ing year had been driven by it, across the old 

 covered bridge never to return, and others were 

 out of town on their adjoining farms. The 

 giant oak, the tree that had the beautiful stories 

 to tell, was voted "guilty" and was slain. That 

 evening as its huge branches were divided 

 among the town's people, a small party of 

 big men gathered at the stump of the tree. 

 They were mad men and sad men as they real- 

 ized that Silverton had to change, that a newer 

 element with higher collars and smaller hats 

 was in command. Many of their best and 

 bra\^st citizens had already gone beyond the 

 call of human voice, others would soon follow, 

 and the tree, being one of them, had, also, 

 made obeisance to the demand of society, 



