case. There were just three members of the Orleans A. P. L., and, since there were but three, why not break the more or less inexorable rule about names and just give them in this case? J. A. Hunter was Chief at Orleans; C. W. Baker was Secretary; and P. L. Young was the third member.
The Chief reports:
In this small and isolated community, this seemed to be all
the organization necessary. These men were selected as the
best representatives of the community, and all subscribed to
the A. P. L. oath. The local headquarters are at Orleans, with
no further executive and office force necessary. Expenses
were nominal and were defrayed by individual members.
Orleans is an isolated point, 102 miles from a railroad, communication
with the outside being by auto stages. It was easy
to watch all travel through the district, and the few aliens,
only two, who were resident were easy to keep track of.
There is no telegraphic or telephone communication with the
outside, so all reports had to be made by mail. We looked
after the work necessary in our district, rendering such assistance
as we were able and were asked to do. We had no
trouble at any time with the local authorities.
[Signed] J. A. HUNTER, Chief.
We may be content to close the story of California, ragged
and incomplete as it has been, with this report from a little
mountain community of California. It is what the author is
disposed to call incontestably the best report that has been
found in all the great Golden State, if not, indeed, in all the
United States.
Only three men, away out in the hills—but all of them Americans and all of them ready to work for America—that is why this League was great; because it had men such as these ready to do its work, as best they could, in whatever form it came to hand for the doing. One fancies that in all the stories of the many different towns reported in these pages, there will not be one better received by the great brotherhood of the A. P. L. than this one from Orleans, 102 miles from the nearest rails, with no telegraph and no telephone. The author of this book hopes to see Orleans some time. He believes it may be American.
