The more I read about CAS's early life, the stronger my impression becomes that his father Timeus may have been an irresponsible, ne'er-do-well lush who was a considerable burden upon his son to the very end. It's perhaps revealing that CAS dedicated The Star-Treader to his mother, solely.

Anyway, additional or contradictory information on this subject would be most interesting.

I do not have time to go into more detail on this topic at this moment, however, I can quickly mention that the name "Timeus Gaylord" was Clark's first and as far as I know only pseudonym = a combination of his Father's first name and his mother's Maiden name - suggest you read the "Timeus" - where Plato wrote of atlantic, and to some degree contradicts damn near everything else he wrote - there are no coincidences and no accidents in this realm of literature

I did forget about the "Timeus Gaylord" pseudonym; did CAS use it much, though? I seem to recall its being attached to Baudelaire translations.

As for Plato's Timeus, I haven't read it. I hate to sound philistine, but The Republic {read in its entirety, twice), the Symposium, and a few assorted short dialogues were more than enough for me!

Anyway, I'd be very interested in whatever information you can provide on this subject.

Quick response to Plato - do read the Timeus - particularly if you have read the Republic -
Clark used the name and can be found in some very old "california poets" books - wrote some poetry under it -
His father was much older, world traveler, and like many had come to California to mine gold - Indeed it is to his father that Clark is indebted for much of the sophistication of his vocabulary and his interest in (and surprising knowledge of) exotic climes - his father's tales of the far-flung worlds he knew in the late 1800's made up much of his earliest education - and his very early ablility to read at a high level came from his Father's considerable attention - Clark's father was not remembered as a "lush", but as a hard-working miner, and creative person at "making do" with little - Clark's skill with pick and shovel, hammer and saw, and his skill as gardener and owner of domestic fowl (The Damnation of the Eagle is the Salvation of the Barnyard Fowl- I believe in Spells and Philtres) - all came from Paternal oversight - regrettably, Mr. Smith had a poor nose for Gold - but remembered Constantinople, Baghdad, Hong Kong, and the sights and sounds of the world's ports - Clark's Mom was well remembered around the community selling magazines, which business was assumed by life-long friend, Ethel Heiple. The old man built the cooler (which I helped re-insulate), the house/cabin, the furniture etc - as well as opening 2 (maybe 3) lateral shaft mines on the property. Clark's love for both is attested by his decision to leave the bright lights of SF and devote himself to the care of his parents until their end. Interestingly as I think on it, while he lived alone, and much of his early stories derives from his excursions around Placer county, there was never a sense of "aloneness" about the homestead -

Many thanks for this most fascinating information.

Just to be clear, the negative implications I have been drawing about CAS's father come largely from CAS's correspondence with Sterling. At one point, Sterling writes to CAS something to the effect of CAS's being in a trap "from which only death (not your own) will free you". There's also a reference to the gallons of home-made wine CAS produced that, as he puts it, was primarily consumed by his father.

Also, it seems to me from these letters that CAS had to bear unusual economic burdens on behalf of the family, given his age at that time. It's interesting that CAS's letters to Sterling never mention his parents' working in any capacity. Also, as I mentioned in another thread, there's the fact that Sterling actively sought patronage for the Smith family, through Clark, from his wealthy acquaintances.

That said, there are many sides to any story, and I am curious to know as many of them as possible.

Briefly, as to Sterling's point of view - Sterling's interest in Clark was primarily to add him to his "circle" of admirers - and, Clark was a bit dazzled by all the attention as a boy of 18 - I understand this myself quite well - however, to be blunt - many of the Sterling's circle thought of the wispy, Byronic looking youth from the Sierra's as a lovely piece of "fresh meat", easily seduced by the urbane sophistication they surrounded him with, and, to his horror, "hit" on him relentlessly - his solid founding in a fundamental "Victorian" values system protected him and impelled him to answer a call to a higher duty - filial devotion -
Of course the old man drank wine, his physical capacity to work was long gone, and the riotous living of his adventurous youth had taken its toll.

Absquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Many thanks for this most fascinating information.
>
>
> Just to be clear, the negative implications I have
> been drawing about CAS's father come largely from
> CAS's correspondence with Sterling. At one point,
> Sterling writes to CAS something to the effect of
> CAS's being in a trap "from which only death (not
> your own) will free you". There's also a reference
> to the gallons of home-made wine CAS produced
> that, as he puts it, was primarily consumed by his
> father.
>
> Also, it seems to me from these letters that CAS
> had to bear unusual economic burdens on behalf of
> the family, given his age at that time. It's
> interesting that CAS's letters to Sterling never
> mention his parents' working in any capacity.
> Also, as I mentioned in another thread, there's
> the fact that Sterling actively sought patronage
> for the Smith family, through Clark, from his
> wealthy acquaintances.
>
> That said, there are many sides to any story, and
> I am curious to know as many of them as possible.

I would hardly call Smith's situation regarding his parents "unusual." It was customary for adult children in rural America to care for their elderly parents at the time, since there was no system of old age pensions in effect (social security in the US did not come into law until the mid-1930s, which was too late to do CAS any good). Smith loved his parents and tried the best that he could. Let's not forget that he began writing weird stories specifically as a means to support them.

As for Timeus: the impression that I get is that he was something of a prodigal, the son of a rich iron manufacturer who used his inheritance for travel and ended up in El Dorado seeking gold, with typical results for those who undertake that quest. I remember reading somewhere that he suffered from attacks of malaria, which would not be unusual considering the time he spent in tropic climates, and he also suffered from uncontrolled hypertension, a condition that CAS inherited and kept him out of a railroad job during WWII. Much of Clark's fascination with exotic realms can undoubtedly be traced to the stories with which Timeus regaled him of his travels in South America and Asia.

The Smiths eeked out a living from their ranch, growing chickens and fruit trees, but the monies Sterling was able to obtain from patrons such as Celia Clark and Colonel Crocker provided them a margin of security that allowed Clark the peace of mind to indulge his muse. Fanny, CAS' mother, was the main source of cash money, selling magazine subscriptions door to door.

Scott

Thanks, Scott.

I suppose I would still have to question the personal sense of responsibility of anyone who would be so careless with money, and yet marry and have a child, as Timeus did. Calonlan mentions traditional Victorian values, but traditional values dictate that one doesn't marry until one can provide a secure economic base for one's family-to-be. Indeed, the bride's family often withheld consent to the marriage, or at least approval of it, until consistent ableness to provide was established.

Just to be clear, when I mention Clark's "unusual" situation, I am referring to the the time of the Sterling correspondence, that is, from roughly 1912-1926. As early as the WWI period, we read of Clark's responsibility for supporting his family. The parents weren't that old, at the time, and CAS was very, very young. Of course, I did in fact wonder whether Timeus may have been an invalid, or an alcoholic, which, of course, would help to explain CAS' assuming the mantle of provider at such an early age. Obviously, the period of the 1930's is quite another matter.

Finally, it seems apparent that the inherited tendency toward hypertension did more than just keep CAS out of the railroad business; it killed him at a relatively early age. (Of course, I am not blaming Timeus for that!) It's a shame that CAS did not have the advice of a non-quack doctor, at the time, as a ketogenic diet would likely have helped to control his hypertension. Then again, although the beneficial properties of that diet were known even in the 19th Century, I am not sure whether its effects on hypertension, specifically, were known during CAS's lifetime.

The above quibbles aside, thanks again very much to you and Calonlan for the additional information. Once your CAS biography appears, it will preempt many such questions from the "ghouls" among us. ;-)

I doubt if I'll be making any pronouncements about Timeus' responsibility, or lack thereof, in having a child that late in life while still in precarious financial shape. I don't see that this is the role of a biographer. Present the facts, yes, including those facts that do not reflect well upon the subject, but I believe that the reader should draw their own conclusions, as indeed you have drawn yours.

One reason why Timeus may have had trouble was the presence of a rather snobbish "English colony" located in nearby Colfax. These were on the whole very well off Brits who carried over their social attitudes to rural northern California, which did nothing to make them popular. I understand that this ill will towards the English spilled over to the less well-off Timeus and his son, whose own exquisite manners were learned at his expatriate pater's knee.

Good point about the ketogenic diet. OTOH, CAS grew a lot of his own vegetables and fruit, and raised his own chickens, so his diet was fairly healthy.

Scott

Scott:

Agreed, that it's not the biographer's place to pontificate or judge (though that guiding principle doesn't always seem to keep many biographers, especially Lovecraft's, from doing so) ). Unadorned facts upon which readers can base informed opinions are exactly what I am after.

That said, I hope it's clear that my view of Timeus is far from set in stone, and is merely based on the facts and reasonable inferences I can draw, at the moment, from the Sterling correspondence. Those who come to firm conclusions seldom request information from others, after all! So, thank you again for providing that information, and more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 18 Dec 10 | 08:25PM by Absquatch.

An added note about values: Scott clearly described the matter of "snobbish" values - these are not those which I characterize as "Victorian" - those which I am speaking of have to do with courtly (courteous) manners, respectfulness, gentility, and a sense of the "appropriate" - In New England as late as the early 1900's, women not only wore, but called them "unmentionables" - and after washing (by hand with scrub board in water heated on a wood, coal, or kerosense stove) would hang them inside pillow cases so as not to offend the eyes of passers by.
This may sound peculiar today, but this profound sense of the sanctity of one's own person, and the immense place of real "privacy" in the American mind, which includes the concept of "tolerance" more strongly held then than now, is the soul of the values I am speaking of - Clark might indeed indulge in idle dalliance among the "flowers" of the foothills - but "tell" - never save through his exquisite and gentle love poetry - as to a sense of responsibility from the old man, his duty was to "people the earth" - and he got at it legally if late - my parents' generation, following those who had very large families they could ill afford, could (as my mother used to say) only just be forgiven for having one child, two was profligate - hence the 12 years between my brother and I - and, my mother's older brothers, all of whom married young, had no children among the three of them. This was the impact of the depression - my mother was 14 in 1929 - small side note of some relevance - the 1895 table of life expectancy used by Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. put the age of men at 36 for insurance purposes - The elderly were given especial regard to some degree because of their rarity - getting a child past the age of 5 100 years ago was something of an accomplishment. That Clark made is a miracle, and due to their locale - had they lived in a large city, even at what seems like a small population to us today, the chances of that frail little urchin in the school picture would almost certainly not have made it.

Timeus Smith worked as the night clerk at the Auburn Hotel for many years, so it wasn't like he never worked at all. I recall a discussion with Robert Elder regarding this (I believe it was called the Truckee Hotel back then) and I think this was back in the 1920's. Perhaps Dr. Farmer or Scott could shed further light on this; unfortunately, I don't have the best memory and I almost never took notes or recorded the discussions I've had with old-time Auburn residents who knew Smith.

I also wonder how successful the Smith's were at gardening or growing fruit trees with their meager water supply. Seems like it would be extremely difficult to keep things alive during the long hot summers watering everything by hand, one pail at a time. Again, I'm sure Dr. Farmer can corroborate how intense the summers are in Auburn . . .
-Ron

casofile Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Timeus Smith worked as the night clerk at the
> Auburn Hotel for many years, so it wasn't like he
> never worked at all. I recall a discussion with
> Robert Elder regarding this (I believe it was
> called the Truckee Hotel back then) and I think
> this was back in the 1920's. Perhaps Dr. Farmer or
> Scott could shed further light on this;
> unfortunately, I don't have the best memory and I
> almost never took notes or recorded the
> discussions I've had with old-time Auburn
> residents who knew Smith.
>
> I also wonder how successful the Smith's were at
> gardening or growing fruit trees with their meager
> water supply. Seems like it would be extremely
> difficult to keep things alive during the long hot
> summers watering everything by hand, one pail at a
> time. Again, I'm sure Dr. Farmer can corroborate
> how intense the summers are in Auburn . . .
> -Ron


The Auburn Hotel, and the Freeman Hotel were "the" places when my family moved there in 1943 - Ambrose Bierce used to hang out at the Auburn - they had a pretty high quality restaurant at one time, and the Freeman had a great outdoor dance floor, tennis courts etc, as well as (for Auburn) and upscale restaurant. I don't recall fruit trees on the Smith property - what gardening was done was on a very small scale - trading chickens with neighbors for produce was the more common thing - as well as selling blackberries which grow profusely and wild all over the place - the well was surprisingly shallow, and the water really sweet, but it would indeed be bucket by bucket - the canyon is a thousand feet deep at the ridge - The Smith property is almost directly above the old diversion dam which diverted water for Roseville by canal, and provided a fish-ladder - old mine diggings are everywhere up and down the wall of the canyon, and some of the old roads have been overgrown and unused for years - what gardening was done was fairly close to the house and well - the well was only a short distance from the tree and boulder you and Scott have visited and away from the edge of the canyon - the well would have made the apex of a triangle from the tree to the house - Chickens are an excellent source of fertilizer - there never was anything resembling lawn or flowering bushes at the top of the ridge - scrub brush and Oak leaves were the pungent ground cover - and lousy mulch - If one were to take those persons who today qualify as "poor" and living really destitute life, divide by a factor of 10, you will approach the Smith situation. Beyond that, I have little knowledge of Clark's folks except for what Ethel Heiple told me - Clark's mom was always described as "relentlessly cheerful" -

I stayed at the Auburn Hotel the first two times I visited CAS' stomping grounds, and found it to be rather charming, like something out of an old western (rooms did not have their own bathrooms, guests shared a common lavatory on each floor). The beds were big brass beds, and surprisingly comfortable (but this may be the nostalgia talking!) The hotel restaurant specialized in Basque cuisine, which I found to be surprising to my tastes (I am not the most adventurous eater, and don't care for a lot of exotic foods). I remember that they had a roast lamb dish that quickly became a favorite of mine. I was very sorry to discover that they had gone out of business when I moved here.

Scott

calonlan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> casofile Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Timeus Smith worked as the night clerk at the
> > Auburn Hotel for many years, so it wasn't like
> he
> > never worked at all. I recall a discussion with
> > Robert Elder regarding this (I believe it was
> > called the Truckee Hotel back then) and I think
> > this was back in the 1920's. Perhaps Dr. Farmer
> or
> > Scott could shed further light on this;
> > unfortunately, I don't have the best memory and
> I
> > almost never took notes or recorded the
> > discussions I've had with old-time Auburn
> > residents who knew Smith.
> >
> > I also wonder how successful the Smith's were
> at
> > gardening or growing fruit trees with their
> meager
> > water supply. Seems like it would be extremely
> > difficult to keep things alive during the long
> hot
> > summers watering everything by hand, one pail at
> a
> > time. Again, I'm sure Dr. Farmer can
> corroborate
> > how intense the summers are in Auburn . . .
> > -Ron
>
>
> The Auburn Hotel, and the Freeman Hotel were "the"
> places when my family moved there in 1943 -
> Ambrose Bierce used to hang out at the Auburn -
> they had a pretty high quality restaurant at one
> time, and the Freeman had a great outdoor dance
> floor, tennis courts etc, as well as (for Auburn)
> and upscale restaurant. I don't recall fruit
> trees on the Smith property - what gardening was
> done was on a very small scale - trading chickens
> with neighbors for produce was the more common
> thing - as well as selling blackberries which grow
> profusely and wild all over the place - the well
> was surprisingly shallow, and the water really
> sweet, but it would indeed be bucket by bucket -
> the canyon is a thousand feet deep at the ridge -
> The Smith property is almost directly above the
> old diversion dam which diverted water for
> Roseville by canal, and provided a fish-ladder -
> old mine diggings are everywhere up and down the
> wall of the canyon, and some of the old roads have
> been overgrown and unused for years - what
> gardening was done was fairly close to the house
> and well - the well was only a short distance from
> the tree and boulder you and Scott have visited
> and away from the edge of the canyon - the well
> would have made the apex of a triangle from the
> tree to the house - Chickens are an excellent
> source of fertilizer - there never was anything
> resembling lawn or flowering bushes at the top of
> the ridge - scrub brush and Oak leaves were the
> pungent ground cover - and lousy mulch - If one
> were to take those persons who today qualify as
> "poor" and living really destitute life, divide by
> a factor of 10, you will approach the Smith
> situation. Beyond that, I have little knowledge
> of Clark's folks except for what Ethel Heiple told
> me - Clark's mom was always described as
> "relentlessly cheerful" -

Tried to post this last night, but due to technical difficulties (which have now been fixed by our web-wizard Boyd) I had to wait till morning. Happy New Year!!

This reminds me of an interesting story: After the Auburn Hotel went out of business it was remodeled into professional office spaces. The very talented painting contractor who worked wonders to the interior of this building was the father of an acquaintance of mine who grew up in Skyridge, which used to be called Boulder Ridge. I recall asking this guy if he remembered the Smith cabin (which burned in 1957) which he did. "We used to go in there and smoke cigarettes" he told me. I cautiously pressed him for more information, but all he would say was "We were just kids!" I don't know if he was among the kids who vandalized the place (I certainly hope not) but I do believe this reinforces the idea that the cabin caught fire from kids messing around rather than being purposely burned in order to force Smith to sell his remaining two acres to the developer. I know that Smith himself suspected that it was intentional arson, but it seems to make more sense that this tragedy (which profoundly depressed CAS) was actually caused by some of these kids playing with matches. It also seems that the loss was not total, seeing as many stacks of papers, manuscripts, etc. remained with just the edges burned. But it remains ineffably tragic to think of what irreplaceable treasures were lost in this fire, as well as the effect the loss had on CAS.



Well, only about an hour of 2010 remains here in California, so Happy New Year and best wishes to all!

-Ron