Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/221

 Two COMMONWEALTH BUILDERS. 213 the sea, even the high school boy, and the children, all listened with interest. And when the talk was over and all their questions had been answered, the motly gathering strolled leisurely away. But the rolling breakers at their feet, the hurrying scud and blue summer sky, all had a new significance as they pondered on the mystery of creation. "Or perhaps a geological picnic was planned up the beach to Otter B/ocks. After a brisk ride of a few miles over the hills and along the beach, Mr. Condon's carriage would stop, the other vehicles would group themselves around near by. and, standing in his conveyance, he would give a short talk on the geological formation of the particular cove or headland with its base of old standstone full of fossil shells. Then the company would move on, and after a few more miles of de- lightful beach ride upon the hard sand near the breakers, they would leave their carriages, gather their picks, hammers, and chisels and spend an hour chipping fossils from the bluff or from the large bowlders at its base. The next stop would be to lunch near Otter Bocks and explore the unique Devil' * Caldron or Punchbowl and the interesting beach beyond. ' * But the most common picture, the one that must make the Condon Cottage at Nye Beach an almost sacred spot for some, was the party strolling homeward from a morning on the beach especially at low tide. They always stopped beside his cottage door to show their treasures to Mr. Condon. There were baskets, tin pails, and all sorts of packages filled with curios gathered on the morning walk ; one had a rare shell-fish, another an unusual fossil, some had sea moss, others only a group of bright pebbles, while a few proudly exhibited their water agates. All had their eager questions and his kindly, helpful interest never failed ; for if some child but left his cot- tage door with eyes large and shining with a new joy, because it had caught a glimpse of the beauty of knowledge, he was content. And so his summers passed. "Meanwhile he had been carrying on his original research work by taking trips to the southwestern part of the State and was slowly filling out his geological map of Oregon. "Mr. Condon's love for knowledge was not confined to natural science, for his interests were broad as the universe. To him, human history began with the men of preglacial age, and he sought eagerly for every ray of light that archeological research could throw upon the old Cave Dwellers of prehistoric times. He studied all primitive peoples, their religion, indus-