The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-31
THE MINIATURE.
a LYnuIIsa sersr u eAlIWonnIa.

In the year leAa. during iha hat month of
August, leA Sacramento City with party
Of six, including myaelf for tho remote re-
gions Of Feather River, had tried several
Of the other rivers without much success and
as some my friends, whom i met In town,
eBdeayored 10 conyisea mo that this was the
only true and legitimate spot where the pile
could be made, / very willingly gave my CON
sent 20 mako one Of their party,
We se.tled all the arrangements 10 our sat
isfAction; and then We bought provisions .
nough 10 last us three months; hired a six
mule team, packed our stuff on their backs,
and about O'Clock one afternoon, took up
our line Of march for the above named place
distant about one hundred and fifty miles
from Sacramento City. One Of our company
played on the bugle deeently weII; and As I've
sUhhthrilling notes rang out through the val
leya, we all imagined ourselves worth, at the
least calculation, $50, ,OOO-Or soon would be-
Alas where are they, their hopes, and
their expectation, now ? All but one have
laid their bones in n strange land. Famine,
disease, murder, have removed them one by
one, until alone am len, monument Of
GodS mercy ....
But am digrcssing Nothing worth no.
toing on our route; and amer four days hard
travel, We arrived, with blisterod Eeot and
aching boncs--oveybOdy unhappy, and eve
ybody As disAgrecable As any six men could
conveniently bo.
Ater unloading the team, and taking a
good ba,he IN the clear, cold waters Of the
river, VIC pitched the tents, cooked our sup
por, and thon, As men generally do in such
cases, VIC felt better All retired early, and
enjoyed good nights res, for upon the next
day ne were TO commence our labors; but,
somehow, no one seemed 10 broach the sub.
jeet Of workgso we spent the day in visiting
what few people there were encamped in the
immediate vicinity Of Ourselves. 'Fhgy did
not talk very encourAeingiy; and after sur
vcying tho diheront "hars," ! came 10 the
conclusion that my fortune was still some
be discouraged YET, and took stroll towards
the sstore," as IL was called. The store con
sisted ola large brush tent, whore they're
tailed every thing that was likely TO be wan
ted among sot Of hard working men, includ-
ine q ,alantifal supply Of all kinds Of liquors,
retailing which at the rate of seven dollars a
bottle for brandy, and Eve for gin. BY such
rates as these the storekoeper managed 10
put about two-thirds OF the miners earnings
into his own pockets, and consequently he
was becoming very rich.
}, When / arrived At the tsEt, / found some
thirty people assembled, drinking, smoking,
or playing cards. Their days work was o.
yer, and they were nov spending what they
had earned. perceived that some were in
a happy state and were trying to kick up .
row with somebody, no matter who. Ther'
. were one or two Frenchmeu, one or two Chill
4 iAns, two negroes, and the rest were made NJ
' of overland and Oregon mon.
n As stood leaning against barrel, watch
ing the different expressions that played OF
q their countenances, a yonng man of abou
n twenty-eight years came up and inquiro'
= what part Of the country was from. in
q formed him, ansl'he, after few words more
a Informed me that he was from New York oi
" and asked me to drink with him, which
. respectfully declined He tlitlaet appear I
: relish my refusal very we'll, and turning al
ruptly away, he Immediately commenced bel
ting on monte. .,.F..
- "what did that fellow say 10 You mister
!, inauired a large, broad-shouldcrcd man, VIII
b went BY the name of Jones.
, nOnly asked me to drink with him, this
N was ALL" replied.
l. "well, stranger, an from Oregon, an
!, my name is Jones; / have been on the. rive
!. about FIVE months, and some people call m
!, the Alcade of the diggings. But that rs notl
i ing 20 do with him. Let mo advise you, as
!, feilow-countryman to have nothing TO
- - with that fellow. ] have had my eyo on hi
: for some time, aud ifhe ever does come III
~ der my disciplined will serve him out l wa
n rant you"
: -AOf what offence has he been guilty f'
!. inquired, looking at the man more closely.
aWoll, we havenot been able to prove an
,S thing against him, az yet, but there has bee
!. a good deal OF the dust lost out Of our ten
: whenever they have been left alone, and yr
!, Will nexer see this fellow at work Il you sta
: here ten years. lie has not got IL In him.
a Yet he has always dust 10 loose al tho gan
bling table every night Why, before tn
n fellow came here, could go out and leave
ct dozen pounds ufthe real stuff in my tent AZ
III como back and find il safel but il won't do
RI do il now" he said sorrowfully, as though
IN was grieved 20 find so much dishoncsty IA u
4, world. ~
" Jones bado mo good night and walked I
I'd wards his tent, -zhile | stepped nearer q
I'D suspected pcrsonf ard had good oppcrtur
,r, ty to examine him as he stood at the card I
IN BILE.