Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-02-13

a glorious beglnlng' as, dropping my plckaxe, l
catched up the lump and hugged it and kissed
it with rapture.
'Ah, fine lump O. gole exclaimed Negro
that set on rock close by, dat be fine ting,
MasSa, Cat get you fine wife right off,
1t would be tedious, and little to my purpose,
to detail all, or even one quarter, of the instanc
es of good luck, which attended the several
members Of our party. One thing, however,
must not omit, and that is, soon began to per-
cieve that those who were at work before US
were almost covered, from head to foot, with
fine gold dust, which filed the air, as it flew off
the Jumps they were digging For myself and
my fellow adventurers we soon succeeded in
collecting enough, (and that in two days to fill
our boxes and bags, and our pockets besdes.-
We were considering, therefore, how we should
transport our treasures to the coast, SO as to get
it aboard n ship, when, happening to look round,
we spied drove Of mules coming up, which
we caught with handful of gold dust, (which
answers the same purpose as salt does else
where and, throwing the bags and boxes of
gold across the backs of the animals, were a.
bout retracing our way back to the shore of the
Pacific, when fellow from Missouri called out
10 u.s.
where are you going with your baggage?-
No need to 60 back that way; we've got q t,ln-
mel road cut through the Rocky Mountains, to
the head of navigation on Missouri River,-so
if you want to go the shortest way to the States
just put your mules heads about in that direc.
ton
Thank you, SIR said |, I'VE were not aware
of that before but sha'n't we want a guide tC
pilot us through|
NO. replied he, 'only let the mules 60 for
ward of you, and you follow on, and they will
guide you through. But you must look sharI
for the Indians, and if you see them coming up
on you, just throw handful or two of gold dus
in their faces, and they will leave you, and no
trouble you any more
Thanking the Missourian for his advice, W
set off, and about nine o'clock the second day
we came in sight Of the underground road thrt
the mountains; and just as we had almost reach
ed the mouth of it, down came party of Indi
ans, mounted on buhfaoes, as if they were 90
ing to take all prisoners; but we, needing tn
word Of caution that had been given u.s. too
each handful of gold from our pockets an
threw at them, when they instantly turned an
fed, ald we passed on safely through the n,eur
tains, without meeting any harm; and, pursuin
our way, presently came to the Missouri River
which we followed down (alOng the banks,) ii
number of log canoes, and presently one c
two fiat bottomed boats, tod us when we ha
got to the head Of navigation. Here engagin
three of them, each about fifty feet long and fl
teen feet wide, we unloaded and turned tn
mules loose, which sat out on their way back t
the mountlins, on full trot.
Putting our baggage aboard the boats W
embarked and came down the river to the Mi
sissippi, into which it empties, without al
3 serious accident happening, except one, al
D that was little way above St Louis, where oI
(, of our men,-Sam Jngledolar,-who had goI
e to sleep on one of the bags, rolled off the bo
: into the river. happened to see him when
:, fell, and jumped in after him,-und it was lucl
+ for him that did, for just as put my hand
n him, spied a huge alligator swimming aft
: US with his jaws open ready to gobble US dow
e | took Sam, one hand by the collar of his &C
1t and the other by the seat of his breeches, an
n lifting him into the boat sprang in myself, a
l. threw few kernels of gold 10 the monster, W
e snapped at it, and just then seeing pike in
It river, caught him up ard made for the shore.
to We were hailed several time from the sho
10 as we f1oated down, TO know what we had
OF board,-.to we sometimes answered, Lehi
3 coal, and sometimes 'furs'; being desirous
le conceal the fact Of our having treasures
of board, lest they should be tempted to attack q
lg rob us.
ur Following the course of the Mississippi
g. New Orleans, we soon reached that place; q
at having learned that there was a gold asst
or er and mint established there, we concluded
IN make stop and get some of our gold cast
I'D bars, coined into eagles, and the respective Fl
as tions of an eagle and in order that pee
MS should not know what we had got, we each
we two or three Jumps of gold, and wrapped II
L. up in buffalo skin, and had them wheeled
the mint on a wheelbarrow where, in the col
t a of a few days, we had the satisfaction of rec
ing the avails of it in nineteen bars of +
ex- gold, three inches square and ten inches Ii
al and bushel basket full of eagles, half,
all quarter eagles, and dollars, out of which we
the the assayer, and took the rest aboard our
G. as privately as we had brought it thence.
eat Such was the lustre of the pure metal,
mad it was melted, cast and coined, that it made
me air in the assaycr's Office look yellow for "
md afterwards.
so The remainder of our cargo we reserved
rts, VIC should get nearer, or quite home. Arri
9 of at the Bay below New Orleans, we found
lost sells bound for New York, Boston, and
'ery Bedford; and having bespoken our passag
and board the steamer Goldfnch, we had our c
ping transferred on board, telling the Captain il
YES, lead ore from Galena, in Illinois,
hing We had proceeded down the gulf eastw
be- few leagues, when We deserted vessel co
upon US at a rapid.rate, as if intending to tal
we're and we were fearful at first it might be a
here ship, and the captain was about to orde
Veil guns and small arms out, ready for acti
d e. when 10 1t was perceived on a nearer appr
ain that it was the very same ship we had Il
hak- Chagres, when we quilted it to cross the
} to mus. We knew it to be the same by the y
III to flag at her masthead, and by her canyl
e. sails. We requested of the captain {