Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-03-03
THE wuEELBARRow MAN.


following account of an emigrant's meth
cd of getting to California, and his sue
cess afterwards. Says the correspondent
of that paper; sa.
In previous communication, l remark
ed upon the character and spirit develop
ed by the miners of this country-that
such class of men are rarely to be
found.
As an evidence of the truth of my as
sumption, 1 will give you the outline OF
one individual, the details of which were
related to me by gentleman of at least
apparent truth, also interested in the re-
gi0n where the subject of this article
dwells, and who was familiar with the
facts,
A man who had been an unsuccessful
deliver in the mines of Georgia, on hear
ing the thrilling news of the gold placers
of California, had his spirit quickened
within him; and although he had arrived
at an age (being about 6o) when the fire
OF youth ceased to burn with vigor, fixed
his eyes upon the far distant and but lit
tie known country, and resolved that he
would wend his way thither alone, and
without that indispensable friend, money,
of which he was destitute. Under such
circumstances, it would not avail to at
tempt passage round the Horn or by
the more uncertain, and, at that time, I'M
perfected route across the Isthmus but
as California was on this continent, he
knew there was a way there, though it
might lead through trackless deserts and
barren wastes. These were not enough
to daunt his determined spirit He bent
his way to the Gather of waters and
worked his way as he could, till he found
himself at Independence, in health, and
with no loss of strength, and with one
hundred and fifty dollars in his purse
He had no family to provide for, or even
companion to cater for, on the route upon
which he was about to enter; yet some
things were ne cessary for himself; and to
relieve himselffrom the pressure of load.
he provided himself with a tOhecl6arrou
upon which to place his traps.
1t is not to be suppose that our hero
was ignorant of the large number of emf
grants that were moving over the plains
and it is quite probable that his sagacity
was precocious enough to look ahead, and
see the result Of attempting to carry for
ward such ponderous loads, and such va
riety of at least dispensable things, as the
earlier parties started with.
A detailed list of the amount and varie-
ty of goods and wares, useful and super
fuous, with all the appendages of refined
and fashionable life, that were distributed
along the wide wastes and mountain ran
ges, would astonish the reader.
Our hero was not in hurry. He rea-
soned thus: "the world was not made in
day; the race is not to the swift" He
trundled along with his barrow, enjoying
the comforts of his pipe, the wonder, and
the subject of much sportive remark, by
those who were hurried along with their
fresh and spirited teams ION the first
days.) Many weeks had not passed be-
evidence that trouble had fallen to the lot
of some who had preceded him. A stray
OK was feeding on his track, the mate of
which he afterwards learned was killed,
and this one turned adrift as useless
He coaxed him to be the companion of
his travels, taking care to stop where he
could provide himself with the necdful
sustenance. He had not travelled far be-
fore he found n mate for his OK, and ere
long wagon, which had given way in
some of its parts, had been abandoned by
its owner, and left in the road. Our
travelling genius was aroused to turn these
mishaps to his own advantage; and he
went leisurely to work to patch and bols-
ter up the wagon, bound his faithful oxen
to it, and changed his employment of
trundling wheelbarrow to driving a
team. Onward moved the new establish
ment, gathering as he went from the SUI
perabundance of those who had gone be-
fore, such as flour, provisions of every
kind, books, implements. even rich car
pets, &C., which had been cast off as bur-
densome by other travellers. He would
occasionally find poor, worn out animal
that had been left behind; and as it
was not important for him to speed
his course, he gathered them, stopping
where there was abundance of grass, in
time enough for his cattle to gain little
strength and spirit. Time rolled on, and
his wagon rolled with it, till he reached
the end of his journey, when it was dis
covered that he had an uncommon fine
team and a good wagon, which produced
him, on sale, twenty-five hundred dollars
Being now relieved of the care ofhis team
and in the midst of the gold region, he
closed his prospecting by location; and
while all around him were concentrating
their strength to consummate the work Of
years in few months, he deliberately
commenced building, finishing, and, as
fast as he could, furnishing a comfortable
cabin, His wood was gathered, sawed,
and regularly piled in straight line and
perpendicularly by the door-convenient
as though the old woman was within to
provide his meals. He acted upon the
adage, "never start till you are ready."-
Now our hero was ready to commence
working his claim" which he did, as he
did everything else, SYSTEMATICALLY and