The Sierra citizen., 1854-03-18
Sketches from our cabin.
THE MAN BORN TO COMMAND.

In the early part of the summer of 1851
q small party of us built a brush shanty on
a little fiat at the head-waters of one OF the
tributaries of the Yuba. We are sorry
that truth compels us to say that the afore-
said party was pre-eminently hard =
made up of reckless, rowing hombres, who
did not care how the world wagged or
whether it wagged at all.
For several weeks we had been rowing
about in search of certain very rich dig
gings which did really exist in the imagi-
nation Of one of our company, but, jack-o'
lantern like, the rich spot kept ahead of
us. We kept on, quarrying among the
rocks and digging little holes in the
ravines, in daily expectation of eXhuming
a chunk as big as "horse's head" but day
after day slipped away, and the company
purse increased not, but rather grew less:
at first it stood on rock beside the fire
place erect and pethoric as an alderman,
but at the time we speak of it had become
so relaxed and attenuated that the trea-
surcr carried it in his pocket, where it
could hardly be found among collection
of knives and forks, spoons, crumbs of
bread and tobacco.
Our operations were carried on under
the most careful superyision-one man
piled the pick, another the shovel, and four
looked on. After penetrating the earth a
couple of feet without success, the strokes
of the pick fell slower and slower until the
instrument gradually approximated state
OF inertia; then all retired to camp, pre-
pared and despatched our dinners, and
after lighting our pipes began celebrating
whether it was better to dig or not to dig.
The majority ruled, and ON questions in
voving the leaving off work there was sell
dom any necessity for a division
One evening after our blankets had been
spread down, singular phenomenon was
observed on the hillside, the brush thrashed
about and the sticks cracked, suggesting
very lively apprehensions Of grizzly bears
and causing each of US to glance at a neigh
boring tree, at the same time calculating
how high we could climb in given time;
but presently the full round face of one
of Africs sable sons made its appearance
in al opening, surmounted with broad
brimmed straw hat which had evidently
seen some service. a very tall thin man
followed ia his wake, looking as though he
had grown up in the woods where the
thickness of the timber caused him to eX-
pand more i'll vertical than lateral direc-
tion. AS we afterwards learned, this odd
looking genius was Octayius Fitz Jenkins,
who had been born to command-the man
who had been all his life contending with
obstinacy and rebellion, but who still be-
l,ovnJ tl,ot ba ,-aC destined ,,lf ir,o al +r
sway the sceptre over somebody.
Some years ago. feeling that he had
mission to fulfill, he had undertaken the
superintendent of an institution in one Of
the Southern States, where tie promising
scions of the first families were inducted
into the mysteries Of A. B. G. But there
he had been the victim of conspiracies, and
he was kept in a fume from Monday morn
ing until Saturday night the vilainous
boys waXed his throne, and left inverted
sparables upon it, which utterly distracted
his thoughts when he was about to draw
line of distinction between and q.
After a while he determined to get mar
ried, under the impression that the father
of a family, considered in the domestic
circle, is an autocrat, judge. jury and exc
cutloner. But the poor man was mistaken:
the meek blue eyed maiden who promised
to love, honor and obey, one very fine
morning walked up with cloud on her
brow which grew darker and darker, until
the mutterings Of domestic thunder fell
upon the ear of Mr. Ftz Jenkens. He
tried to allay the impending storm, but a
perfect solar system of plates, pot-lids,
stove-wood and tongs rcvolved round his
head, and he saw that the sceptre had
passed from the house of Fitz jenkins
forever.
Mr.. Fitz jenkins sat moodily by his
fire-side watching the ashes falling from
the forestick emblematic of his authority
which thus gradually had wasted away
He was master of the lodge only in a
Pickwickian sense; he knew that he existed
there only by sutferance, and was liable
hereafter to be stood up in the cornerwith
the tongs, or swept out among the rubbish
from the kitchen. This was a consuma-
tion for which he was not prepared, and
he resolved to retire from the field.
NV. Fitz jenkins had heard of the
chances OF prelerment in California, and
he secretly resolved to tear himself away
from the bosom OF his family, go to the
golden country, run for Office, get elected.
and drive the public tandem Communi-
eating his intentions to a colored servant
who had followed his fortunes through
prosperity and adversely, and borrowing
small sums from nearly all his acquain-
tances, which were to be paid at SIGHT.
the two adventurers candestinely en-
barked for California
This was the previous history of Octa-
vius Fitz jenkins and servant, who pitched
their camp beside ours with the intention
of digging gold enough to make arespecta-
BILE appearance in public life.
Mr.. Fitz Jenkins habiliments convinced
us that he was more of a speculative than
4: L L,