The Shasta courier., 1855-06-23
A. j. STEVENSON g. co.
Honest Miner on the Love Question


Honest Miner on the Love Question.
We a notice in the Union Democrat, not
long since, OF challenge to fight duel passing
between two 'gents-sonethiHg abont lady.
Ii either OF them want to fight. let them meet
me, and we will sock it TO him, with any
weapon he wishes, from cannon to darning-
needle.-as we have intlistiIct ideas that il is
our duly 10 lick some ebody. IT any lady or
gentleman wishes to know what makes us SO
desperate, will tell them: About three
months since, after prospecting the entire coun-
try from Bald aiountai. to the New Diggings,
We were lucky enough to find place that would
pay China wages. ln order to work the claim,
we had TO cut tailrace, which occupied four
of US for seven weeks We finished everything
III complete order, and set the sluices, expecting
to commence work on The following day. Sud
denly the stnrm-klng sent down four hundred
sluice,streams OF rain, when we did not want
but one. Tie consequences was that stumps,
pine trees, roots, boulders, slumgullinn, and
mud came down like crowd OF dead heads
Tree lunch. As a matter of course. the
next morning the entire race was in the deep
creek buried. We considered that '.piling en-
the agony The 'oue drop too much My last
hope for dollars was shivered We considered
ourself as standing upon high promontory,
with the fogs of single wretchedness on the one
side, and the vast financial sea on The other. We
felt more terrible than army With banners
But it is impossible to keep a man of gems
down. Greeks, ttiinder-storms, starvation, and
pestilence may oppose him. bnt he will not re-
main proSrate; he will arise, and finally stand
erect upon the broad platform of universal ap-
probation. So it proved in our case. Jumping
on pile Of tailings' which had survived the
general wreck, we poured forth the following
sublime speeea el01uently deiying all the COM
bined power of nature: Thou mighty rushing
stream +! how yon7 Isuppose you are bound
for the great Pacific. IF had a 'dug-out
would not object to going along with you hut
am poor now. However, ehiy, rushing
stream. you not oris sna 10 your NOV emenis:
you initiate the Sonora swell heads when yon
make raise. knew yos;. once when -you were
Hat broke; bat now you are more trouble 10 me
than he great Mississippi was in ke.States But
you will soon be down in the world, and then
we intend to sock it to you. In our present
situation. we can only tender the compliments
of the day TO you. Mighty. rushing stream 60
on-go on. Farewell 7 We then went home.
and penned final sockdologer' 4e or lady
love; and we wonld advise all the honest min
ers who are in n similar predicament TO do like
wise, as by so doing they may induce their
sweethearts 10 come 10 California; il not, they
will set all love questions at rest. Seating our
bottle of unpaid-for milk glmmering in tlle
distance, commenced follows:
"DfAR LAuRA:-Ths is TO certify that I am
dead broke"
We scratched on. mead for the next idea, for
time; ana finally concludetl that was not
the rght wny 10 commence love letter That
language would do well enough for Mcssrs.
Adams & Co., DR.. Wright, etc, or men whose
ideas lean 10 business matters; but IL will not
answer for man of genus He should be
more highfaluin; he should hurl forth his atfec-
,ions as volcano would pour out boulders and
lava. He should clothe his ideas in all the gay
trappinss of rhetorical poesy. He should shoot
the arrows of genus into the very centre of his
DpIcinea's heart, and cause the entire system to
thrill with delicious pleasure. Genus never
cares for expenses. So it proved in my case;
and away went a sheet of double-refned, gilt
edged lovc-paper. Here we go again.
"SuSsY HEIcHrs, April 26, 1855.
"SwEEr AHGEL:-Six long years have taken
their returnless fight 10 The unseen country,
since reso we'd TO roam, and the green earth
and blue waters. Many have been the try ine
i'll which have been placed, but have
beat my way manfully so far, and have never
been utterly curnered as am now. 1t re-
gures all my philosophy to pen these lines. Tou
are aware that my former letters have all been
tinged with the sublime hope offuiure fame and
riches but duty impels me to tell you that they
were written under the excitement incidental
to an honest miner, when n lend; that they
were the overfiowin2s of too vivid imag gnaion.
The first two years of my California experience
led me to believe that the entire country was
of two distinct stratas, both Of equal
size. viz: Gold and quartz rock. My ideas for
some time have been gradually undergoing
change, and / am now convinced that was
wrruy IN nv geological no,ions The uuartz
strata is all right; but think nine-tenhs of the
other strata is top dirt and boulders 1t is of no
use for me 10 try TO keep up appearances any
longer | acknowledge that | am total wreck
upon the great financial sea-nothing in the
world left but one-fonrth interest in seven sluice-
boxes. a long handled shovel, and good suit of
clothes But thank Heaven, a treless ambition
and irvisor that never quails, buoys up my soul
aud enables me to smile complacently on the
general wreck that surrounds me- still cher
ish the klndest emotions towards you; but
would rather haye'a ha-peck of dollars than a
bushe OF emotions Dollars are available; emo
tions are not. Dollars would enable me to visit
you; emotions keep me uneasy, and do not fa-
cilItate locomotIon. am the same individual
was in tue days Of yore.; only little hands somer
The climate Of this country has tinged my entire
frame with q golden hue, and the scenery has
thrown the charm OF romance over my counte-
nance. Amid all the exploits, dangers and ex-
which | have undergone, you have
ever been the object around which my fondest
hopes and midnight dreams have fingered, with
ecstatic Joy. When a man of high strong 'ge-
nus is in love. all the exciiements in the world
cannot quench his emotions. You might as well
try to put out mighty confiagration with
squirt-gun. as to try TO extnguish the flame. So
it proved in my case I have stood upon the
Il