Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-06-20
Prospecting.
BY DorNcs.

| O'u Jou cNcI ~ proopc' pnS
do not mean, did you ever take plcl
and shovel md scratch gravel half
mile from your cabin. But did Vol
ever pack mu G, and ke yonr chance
in the Mountains for season Ifyol
-v-r did, you have seen hSrd times
and very many peasant ones If yo,
never did, you'll never know what you
have lost.
Please go back with us to the sum-
mer of 80. And now We will, by a
process altogether unknown t. leger-
demain or Jacobs, save you the wea-
ry toll of weeks, and pl,ce you at ..nce
IN little valley amid the mountain
peaks. Although morn, it is y t dark
but we can distinguish the forms OF
mel moving about, and the campfire
burns cheerfully. The men must be
m'ne $, for here lay picks, pans and
shovels, and there ii cradle; and al
though so early, the camp kettle bo Is
right merrily, and the p-rk IN the Try
pan hisse- and splutters away in good
earnest S me of the men are driving
mules into camp, others rolling up
blankets and getting things together,
road. for start; this morning they
leave the old camping ground on their
way for-they k ow no where. But
here! who's that down OIL his kne' S
stirring ba. ter in such IA spiteful kind
of a way' Shall | describe him and
his dress Ny extreme modesty al
most forDids 1t, but having thus found
HIM, and in su b picturesque posi-
ton, 'twould be unfair I" abandon hlm
and so I'il 90 on and describe those
pants, = pan which have been 'den-
tilted With him since his arl est pilgri-
mage to the mines. Originally they
W re Of good, firm, ribbed satin t, an
buas,ed of their coior, VIII ch was a
bright blue, but now, from long SER
vice they have turned to gr"yish hue,
and o.e ribs which once oid show
b Id front, have nearly worn away
As he is there upon his kaees, the Fl ST
att, action is huge patch of bed-ti X,
faded and torn; beneath its taitered
shseds arpea s another patch OF what
was once white, and i.ied the dig
n led pos ton of the family -four bag.
The bat es is now Of the right c'nslst-
ency, and as b. has changed his posi-
tion, We have fair, view Of his knees,
which present slmi ar appearance
The exremi,ies of the Il mbs. are much
rn and worn ANY,. But, for those
o d pants, torn, ragged, and bad as
tAey are, he has an affec lou, and would
be 10th to part with taem, for they a'e
to him l,k an old tried fir end, the,
have stood by him in fair weather and
III .oul, and when tn: time comes that
he aud they must part, he will feel that
be is parting with good and true old
FREUD, aud twill b. IN >orrow. The
re ainier of MS dress is in keeping
wi h toe pants His hat a round felt,
well sloucnei, his boots, beyond s.
CT pt.on, but we will mane affidavit tn i
be has FIVE toes upon each f OF ?; his
hair ng and carly. and his f ce well
Drowned We have pictured ourself,
and it was sure that our wardrobe ex
c.eded all the oilers, IN .smuch as We
rejoiced in the ownership Of an Extra
SHIRT.
Breakfast is over, the mules are
packed, and with one last look at the
old camping ground, the train NOV S
on. Shall we go on with them, up and
down those rugged IN ,unt ins 7 and
limb around those overhanging cliffs,
DO ID ring up,n preclp,ces frightiuI to
only look at? We have not time, We
will let them travel on. for with these
Seven league bc ts' of ours, We can
sily overtake them.
1t is NV several DAYS since we part
d with those rough friends Of ours,
and many weary mile have they
,ramped since then, up and down ste' p
mountain sides, tn, ugh deep ravin S,
and imme, Sc patches of chappar-i, and
through glorious forests Of majestic
pines, whose tapering trunks stretch
tar towards the sky. And if when We
left them, they presented sorry ap
p arance, tney are even worse now,
for ap ,arel is a great enemy to cloth
ing. A. tn y travel alo G in Indian
6:e, til cast furtive glanc- s from thei,
| - jouyc 20 Tho nm f.r II il attetno n
and they have travrle.. from early
morn, and now f el tired and hungr,
but they ca mot camp yet. tor there n
no water here, nor have they seen any
all day. But there must be water
near, tn mules have quicken d theil
pace, and W. csn hear the gursling Of
a running stream; there Is water be
yond thi< c f The cliff is past, tn
water is in sight, all th ughIs Of bun
ger and of wearied lmbs are gone. eacI
Ii. eager for a drink from that refresh
my stream But LOOK, there by tn,
stream, and los beside these bushes
is deer feeding, feed ng thoaghtiully
t tile tn hiking an enc ny so near
Quick as thoas bit old Bill has throw
nis iae to his shou der, bis finger IS a
the trigger, his is an unerrIng aim
Now, far well 10 salt p'rk! vanish a
thoughts Of ok; tonight we'll ieas
, IN veni on, We Il have il glorious time
Pork, gross, fat. rusty pork, farewell
H., .x.o.-.. u. tova ,hpa wall n :,