The weekly ledger., 1857-05-16
For the Weekly Ledger.
TRACKS OF A TRAVELLER.
What a cold place is this same

The inhabitants assure me that they have had
warm weather here; but ] am thinking that
is mere play on words, as they invariably
when saying so cast their eyes towards fine
flock of sheep that were corraled near by
The wethers among them looked warm
enough in their heavy coats. Sheep raising
is attracting much attention in this part of
our county, and | have no doubt it will be-
come quite a mania. Our mountains are
decidedly well adapted to the growth of wool
and already it is beginning to be an article of
export. But sheep require care, and without
that the shepherd will soon witness the de-
parture of the last of his flock through soTe
opening in the fence.
have been in doubt as to which way to
bend my steps from here, but this morning
while out looking at the sheep fixed my pur-
pose in the following manner
Two of the father sheep had got into
difficulty, one of them having punched the
other rather severely in the short ribs and re-
fused to apologize; this of course led to
combat, so selecting an open space they re-
tired few PAGES apart and then rushed on
each other in the style of the knights of old.
They came together with force that re-
bounded them both back on their launches
and | thought had rendered them horsdu CON-
bat, (sheep du combat | mean, but they re-
covered their positions and prepared for
another encounter. A happy thought struck
me; I'd stake my destination on the result of
the fight, so naming one of them Michigan
Bar and the other Fiddetown" | posted
myself on the fence to await the decision. l
shall not record all the ram-i6cations Of the
conflict that became much excited is not
to be denied, sometimes hurrahing for "Mich-
/ gan Bar" and sometimes encouraging Fid-
dletown" to sock it to him." To make
long story short, " Fiddletown," by an I'M
lucky turn of the head, let Michigan" hit him
in the eye, whereupon Fiddetown" grace
fully retired from the field amid the sympa-
thetic bleating of a hundred ewes; and l.
well, l refreshed myself at Jim Covers and
started in the direction fate had fixed for me-
The first noticeable thing on my route was
very comfortable looking house, on the
south side of the road, with a sign board
conspicuously displayed informing the world
at large that here is the
MISSOURI HOTEL.
A SOLITARY horseman" had just alighted
and imagined l saw brandy and soda" in
his countenance so | entered the house in
hope that he would not drink alone; and he
did not, but instead of choosing me as his as
socate he turned to nasty looking little
lish-peddlar with a "come captain, take
drink" :" and | left them hobnobing at the
counter had not fairly recovered from my
chagrn at being thus sighted when / found
myself in the midst of
ARKANSAS DIGGINGs.
An old mining locality is this, even now sup
porting a store and tavern. Here | learned
that was three miles from Forest Hone and
the same from Michigan Bar A great deal
of gold has been taken out in this vicinity,
and during the past winter mining was very
successful Indeed the whole country through
which passes the Costumes river and Michi-
gan Bar ditch is rich in mineral wealth and
is very extensive. The fatness of much of
the mining ground around Arkansas Diggngs
has prevented its being worked so that there
yet remains much to reward the gold hunters
of the future
A half mile further on the road brought
me to the
OAK GROVE HOUSE,
and the seat Of justice of this part of Am
ador county.
Esquire Haynes is the keeper of the house
and also the dispenser of law and euqity.-
Lawyers Seaton and Curtis, from Drytown,
have just been here as opposing attorneys in |
a case where the prisoner was charged with
cutting hole in a mans head and knocking
out (or in,) two of his teeth After two
days investigation, most of which time was
occupied in arguments of the counsel, which
the court decided were not pertinent, (there-
fore suppose impertinent,) the parties came
to an amicable settlement, the injured party
agreeing to accept seventy.fve dollars a piece
/ for his teeth and fifty dollars for the cut, thus