San Andreas independent., 1858-02-13

1
remarked, "some things can be done as well
as others" and, here1 sink (he meant pros
pect hole) or swim, survive or perish. Away
few the white sand from his shovel ten feet
in the rear twice second, till he was out of
breath, and he stopped to say, boys, let us
sink hole here there are no potatoesJin the
way, and ii is such easy digging Well, at it we
went, in three parties, to sink three holes on
that bar of white sand-two together and the
odd one by himself There was the sand
about foot deep--thcn such splendid black
loan about four feet deep, without any stone
or gravel in it. Didn't we knowthat it would
be pity to strike diggings there? Certainly
we did, and knew that he prayed as he stoed.
in the door and saw ms dig, that VIC might toll
all day and find nothing. But we did though
Under the soil we struck gravel in two holes
took pan to prospect, and tho others sunk
on---the gravel looked we'll. Back camc the
prospcctors-'hurrahr !" says one; IN Bit says
the other; "gass,' said all. But they did
gold in quality andquantty, and yet the holes
were hundred feet apart Then tic other
two took a pan of dirt each from farther
down. and guessed the ledge was pretty near.
as it was getting moist. On went the sinking
Till the prospecters came along, each ruth hi,
pan uader his arm. That is n natural sign that
a man has got good prospect or he is fool
ing you. If he holds the pan down By his
side, he's got nothing if before him, as if he
had little water in it, it shows that he has
got the g COLOR and keeps his 'eye on it = if
on his right side, with his arm over the pan,
he's got ''two bits : but if on his left side,
he's got more than he expected and wants to
keep you off with his right arm, and not let
you see till you curious. Now, as [ was
saying, they both had it on the left side under
the arm. How much have YOU got? saws
one. How much have you? says the other.
dollar, says the first. SO have !, SAYS the
second. In horn, said all hands. and went
up to see. There it was; just like flax seed
both alike, and about dollar in each sLet
me try pan" said one, ''on the ledge "rll
beat You this time," said the other And the
soft, yellow, good looking dirt was handed up
from the bottom of the holes about eight feet
deep, and away they went to wash it, and all
the rest sat down to "lay off the claim" We
heard the first hurrah, and looking over the
cabbage and potatoes on the bank of the creek,
we saw a hat make suntlry revolutions above
bare head, and then take bee line" from
the hand that held it into the running water
Suddenly the shouting ccascd-a pan was set
upon the bank and Il man was seen running
down the stream after his s'sombrcro" We
got the pan and the proSpcct-it weighed So !:
the other did not beat it, but he had about S;S
| Well, we went home then, and the next morn
ing Mr.. Lomax knew that we had " struck it
in the Slab Ranch" In little while others
knew it, for We paid our debts. Sometimes
we made $l0 day to the man--somctimes
$50 and sometimes $50, you bet" Z" II gires
om on u.s." / sold mine and went prospect
ing to Oregon, like Docsticks friend, and the
party that bought it, and other parties, are
there yet working that original claim, and new
ground that helped TO prospect FIVE years
ago last summer. 1t dom look as it did then
there are no c;bbages or melons there now, but
huge piles of tailings, holes tail races, ditches
fumes, and sluice boxes the whole distance
through the ranch, and $50 yards wide. @
When looked at it to-day, and saw father
Lomax fencing in new piece, wondered if
he would have the same peaceful reply now, if
| should get over now and sink hole in this
new garden. "Boys," said he, IL know you
have the best right, but ] hope you wont dig
up any more thdn you rantn But James says
they have not yet dug up quite enough.-l
The claim of the Forman boys, and Mr. Red
dick Hill's claim, are two old standard ones
that have given employment to about FIVE men |
each at 81 or SO a day for five years past.
Then our health took us to Mr.. james Mat |
teson's claim. He runs two strings of sluiccs
and does the blacksmithng each day for
Washington Flat. Then we went to the store
with n. w. Green, who was blowing a piece
of ground where we once raised the color,
and he expects to raise Irish oranges. Green
4 Harvey have good ranch for grnin. gar
dening and fruit raising, as | have judged
many times, from the size of the melons, the
quality Of peaches and flavor of the grapes.-
Well, wc tried the gin in the store, found it
good, gave the appropriate permission to keep
some on Haild Till we came round agaln-then
we went home to dinner with Mcssrs Wood
and Harvey, the miners tho are making good
wages. After that we went back to the store
and saw the man who discovered Washington
Flat in 1852, and the one who had stole nv
loaf of bread on that Christmas Eve They
have claims that pay well. We saw Joe Ma
son and others, all doing we'll Plenty of
water in Eureka and Sebastopol bitches, and
good wages for the working. Then we turned
up Jack Brantly, and he warned us off the
Flat, not to come back for two months.
We left for the Forks of the road I can't
call that Altaville, till, like that word "tele-
gram, it is laid down in Webster Near
here are several claims in the end of Bald
Hill, that paid well for more thantwo years.
There is plenty of ground in the range, but it
is deep and wet. On that hill in 80 and 3d.
helped to sink 246 feet and $4,000.
At the Forks" the foundry is in full blast.
making quartz mills. Many fruit trees are be-
ing planted out here, and it will soon be a
much more beautiful suburban place of resi-
oence than it is now Here struck man
who had made n strike at the Crystal claim
Then we came to the Revere House and in
quired after Mr.. Richard Jacks, who was shot
last week. lie is well rs conld be expected, |
has the best of nursing and attendance by his |
friends and acquaintance, who all hope for
Ii + indc shn uc a