Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1858-04-29

Arrived in camp, the miner first builds sub
stantial log cabin, as timber is plenty and the
weather sometimes cold. Usually two camp t. 4
gether, though some have become SO stoical anf
old bachelorfed that they prefer to live alone.
The cooking utensils of one of these homes'
is rather limited; coffee pot, frying pan and
baking kettle being considered a miners COM
plement one plate, cup and saucer, knife and
fork, to the man comprises all the crockssy
The furniture consists of bunk a couple
of stools, and small table. The only real COM
Portable thing is the fire place.
The chief articles of food are bread and beans
though some indulge in luxuries, such as pettf
toes, beef and milk, but these are not consider
ed healthy in dry camp" There is list!0
regularity in the regime of his domestic aGssT.
all know how tocook, and do il when tie, "a I
ligodto. About the only thing In culinary affairs
that the miner boasts of, is the art of free1
making, and could your lady readers see some
of the nice light loaves he makes, they would
say he did so justly, and perhaps might turn
and look to their aurels. Now this style of
living may seem to your readers all very fac
and romantic, but a few weeks experience would
suffice to take the poetry out and then the dull
routine of housekeeping become burden.
But there are other things which make life
like this anything but pleasant; the long wea-
ry evenings to be passed without even a dog to
speak to, no society to mingle in, no books to
read-nothing to break the silence within.
Happy the man who has once enjoyed the pleas
ures of q good home, mingled in the society of
loving friends for in his lonely cabin, memory
performs her Office; bringing up from the un-
forgotten past, scenes of " long ago." when he
gathered with the loved ones around the fireside
of home, and as he watches the Pickering blaze
of his fire, he sees many form fantastically
marshalng themelves before him.
The darkest hour of all is that of sickness
and death to lie on hard couch with the fe-
yer racking his brain, with none but his rude
but kind companion to attend him. no woman
there to soothe his pain by her magic influence;
and should death with his vsage grim hover
over him, no mother will be there with her holy
hands to smooth his pathway down the dark
valley; no sister will be there to perform the
last holy offices to brother nofather, brother
or friend will bend tearfully overhis dying form
but alone he will breathe his life away, and when
death has stilled his pulse, and the spirit that
50 often yearned for the kind care of the loved
ones is with its God he will be hurried into an
unknown grave no fearful train of mourncrs
will listen to the sound of the dirt as 1t ratles
on his rude coffin; no minister of God commit
his dust to the earth--but underso some loft xyipe
the hardy miner will be buried, Without ast51e
to mark the spot where his ashes sleep. The
little mounds that dot every hill and valley, re-
minds the traveller of a history that the great
world knows not of and not until that day
= when California gives up her dead, will the sor-
rows of the heaat, which lie so still at her feet
be known.
4 But thanks to the noble, enterprising spirit
of our people, a brighter day is dawning, in
, which the will not live and die like this; the
little plant which sprung up a fcw years since
: on the shores of the Pacific is fast developing
and ere long will blossom-the flower will be Il
mighty State California, possessing as she does
such inexhaustible resources both mineral and
agricultural, a climate unequaled in the world
~ with her broad valleys waiting for the husband
{ man, mountain sides rich in their aurferous
: deposits, and thousand other channels Of in
o dustry that only claim the tribute of labor to
Is yield up their riches-must be the brightest star
d in the galaxy of our flag. When the govern.
Il ment shall be wrested from the hands of parti-
/ san demogogues, and sound State policy be
dispensed by men to whom honor is something
" when the church and the schoolhouse shall
i dot her hills and valleys, disseminating theil
u christianizing enlightening seeds-when aooma'
with her hallowing, harmonzing influence
y shall come to make her home here-when jus
u tce shall assert her prerogative, and find vim
Y dication of it in the strong arm of the law
'e when she is redeemed from the thraldom tt
u which her renegade politicians have reduced he
III then will her valleys TEEN with the labors o
W noble hearted yeomanry; then will Califori'
y be emphatically the land of the free and th'
home of the brave," and take her stand anon,
the sister States second to none.
. Then come, ye hardy sons of New England
~ to this land of promise; come and enter thu
bo ranks in the great battle of civilization AM
4 progress; come with your New England princi
pies and energies. California nesds men wh
@ have back-bone, men who can meet and battl
" with disappointment but most Of all she need
conen--and she must have them. There
J., much truth in the old Latin aphorism, '' Hom
;, sOh,s aut deus dm duenon,' and unless ther
are some women sent out here there will be
, great many of the latter.
40 In my next letter shall have something t
81 say about quartz mining A. Il. A.
Cor. Boston Journal
re JOE Downs DIcTIoNARY.--Joe Downs was
s. dull boy at school, always behindhand wit
Nc his lessons, and always at the narrative end 0
us his class. Every Saturday we were Obliged t