Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-12-31
All About q Coin

NJ" l"EH, sept, IN''.
We publish t,i, morning ;li iiti,c"n coin;
au1 e, ia ,o.lcrt,u.. an aivor, 70 tic iuyr Of
curious cnia, uy.c.f, and nothing tcmptS me
father than tlit prospect Of ;'iGinr one to my
cabinet, especially an American c,;i, Il pine
tree shi.iing, GIanby copper, orothcr mcr"rIal
oi o!.r own country. 1t was such = prospect
thpt lr'l me Gut of my way on tie home ward
tip from the White tiourlainS to Il quiet vii
lagc the locality whereof need hot mention
With precision. My friend, the village doctor;
wrote mr irnt ago taat if wol'id cone and
20, him. he would rive mc a quart measure full
cf cnppcrS abuut which he knew nothing. but
whirh some one had pronounced valuable
:, welt "ud ne gaze ne copprrs, and some
Of them were rare and curious, and were val
liable additions to my c"ii"ction
We were sitting, in the evening, before a
blazing fire for though it was but the first Of
Srpt nbcr, it was nevertheless very cold, when
the doctor took from his medicine caljnct Il
little case, and from the case slnall gold coin
What would you give to add that coin to
your c0ncctcn:
| examined it,. 1t was but common gold
hall-ra-lr, Of not very ca'ly date, and tossed
it to him with 4 Smilr.
"Y0u don't value it,
"Fivc dollars" replied.
" Al, YOU coin collectors have all idea that
Your coins are valuable because they are rare
If dice break im the Mimt when only one
proof coin has bICn struck, thTt rUiH forthwith
becomes priceless. Iiut. my friend, it is pos,
sblc that coins may be as valuable for private
aS>o, iationS, as for public historical reasons.
| have sometimes thought of making n collcc-
ton of coins by tnkin. one out of every fee
MT tbot j. SI,ncinlIv trnrfh rnTunn, herring
Then would catalogue them thus: Dead,
saved, lunatir, or with some word to remind
one Of the story that hangs by them. But
TINT coin Wonder should be the crown piece Of
the collection
And then the doctor told me n story. But
to appreciate it, YOU should have seen uS, the
group of listeners, and YOU should have seen
too the twinkle OF my iricrd's eye now ard
then. by way of gesture. For he smoked his
pipe a> he talked, and did not move hand or
foot, only lips and eyes,
Flat coin WAS lee I once got for win
ter nights service to an old man. 1t was
ncarlv midnight. The night was furious
clustering aloud. and cold rs the thcrlnOmr
ter c"nl allow it. That is, the mercury was
IN the huih and n my instrument only meas
uIrl twenty below zcr" | cannot guess how
uuci lclJW that it was. These winter nj ghtS
of ours are artic sometimes. was in bed.
Thanks to hard days work, ! had dOSed
every one Of my patients satisfactorily before
the cold grey sunset, and had passed the even
ihg rozilv by the side Of my candle in front Of
Il roaring fire.
II had drawn my bed out iiom the corner
into the very middle Of the room, hcapcd on II
lilr of logs that sent their blaze flashing mp
the chimney, slowed myself away under the
covers, opened the last number of the Elm
burgh, rclalSrd into condition Of perfect
calm.
"lIow the wind roarcd out>dc-langhing
shouting, >hlirkins around the corner Of the
house, dashing itself like thousand of-boyS
through the branches OF the trees, raSling
the limbs againStthG Slaphoarling Of the house
aS il some one were saving pine boards for
kintlling wood in short, uttrrinS all those
sounds that winter storm uttrI$ in the up
country, and which are musical or melancholy
cheerful or dismal, precisely rs the tone Of the
listeners mind may Nc.
"Scarcrly had read ten lines, when thun-
dcring rap shook the house.
"Qucrv shall he at homc-or away =
Shall he in or out? Answer; am not Wis
ting u patient across the hill nor coming
home ill Tomorrow III try it at all c7cnts.
And thinking thus, blew out the candle
and listened. Blowing out the candle was not
of much use when such blaxe was on the
hearth. think there was more light after |
had put it out And the next instant heard
under my window voice that was exceed
ingly thilling-
"Doctor, Doctor-oh, Doctor Strong-do
wake up!'
Very simple words, but very thrilling, |
say. She-it was a woman's voice-muSt
have come in at the gate, climbed a fence at
the side of the house, and bravcd the tcrrorS
of my dog Ciccro-an eloquent dog in good
weather, and profound coward too, hence his
name; say she had done all this to get under
my Niu'lUw