The hydraulic press., 1860-06-16
The two last Candles Of . Gold-Minine

~ 1xOSPectOks
| The foilowing-whether fact of fancy-is
SO we'll told, and must strike so many gym
pathetic chords in the memories of so maay
California miners, that we consider no apol-
ogy due to anybody for transferring 1t to our
columns. 1t appears as original in the Sac
ramento Union, of June I'd:
"Capt. x, formerly Mississippi
steamboat commander, was one of onr early
gold-hunters--a hardy and energetic forty
miner, and soon accumulated the pretty little
sum of three thousand dollars, went back to
''the States and in 1851 returned with his
Nife end five children. For the next three
years the Captain was employed in fuming
rivers and working their beds with about
the average success of those who engaged
in this branch of mining realiz
ing handsome returns and at others losing
what he had made previously. About the
commencement of ;54, however, not finding
himself much the gamer by. his labors of the
previous three years, the Captain determined
on prospecting fat, opposite to which had
been rich bar on the American river and
! distant less than forty miles from Sacrament
to. Accordingly, with this determination,
the Captain "pitched into" the fat with pick
and shovel, with all his accustomed vigor
Shaft after shaft was sunk to the bed rock
year had passed away, and no ''color;" no
gold bad gratified the longing sight of the
indefatigable worker. But with energies
unabated, the Captain still wrought away
every day adding little to debt which was
accumulating against him, as he must have
tools with which to work and the necessa-
! ries to support his numerous and increasing
family.
"But," the Captain reasoned to himself,
''the fiat is large one; the bar was very
rich, and if should strike the same lead
here, I could soon pay off my debts. There
| is still ground enough here unprospected TO
contain dozen leads, and l hope to strike
! it yet"
But there is a gulf between creditor and
debtor, and has been since civilization was
known. And when creditor says to debtor,
''thus far shalt thou go, and no farther" this
gulf must be filled up with "the DUST" in
order to become passable.
And it so comes about in the second year
of the Captains prospecting, that every one
to whom he was indebted, at one and the
same time, refused him any more credit
But he still had small stock of provisions
and all his tools, and box of candles, which
be was fast consuming in running drifts from
his shafts. Seventeen of these shafts had
now been sunk, and ia neither of them had
the s'color" been found. One more trial must
be made; but as soon as it was attempted
the Captain heard, to bis sorrow, that he
was generally considered by miners, trades
men and others to be insane People had
formerly spoken of him, when not in pres
ence, with respect, and always called him
"Captain K" but now they haddropped
the title which he had earned by twelve
years of command, and merely alluded to
him as "Crazy K"
But this did not deter him from continuing
his labors. The eighteenth shaft was sunk;
but with no better success than that which
had attended the others. To be sure the
bedrock was "pitching," which was con-
sidered better indication than had yet been
| seen, and drift was started in the direction
of the pitch-off. Seventeen feet were run,
shaft sunk again to the d-rock, which was
still found to be .pitching" A pan of dirt
was taken from the most favorable location
on the bottom: but no gold did it contain
| So on again the drift was started and run
twenty feet further. This was as far as the
means OF the indomitabie Captain would al
low him to go. The little household, of
|
had now become like besieged city. It
could hold out no longer than the supplies
lasted which were on hand The last batch
of -four had been baked, and the outside
world were to him, his wife and little ones,
as enemies: for they said to him plainly, "No
more supplies from u.s."
With heavy heart and quick step did
Captain Z return to his work that after
l - l. snl vk<.I L \
in ignorance of their real necessities so long
as she could, but now she was obliged to iu-
form him. When, therefore, he received this
information (Which was Immediately after
having partaken Of his hurried dinner,) he
went to get his afternoons supply of can
dies, and, as fate would have it, he had but
two left So, seizing them, he hurriedly
marched forth to labor. Ascending his
shaft, lie addressed his comrades:
s'Let us hurry" said he, t'and if it be pos
sible, we will reach the bedrock to night
If we do, and find nothing, l will quit work
in this fiat, for here are my two last candles,
and Tomorrow my family will want bread,
and must contrive way to supply it,
And the pick and shovel wrought briskly
that afternoon. Towards night the bedrock
/ was again struck Without waiting to get
l pau Vi sSi iiouh t4C OOttOtu, Tile captain
| seized his pan and Slled it with gravel which
was more than a foot above it This was
washed and discovered gold! Hurrying
/ again into the drift, the Captain this time
took pan of dirt from the bedrock. TWAS
washed, and contained alttle over Eve dol
lars!
Do you think: reader, that it was unbe-
couaiag that strong man, as the shiny parti-
cles revealed themselves to him, to let fall
few big, briny drops into the pan along with
that yellow metalf When the thoughts of
wife, children-when thought came that his
little fortress couli now hold out until the
besiegers should be satisfied and retire, and
all of his own should be blessed with peace
and plenty-was it actually mark OF weak
ness to let fall those drops from those large
astonished eyes?
After few days the Course of the lead
was fnlly ascertained, and Captain K,