Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-05-03
STORY OF THE $4,000 CHUNK.
BY DAN DE QUiLLE.
WRITTEN ron THE CEDAR rA,,s o,,r,r,


BY DAN De QUiLLE.
WRITTEN FOR THE CEDAR FALLS GAZETTE
When mining in Omega, California, I used
often to buy fruit and vegetables Of one
armed Dutchman who came up every week
from the foothills and small valleys in the
vicinity Of Auburn, with two horse wagon
loaded with farm produce Besides fruit and
fresh vegetables he generally had supply of
eggs, butter, &C., which he was able to pur-
chase Of the ranchmcn below at such prices
as would bear transportation to the mining
towns in the mountains and by retailing
them out pay handsome profit. This is a
very good business where the person follow.
ing it knows just what his customers REQUIRE
and how much Of each article he can sell
each trip; and as our Dutchman appeared to
understand his business he seemed to be
flourishing in the "tater and cabbage line"
Happening one day to ask friend if he
knew how the . little vegetable peddler " lost
his arm he told me the following story which,
(as it illuminates life in California, and es-
pecally the number of "good" and "bad
streaks' V met with, will scratch down for
the amusement of myself and perhaps some
Of your readers: AM.
At the time my story commences the little
Dutchman has two arms; but he is sick with
a fever, in his cabin, or rather his partners
cabin, on Feather River. This partner is also
Dutchman and just one of the meanest,
stingiest men to be found for when Dutch.
man does get mean, stingy notions into his
head, he "gits 'em awfnl!' Our Dutchman.
whom we will call Jacob Mcntz, being fiat
broke the other Dutchnan, whom We will
call vindictvely - Gunsenhauser, turned
him out of the house to shift as best he could.
Mentz was very pale, very weak and sick,
scarcely able to work. He went to the cabin
ofa "mean, little-souled. down-ea Yankee"
who, strange to say, took him in, nursed him
and treated him very kindly till he was able.
to be about again. Now Mentz, was a very
sober industrious man and, vas when in
health. always tinkerine away at something.
So as soon as he was stout enough to work
he took his pick, shovel and pan and went
out among the hills and spent his time at
prospecting in the various ravines making
down to the river. In one of these where
there had hcen good deal of wor'. done in
so and 81 he went to prospecting where
the old miners had left off: but could but
barely "raise the COLOR He noticed that
the bedrock at this point was very hard and
smooth, so he thought that this circumstance
might have induced the former owners to
abandon the diggings thinking thev had
given out. Therefore, he went above and
sunk down hole some six feet to the bed
rock; and right in the very bottom OF the
hole sticking fast in great crcvice he struck
such lump of gold as he had never dreamed
of in all his life-he thought now he had
come upon such diggings as never before bad
been found-diggines where the gold lay in
chunks like paving stones. and that he would
never more be poor or despiscd Hc took
his prize and hid it in hole high up in
great cliff Of rock on the river bank and then
went hom. to the cabin Of his friend, John
Searle. He said nothing to John Of what he
had found till after supper, when he told him
he had better sell his old claims as they were
rather poor paying diggings and not wear
himself out at working in the river among
the great boulders.
But" says John, what better can do /?
know very well that they are not big pay
ing diggings, but am able to save some
thing and must keep them, hard as the work
is, till something better turns up"
But, john says Mentz, 81 want you
to sell them!"
You do why do you want me - sscll p
Because you are now my partner in some
diggings that are just ten times as good and
| wish you to have your work with mc-you
took me into your house when was sick and
nursed and fed me when you had no idea
that would ever have it in my power to re-
pay You; and now have been able to do as
good turn for you, and thank God that It
is SO! for had feared my friend, that |
should have to remain long in your debt.
have to-day struck diggings which / think
will, not to speak extravagantly. pay us $40
per day and you are my partner, you own
half!"
OF course Searlc was pleased and thanked
Mentz from his heart, but still feared that he
was putting the new diggings too high
when the truth was that Mentz did not rate
them at one tenth Of what he thought they
were, for he really supposed they should
make two or three hundred dollars per day
in his new diggings.
However, to cut my story AZ short as pos
sible Searle hired a man to work his old dig
gings while he and Mcntz worked the. t,ew
and verv rich They proved, indeed. paying
from $40 to 500 dollars per day all winter
and till late in the s"ring before they were
all worked out. John Searle went home
soon after with sufficient "pic " to make
him and his family comfortable for life. while |
Mehtz who had never said word to any
person Of his big chunk mot even to Seafl, |
went into big enterprise in river mining |
y. 4 - L. u.