Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1861-03-15
ADVENTURES IN UTAH.
PROSPECTING TRIP IN THE wAsH0E MINES.
az De oulllE. a,a
WRITTEN FOR THE cEpAR FALLS GAZETTE.

PROSE- PECT1NG TRIP IN THE WASHOE HlNEl
By De QUlLLE.
| WRITTEN FOR THE cEpAa FALLS GAZETTE. -.
"They'v struck it big bevond the Carson |!
| Such was the exclamation Of Dixson, as h
rushed excitedly into our tent.
"Struck what, bigW queried We, "g0ld
silver, copper, lead, or soap"
Nary a soap-gold! | tell you they
struck it big; coarse gold too, big as peas :
"Well, who struck it, and what is it in
quartz or gravels
"Bill Patten and Mccormick, and som
other boys struck it, and it's in gravel, in
ravinc--awful rich, you bet! boys can max
twenty dollars day with rocker--no hum
bug about it." @
at looks fshey, aint there a sell in 2"
Not bit oft, | tell you got it straight
one Of the boys has come over after rocker
and he told me all about it; all we'v got t
do is to keep still about it, and not let it ge
out over town and We can get there and ge
all the ground we want. want to be elected
recorder, for wen make new district, ant
want you to leg fpr me; and If there's ,
place that will do for town you may hav.
the town, and I'll leg for you.
"Ycs, but aint these things snatched up
aint the town site takcn?"
"The town? yes, well the town, the towr
may be taken, but the recorders Office amt ,
"Well, we can't all be recorders; what am
to get If the town is gone :" a.s
''Coudn't you get a hay-ranch?'
81 don't want ranch Of any kind, in this
God-forsakcn neck o'wOods, Mr.. Dixson; but
doyou think it would pay to 60 to this place 2?
"Pay? why Dan, its big ] tell you, big"'
"Ycs. You said some time ago that it was
big as peas! but is there plenty Of it think
your will it pay half or fourth Of twenty
dollars per days' " -h
H" Why, what's come over you Dan? you
are generally ready to run after everything,
and now when I've found out good thing
done hard pumpin' too, to find out the par.
ticulars-you don't care anything about it;
| tell you candidly believe its the best thing
ever struck in Washoe; for it pays, you see,
withoi it any expense; all you'v got do is to
get your rocker and 60 to work, and you
have your gruna cash every night Some Of
the boys are getting ready now, over to my
camp, and il you would like to go along, why
get your blankets,--John Winn, will pack
'em for vou-and some bacon, I've got -four
-and little tea and sugar, and come along"
So at length concluded to 60, though
felt pretty confident that DiXson had his ideas
up little too high but still | thought there
might be some truth in the story, and even
though it should prove fizzlc, would get
to see part Of the country had never visi-
ted. On consulting with Hank" it was
decided that we both should 60, and packing
up a couple of pairs of blankets, little tea
and sugar; taking some test tubes and nitric
acid for testing rock for silver we went over
to Dixson's tent and found several animals
packed and the caravan about ready for n
start Our things We're lashed on mule,
the train fell into line, and away we went,
some twelve in all. AS we marched down
Gold Canon, with shovels and picks on our
shoulders, and gold pans gathering at the
pack saddles, many a miner drew aside the
blanket which served as door to his cabin,
and pcered anxiously forth; his countcnance
saying as plainly as ever countenancc did
Z" wonder what the DIS up?" But we
knew thing or so--you bet we chuckled
to ourselves and wondered if Barley and the
Miller boys, wouldn't like to be in the secret ?
reckon they might be mean enough to watch
us, &c etc. We passed the ancient city of
Johnstown, one and half miles below Silver
City. containing three houses and eight or
ten bcrcaved and disconsolate- looking Chin
neys, the houses thercunto pertaining having
went to Virginia City, during the excitement
incident to the striking of the great Constalk
silver lobe, and four miles further on, at the
junction of the Gold Canon with Carson
River, filed into the venerable village of Chin
atown, situated in the valley of the Carson,
and well known to cmigrants by the over
land route. Here our appearance caused
of sensation and on every vlsage
was portrayed considerable amount of curl
osity, not unlnixed with mild astonishmcnt--
even the unimpressible celestials, paused in
their occupation ofcleansing garments to gaze
after us with countenances as nearly express
sing wonder as any countenancc could, with
eyes whose natural obliqucness, even in a
quicsccnt state, approaches very nearly to
45 degrees. Passing through the village,
which contains some dozen houses, VIC soon
came to the river. Here was fix; the
river was high and swift, nearly all of our
party were on foot, the mules heavily packed
and but one horse without load; but he
was large muscular animal capable of en-
during any amount Of "grief." The owner
Of this horse, one Tom Lovel, rode across the
stream, the water almost running over the
horses back, and the pack mules were driven
after by means of clubs and stones thrown
after them and all got safe across except
one puny and unlucky mule that was carried
down By the current. The little rascalne
attempted to swim until after drifting some
distance down the river, when he turned
square against the current and padded away
ike a good fellow for near five minutes with
but either gaining or losing a single inch,
when with mournful despairing ee-a-haw I,
he gave UP and hoatcd ashore on the same
side from which he started in. Tom now
came over on his horse, and after allowing
The dripping little mule short putting spell,
! lasso was thrown about his neck and the
valiant little fellow towcd over in spite of his
meanings, kickings and sundry other depre-
,atory manifestations. Now. we footmen
we're, one at time. mounted behind Tom on
lie "galliant stecd' and born "acros't the
raging waw-ter." and all, but poor me, effect
I'd safe landing. was the last to cross
md on reaching the bank, Thomas, having
,vcr-much faith in the puisance of We steed,
insisted on urging him-against frantic ap-
peals to dcsist, on my part-to mount up the
bank; and the consequence
vas that we both slid back upon the horses
rump, causing his hind feet to- sink in the
;oft mud; and then, it seems to me, I have
! dim recollection Of seeing horses head
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