Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1867-04-13
Almost everybody went in more

thing about it-so hard, in fact, that |
was more than a little alarmed for the
result.
got it into my head about that time
that | would like to run down to Wash
ingtcn and take look at the forts ar d
camps. Somehow it always CALLED me
a good deal that | could not take nv
part with the rest, and I wanted to have
a look at the thing any how. So | call
ed at the house to see Lucille and get a
short furlough, and I succeeded sur
prisinglv well That is, | didn't see as
much Of Lucille as l wanted, but the
old gentleman gave me leave of absence
readily, and added:
"Suppose something may happen,
somewhat, whiles you are dare, eh +?
You seed me telegram, quick %
eyes, L replied, "but you know
the War Department don't allow fel-
low to send over the wires just what he
wants to"
ooh, never mind all dat,' said
Mitraille, "just you send sometimes
good or bad, no matter just de words
| understand mighty quick, ha +! ha !!
Never you mind the War Department"
"And so,' continued John, "off I
went, without very clear idea of what
was expected, or how l was to do it.''
And now the rest of it sounds tre-
mendously like page from Munchau-
sen, but it's all clear historical fact
Mitraille wrote letter which got to
Washington about as soon as | did,
urging NE to keep my ears and eyes
open, and promising that if [ sent him
any thing of importance he would go
halves with me on the profits. saw
by that how terribly nervous he was
getting, and concluded that affairs must
be even worse with him than l knew
Of Nevertheless, l began to be trife
excited myself, and though | had sort
Of horror of speculation, especially of
gold gambling, l commenced to box
around me pretty sharply for items.
Among other adventures | fell in with
old Sam Gorham, of Cincinnati, one of
our correspondents, and nephew of
his, queer, awkward spoon of fell,w,
and we went around sightseeing in
company.
Nothing would do for either uncle or
nephew but a continual succession of
cocktails, and I had to leave them in
their rooms soon after dinner, somewhat
the worse for wear, while l continued
my search for information under Diff
culties.
didn't find out anything in paric-
ular all that night or the next forenoon,
but l saw the sights pretty effectuaIy,
and about noon went into my frienls'
room to stir them up. l found the
nephew loling disconsolately on chair,
and the unc!e in bed with a high fev.r,
the natural result of his foolishness he
day before. The hopeful youth begin
the story of his tribulations by stating
that he had expected his aunt thre
that day, but had received letter frCm
her saying that she had been delayed
and could not come on at once.
I asked him what the doctor sad
about his uncle
ooh, the old man IS right sick, andI
reckon I'd better telegraph to Auit
Sally to come on right off"
On the plea of splitting headache
he begged me to send his message, aid
[ thought | would send one at the sane
time to Mitraille & Co. Well his tee
gram, saving the direction, read:
"Don't wait for anything. Unle
Sam very sick indeed -
While mine was simply.
"Nothing stirring. Having a god
time"
Now, how on earth those two little
affairs got interchanged is mystery 10
me to this day. Perhaps I did i;
maybe he did it; perhaps it was doe
at the telegraph office; l don't kno1
but twisted they certainly were, nd
somehow both of them passed the ca
sors. When Mitraille opened his lie
straishtway imagined that something hid
gone to smash in Washington, and tiat
had taken neat way of giving hinja
hint, and he rushed out and bought II
the gold his credit would cover
He wrote me by that mail an account
of transactions whose magnitude almst
turned my hair gray and while le
thanked me for my hint he begged ne
to be sure that my information vas
correct. l thought at first that he vas
crazy, and then l got pretty near era y
myself, thinking of what might be tie
consequences of the mistake. The fist
thing | did-this was the next dg,
you know-was to rush into Riggs |
and ask the latest gold prices. |
Guess my delight when found than
fairly jumping upward. 1t was wo-
derful Still, l was terribly nervos,
ior all sorts of rumors were ahoat, ad |
l knew that gold could fall as fast as it |
could rise The feeling grew on re
until, pretty nearly half-demented,I I |
went into the telegraph Office 1t |
Wizards and dashed off |
"It's all sell, and big one" |
Well, the old gentleman took tat
just as he had the other one, and OF |
only sold out but went short to the all |
extent of his line. 1t was the luckest |
thing in the world, for, sure enoyh, |
within forty eight hours things did go
down heels over head. I began toieel
superstitious; there was something
fairly uncanny about it +; and I paked
up my kit and made fast time for Sew ]