The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1869-11-12

California Ups asd Downs.
Asrk Tvoins Dsser;ption ef HI Passag.
2ArousA he CaEIernis Nh.
A banquet was given to the California
Pieneers. IN New York, on Tuesdsy, Oct
II. Among the letters rad was the fol.
lowing:
ELnr1A, October II, leoo.
10 ls Cal0Srnis Pioneers:
0ENTLExEx:-C Circumstances render It
out of my power to take advantage of the
invitation extended to me through Mr.. Sim.
onton, and be present At your dinner in New
York I Iregret this very much, for there
are several among you whom would have
. right 10 join hands with on the score Of
old friendship, and I suppose would have
sublime general right TO shake hands with
the rest of you on tho score Of kinship In
California ups and downs in search of for.
tune. II were to tell some Of my exper.
fences, you would recognize Californian
blood In me, fancy. The old, old story
would seem familiar, no doubt. have the
usual stock of "reminiscences. For instance,
went to Esmeralda early. purchased
largely in the "Wide West," the WHINE
muccs," and other claims, and was very
wealthy. Jared sumptuously on bread
when -four was $20O barrel, and had beans
every Sunday when none but bloated aris-
tocrsts could afford such grandeur. But I
finished by feeding batteries in quartz mill
1t $l5 . week, and wishing was battery
myself aud had somebody to feed me. Ny
claims in Esmeralda are there yet. I suppose
I could be persuaded TO sell. went to the
Humboldt District when it was new. be.
came largely interested in the "Alta Nue.
w." and other claims with gorgeous names,
ana was rich again-in prospect Iowned
. vast mining property there. would not
have sold out for less than 600, 900, At that
timc-but will now. Finally, I walked
homc-somc 200 miles-partly for exercise
and partly because stage fares were expen.
sivc. Next entered npon an afluent career
in Virginia City, and by judicious invest.
ment of labor and the capital of friends, be-
came the owner of all the worthless wildcat
mines there were in that part of the country.
Assessments did the business for me there
There was III assessments 10 one dividend,
and the proportion of income to outlay was
little against me. My financial thcrmomc-
ter went down to 80 Fahrenheit, and the
Subscriber was frozen out. took up ex.
tension on the main extensions that
reached to British America in one direction
and TO the Isthmus of Panama in the other
and verify believe would have been .
rich man il had ever found those internal
extcnsious But didn't. I ran tunnels
till I tapped the Arctic Ocean and sunk
shafts till broke through the roof Of per.
dition, but those extensions turned up mis-.
sing every time. I am willing to sell oil
that property, and throw in the improve.
ments. Perhaps you remember the celebrated
"North Ophir p I bought that mine 1t
was very rich in pure silver. You could take
it out in Jumps ~ large as = filbert But
when it was discovered that those Jumps
were melted half dollars, and hardly melted
At that. painful case of "sal: i'm" was ap.
parent, and the undersigned adjourned to
the poor.house again. paid assessments
on Hale & Norcross till they sold me
out, and had to take in washing for liv'
ing-snd the next month that infamous
stock went up to $1,000 foot Town mil
lions and millions of feet of aff1ueut silver
leads in Ncvada-in fact own the entire
undercrust of that country, nearly. and If
Congress would move that State off my
property 80 that could get at it, would
be wealthy yet But no, there she squats-
and here an I. Failing health persuades me
to cell. If you know of any one desiring
permanent investment, can furnish him
one that will have the virtue of being
eternal
have been through the California mill
with oil its "dips, spurs, and angles, varia
tions, and sinuosities" have worked ther,
at oil the different trades and profession,
known 70 the catalogue Ihave been every
thing, from . newspaper editor down Il
cowcatcher on . locomotive, and am en-
couraged TO believe that II there had been
few more occupations to experiment on,
might have made dazzling success at lest
and found out what mysterious design Prov
idence had in view in creating me.
But you perceive that although I am not
pioneer. I have had sufficiently variegate'
time of it 70 enable me to talk pioneer like
native, and feel like Forty. Miner. There
fore. I cordially welcome you to your oil
remembered homes and your long deserte
dresides, and close this screed with the sin
cere hope that your visit here will be . hap
py one, and unembittered by the sorrowfu
surprises that absence and lapse Of years ar
won't to prepare for wanderen; surprise
which come in the form of old friends mil
ed from their places; silence where familia
voices should be; the young grown old
change and decay everywhere; home . d.
lusion and . disappointment; strangers Z
the hearth.stone; sorrow where glsdne,