The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-01
THE MARCH MAGAZINES.
"THR OVERLAND"

the following list of articles: 20 'Trail-making
m the Oregon Mountains "Not Yet,
"Among the Islands, THE Romance of q
Trunk, "on the Lower California Coast,
I'm Xto," ''Daisy, "Camp-life in Arizona
"Of and in Guatemala, British Columbia,
Tom Tiddler's Ground, "Chiquita, "The
Lesson of George Peabody's Life, IAN Ari-
zona Legend" Brown of Calaveras, "Cur-
rent Literature"
From the paper entitled "On the Lower
California Coast" we quote the following
prospecting" anecdote:-
Soon after the first whaling vessels visited
the hgoons, two ships, which had arrived
early from the north, were lying quietly at
their anchors, their crews feasting on the
bountiful productions of the bay, and re-
Geving themselves from the confined and
monotonous life on board by making excur-
sions on shore among the rugged peaks of
Margarita Island, or through the estuaries
that thread the northern shore. Sometimes
during those rambles, one who had the
curiosity to see the top of the island, after a
fatiguing climb, paused to rest, and take a
survey of the objects around him. Knocking
about in the debris he chanced to pick up
what he believed to be the precious gold
itself, and fastening back to the ship made
known the discovery to his captain. A second
expedition to the place developed the sup
posed gold deposits more fully, and q large
number of the specimens were brought to
the ships and examined by the two captains
and their officers, who pronounced them to
be ''pure gold, sure enough"
One of the two ships was among the largest
and best-appointed in the whole Pacific feet,
and the captain of high reputation, not only
as O successful whaling-master but man of
much shrewdness. His Judgment generally
bore great weight with his brother captains.
His decision was listened to with willing ears,
when he addressed all hands in this wlse:-
'Yes, men, this is the real stuff. Now we
will go to work and get as much of it as we
wish, and let them catch 'devil-fish' that
want to. There is powder for blasting in the
magazine, iron and all the other materials on
board to get up quite set of mining imple-
ments; forge with plenty of COAL and good
blacksmith into the bargain; so the sooner we
are at it the better" Immediate preparations
were made to commence mining. It was now
an admitted fact that all hands we're to dig
gold and become immensely rich. But the
question arose, ''Who is going to dig gold on
the one-hundredth or two-hundredth lay ?"
This was a serious matter, and fully discussed
at night in the binding darkness of the fore
castle; for Captain l. never permitted
light to be burned forward after the regular
hours.
After due deliberation, all the crew came
to the firm conclusion that ''they would not
dig gold on a lay: one of their number had
discovered it, and really they had better
claim to the mine than the officers" '.But,"
said they, 1--WE are willing to allow the old
man good price for his grub, the use of
his tools, and will charter his ship, if he says
80, to take us and our 'rhino' home" So, it
was agreed that all hands should go aft and
let the captain know what was up,
as soon as they should be turned
to" in the morning. But, who is to be
spokesman? ?" asked one. All pitched on Jim
Dow, who, however, declared that he had
rather 60 devil-fshing than face the old
man and do the talking"
After some delay, one of their number
volunteered to be spokesman At the ap-
pointed time in the morning the crew as
sembled aft and asked to see the captain
He soon made his appearance, and every one
could see by his determined look that it was
no time to handy words. Their speaker
respectfully informed him that ''the crew
thought II was hardly fair thing to dig gold
op lay"
1.-THE ID you don't!" replied the cap
tain. ''You're pretty set of fellows If you
go to cutting your aukes out here, I'll send
the whole posse of you a whaling, and a
precious little good will this gold do you when
the voyage is up! You're a set of stupids,
from beginning to end Why, I'll give any
of you $4,000 for your share-and what
more do you want Go forward I won't
hear another word from you!"
The command was promptly obeyed, and
soon the order came to 'turn to, which was
obeyed likewise. Night came again, and
when all had gathered in the forecastle, the
new speculation was the engrossing topic of
conversation. Jack Dow said, ''As for my part,
/ think the matter stands about like this:
we've got the 'old man and $4,000 on one
side sllre, and devil-fish, stoven boats, and a
greasy job on the other, and 1 goes in for
the side what's got the spondulics."
This speech satisfied all present, and the
next day everything went on cheerfully. Drills,
crow-bars, and other mining tools we're made
as fast as willing hand could work, and any
of the ships whaling implements that could be
turned to account were Immediately appropri-
ated to the new adventure. A kind of
knapsack was made of heavy canvas, for
each man to transport the precious metal
from the mine to the ship, and this sackful,
delivered on board, was the ''stint" of each
enc daily.
Every succeeding morning, as the sun rose
over the dark peaks of the island, might have
been seen a train of men slowly plodding up
the sleeps, with the white sacks to theil
backs; and before the close of the day, singly
or In squads, they returned to the ship and
deposited their treasure in the strong casks
that had been originally designed to receive
the swimming treasures of the deep.
In the meantime, Captain L., anxious
about the genuine quality of the metal, de.
spatched party, with specimens, to one o
the gulf ports, where there was an assayer