National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-05-13
Job Printing

Sooi do tucN Suontu bc tulucu w
in the morning. "But who is to be
spokesman r. asked one. All pitch.
ed on Jim Dow, who. however, de-
clared that he had ''rather go "a dew
II fishing than face the old man and
do the talking"
After some delay, one of their
volunteered to be spokes.
man. At the appointed time In the
morning the crew assembled 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 1.-THE crew thought it was
hardly fair thing to dig gold Oh
lay"
"The ID you don't !" replied the
Captain.
"You're a pretty set of fellows F!
If you go to cutting your tiukes ont
here I'll send the whole posse of YOU
a whaling. and Il precious little
good this will do you when The voy.
age is up! You're a set of stupids,
from beginning to end Why, III
give any of you 100000 for your
share-and what more do YOU wanti
The command was promptly
obeyed, and soon the order CAME to
":urn tor which was obeyed like
wise. Night came again, and W hen
all gathered in the torecastle, the
new speculation was the engrossing
topic of conversation. Jack Dow
said, GAS for my part, think the
matter stands about like this.
We've got the odd man and sJO'OOO
on one side, sure, and devil-fish,
stoven boats, aud greasy job on
the other, and ! gUeo in for the side
what's got the spondulics."
This speech satisfied all present,
and the next day everything went
on cheertully. Drills, crow bars,
and other mining tools were made as
fast as willing hands could work,
and any o, the ships whaling instrn-
ment ,nat could he turned to account
were Immediately appropriated to
the new adventure. A kind OF
knapsack was made of heavy car =
vas, tor each man to transport the
precious metal from the mine to the
ship, and this sackful, delivered on
board, was the "stint" of each one
daily.
Every succeeding morning, as The
sun rose over the dark peaks of the
island, might have been seen tram
Of men slowly plodding up tho
steeps with the white sacks to their
backs. and before the close of day,
singly or in squads, they returneu
to the ship and deposited their
treasure III the strong casks that
had been originally designed to re-.
crive the swimming treasures OF ths
deep.
In the meantime, Captain l.,
anxious about the metal, dispatched
party, with specimens, to one OF
the gulf ports, where there was an
assaycr. A few weeks elapsed te'
fore his return; but the sangnlne
miners, in their excitement, NOT
doubling the true worth OF the ore,
went on briskly with their work.
I'm due time, however, the messen-
ger returned with the report that
sit was nothing but iron pyrltes !"
This intelligence fell with crush
inc despair on the whole party.
What IL fall from rich gentlemen
of leisure, which they already had
been in their own antlclpationS TO
the poor Jacks Oh board "a whaler ]!
All felt chagriued ; some affecting to
laugh it off, others renarklng that
"the old man had got sold once III
his liten Bat one of their number
rcolied that sail hands might as
well own up that they had been sold
as well as the Captain. There is
not one Of U.S." said he, ''but has got
more or less of the stnif slowed away
in a sly corner, expecting to play
sharp with the old man on the lay
business Such, Indeed, was the
fact, many having appropriated
choice nuggets to private beneht,
serrcting them in bags between the
timbcrs of the vessel, while Others
hid their coveted treasures in theiI
beds or carried them constantly
about their persons.
The following morning, all hahds
were called aud ordered to "inake Il
muster aft" and the whole ships
company Immediately assembled
about The quarter deck. The Cap.
tain ut last made his appearances
A long silence ensued, when, raising
both hands, he exclaimed "If any
man ever divulgcs anything about
this here scrapc, I'll he the death OF
him. aud haunt him IN pnrgatory
And, miud you, there has got to bt
som. oil taken this season, or else
you'll see some cedar sp'it. The
whales are already in the bay, and
the sooner we are at it the better
Thus ended the gold mining on
Margarita islalri.
1t is but justice to stntey howtfef,
; that this Captain and his crew oi
amateur miners made the most sue.
cessfui "scason" of any on the coast.