Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-02-10

One Of the peculiar features of Paclf-
ic Coast life is the startling uncer tainty
that marks mans career in the mines.
He may spring from poverty to wealth
30 suddenly as to turn his hair white,
and then after a while he may become
poor again so suddenly as to make all
that white hair fall of, and leave his
head as Glenn as a billiard ball. The
great Nevada silver excitement of So
'69 was prolific in this sort of vicissi-
tudes. I1k"g #13i
Two brothers, teamsters, did some
hauling for man in Virginia City, and
had to take small segregated portion Of
= silver mine 10 lieu Of $500 cash.
They gave an outsider q third to open
the mine. and they went on teaming.--
But not long afterwards the mine was
out of debt and paying each owner
$4,000 to $4,000 monrh-say a
$lOO 600 a year. They bad that hand
some income for just about two years
and they dressed in the lOudest kind OF
costumes and wore mighty diamonds,
and played poker for amusement-these
men who had seldom had $40 at one
time in all their lives before. One Of
them is tending bar for wnges now, and
the other is serving bis county as com
nanier in chief of a street car in San
Francisco at SIS a month. He was
very glad TO ge, that employment, too.
One of the earliest nabobs that Neva
i j. g sc nm .s,0rfh
of diamonds in his bosom, and swore he
was unhappy because he could not spend
his money as fast as he made it. But lei
us learn from him that persistent. effort
10 bound TO achieve success at last
Within years time his happiness was
secure; for he hadn't cent to spend.
Another Nevada uabob boosted an in
come that often reached $4,000 month
and he used to love to tell how he bad
worked in the very mine that yielded it,
for SIS a day, when he first came to The
country. Three years aftcrwaId he Mt
tanned to the far more exceeding gran
deur of working in it again, at -four dol
lars day. --r-- r-.f-
The silver and sage brush State has
knowledge Of another of these pets OF
fortune-lifted from actual poverty to az
fuencs almost in single night-who
was able to offer 500, 900 for a position
of high official distinction, shortly after.
ward, and did Offer it-and little over
a year ago friend saw him shoveline
snow on the Pacific RaiIroad for living
away up on the summit Of the Sierras
some 1000 feet above the level and com
fort of the Sea. The friend remarked
that it must be pretty hard work
though, as The snow was twenty five fee
deep, il promised to be a steady job, Al
least. Yes, he said, he didn't mind i
noW. though a month or so ago when i
was sixly-two feet deep aud still a snow
ing he wasn't so much attached to it,
Such il life.
Then there Was John Smith. ThaI
WASH his name, but we will call him
that aHe-w"s good, hopest. kind
hearted fellow, born aud reared in the
lower ranks ef life. and amiraculuusly ig
norant. he drove asteam, and the team
belonged to another man.. By and BY
he married an excellent woman, who
owned small ranch-a ranch that paiC
them comfortable living. for although
it yielded but little hav, what httle it die
yield was worth from $3.50 to $500 il
iD gold per ton 10 the market Present
" Smith trmieti few acres of the ranci
for a small un'leveloped silver mine il
Gold Hill. He opened the mine snt
built little unprelending ten stamp mill
Eighteen months afterward he quit rails
ING. hay, for bis mining income haC
reached a most comfortable figure. Som,
people said it was $4,000 a month
and Others said il was 100000. Smiti
was very rich anyhow. He built hons'
out in the desert-right in the most for
bidding and otherwise bowling desert
and it was scurreutlyi reported that tn
honsc cost him quarter of Million
Possibly that was exaggerated some
what, though it certainly was a fin'
house and costly one. The bedstead
cost $400 or $500 apiece.
And then the Smiths went to Europ'
and travelled. And when they CANE
hack Smith was never tired of telling
about the fine hogs he had seen in Eng