Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-10-13
Bread upon the Waters.
AN INCIDENT OF CALIFORNIA LIFE.

In the summer of 1850. while on a
prospecting tour in the mining regions
Of California, l met with the following
little incident, which may be worth re-
latlng, and which, at least, has the
merit ot being true in every particular.
The country in those days WAS very
thlnly populated, and the miners prin-
cipaiiy lived in tents, lumber being
exceedingly scarce and very high in
price. While | was passing along ia
u lonely part of the country, l saw
tent in the distance, and wishing to
obtain some information in regard To
the diggIngs III that lncai..-- aP-
preached IL. lne owner was engaged
IN sweeping out the interior with a
rude broom, made Of twigs. and did
not notice me until | was within few
feet of him. Everything about Was
scrupulously clean, aud in marked
contrast with the appearance Of miners
habltations generally. ! shall never
forget the pltiiul appearance the man
presented. AS near rs | could Judge,
lie was about six feet four or five inch
rs III height, but a perfect living skele.
ton. l remarked, My friend, you APP
pear 10 be very sick ; too sick to be
engaged in such uniuiportant business
as sweeping" lie replied "that he on
Is had u few days more TO live, and
that he liked to see things look neat
during that time"
inquired his ailament, and lie told
me he nad the chronic diarrhpa, and
Is yet had found nothing to .aiiord
him any relief. recommended 4 prep
aration that had long known to be
very efiicacious in disorders of that
nature but he was out of money, and
said that he was too weak 10 get the
ingredients, even if he had the means,
AS the nearest camp of Importance
was six miles distant l told him that
he should not suffer Us long as it was
in my power to assist him; that still
had about two ounces Of dust left, and
that would place it all at his service
If necessary. l easily procured all the
ingredients but one, and that was the
white of eggs. which for Il long time
found it impossible to obtain. Finally
| learned that there was an old woman
a native Californian, who lived five
miles away in a contrary direction
from where l obtained the other arti-
| cles, and that she had but one hen.
called upon her, and having some little
knowledge OF spanish, prevailed up.
on her to sell me two eggs, which she
did very reluctantly, charging me
fce dollars for them. 1t must be re-
nembered that in those days -four,
sugar, and maLy other articles,
brought from seventy-five cents to one
dollar per pound, while eggs, as an ar
ticle Of diet, were entirely out Of the
question.
Upon my return gave my patient
his medicine, and having chopped him
q considerable supply of wood, and
baked him enough bread to last coup
lie Of weeks, ] remained several days,
until l found that mis- condition had be-
gun to improve, when left him, re-
ceiving many warm expressions Of
gratitude on my departure.
About eighteen months afterward,
having had bad luck in mining, l went
to Knights Ferry, and having had
some little experience in pounding
iron, l opened small blacksmith shop,
and commenced sharpening picks for
a living. One day, while at work at
the anvil, man Of gigantic stature
passed the door, and as he did SO our
eyes met. He retraced his footsteps,
entered the shop, and inquired if I
would sharpen his pick. l replied in
the affirmative, but noticed that it was
in very good order, and needed but
little improvement. After the job was
completed, he inquired my charge. l
told him sevcnty-five cents per point,
or one dollar and fifty cents for the
two. Drawing forth large buckskin
purse, he handed me q number of
coarse pieces Of gold-thirty in all
the smallest of which would amount
TO many times the price Of the work.
! / asked him what he meant. He re-