The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-01-27
Gdts, StettBes, SnttOotts, &t.
From the Buffalo Express
Il AT3LX DAMS IN n NEV ADA.
SILFEEe LAND TABOBS.
By MARK TWAIN

One Of the curious features Of Pacific
Coast life is the startling uncertainty that
marks a mans career in the mines lie
may spring from poverty to wealth so sud-
denly as 10 turn his hair white, and lben
after while lie may become poor again
20 suddenly as to make all that white hair
fall oct and leave his head as clean as
billiard ball The great Nevada silver
excitement Of $3.50 was prolific of this
sort Of vicissitudes.
Two brothers, teamsters, did some haul
ing for man in Virginia city, and had
to take a small segregated portion of
silver mine in lieu Of $500 cash. They
gave an outsider a third 70 open the mine,
and they went on teamiRg. But pot long,
Ten months afterwards the mine was out
x debt and paying each owner S8, ,000 to
$4,000 q month-say S100, 600 year.
They had that handsome income for just
about two yeaFs-and they dressed in the
loudesf kind of costumes and wore mighty
diamonds and played poker for smuse
ment. these men who lad seldom $40 at
one time in all their lives before One
of them il tending bar for wages now, aud
the other is serving his country as com
mander>in~cbief of a street car in San
Francisco at ST5 per month. He was
very glad to get that employment, too.
One Of the earliest nabobs that Nevada
was delivered of wore S6, 600 worth of
diamonds in his bosom, and swore he was
unhappy because he couldn't spend his
money as fast as be made it. But lei US
learn from him that persistent effort is
bound to achieve success at last. With
In a years time his happiness was secure,
for he hadn't cent to spend.
Another Nevada nabob boasted an in
come that often reached $4,000 a month;
and he used to love TO tell how he had
worked in the very mine that yielded it,
for IS day, when he first came to the
country. Three years afterward he at
tanned TO the far more exceeding grandeur
of working in it again, at four dollars
day.
The silver and sage-brush State has
knowledge OF another of these pets Of for
tune-liited from actual poverty 10 afiiu-
eBce almost in single night-who was
able to offer $lO0,0O for position of
and diG offer it-and little over year
ago friend saw him shoveling snow on
the Pacific Railroad for living, away up
on the summit of the Sierras, some 1000
feet above the level OF comfort and the
sea- The friend remarked that it must
be pretty hard work though, asthe snow
was twenty-five feet deep, it promised to
be steady job, at least. Yes, he said,
he didn't mind it noac, though month or
so ago, when it was sixty-two feet deep
and stilIa showing, he was not SO much
attached to it. Such is life.
Then there was John Smith. That
wasn't his name, but we will call him
that. He was good, honest, kind
hearted fellow, born and reared in the
lower ranks Of life, and miraculousiy ig>
norant. He drove team, and the team
belonged to another man. BY and by be
married an excellent woman. who owned
a small ranch--a ranch that paid them a
comfortable living, for although it yielded
but little hay, what little it did yield was
worth from $3.50 TO $500 in gold per ton
in the market Presently Smith traded
a few acres Of the ranch for small, un>