The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1871-10-12

Norway Flat, since the time OF 'ltS olscoV.
ery in '52 had continued to be q prosperous
mining camp. The fabulous yield of many
of its mining claims had been reported in
the columns of leading newspapers Of the
civilized world. Numerous opportunities
had been offered Shakes to become the pos
SCISSOR of ground of promising character,
subsequently, proving rich. Mining, how
ever, possessed no attractions for him.
There existed no affinity between his nature
and the excitiment of the average gold
miners life. He never swned a foot Of
mining ground, sand didn't intend TO-" he
was accustomed to say, .tI go for the sure
thing" Even when the Wake-upJake
Company struck q two-ounces.to-the-pan
prospect, Shakes declined stalking off the
adjoining ground, then vacant, and upon
which he was at the time chopping wood.
That same piece of ground afterward proved
the richest ground on the whole Flat, nearly
twelve hundred ounces being obtained from
it as the proceeds Of one days washing g.-
This lack of enterprise-this disinclination
to venture-was supposed to be the morbid
offspring of his dissipated career The only
things for which he appeared to have any
care were his axe, his oss-eut saw and his
frower. These constituted his entire stock
intrade, and for, them he cherished some
thing bordering upon affection. a
Shakes was viewed as one Of Norway's
fixtures. It had been settled long ago ip
the minds of its inhabitants that his bones
would decay in the little cemetery on the
knoll overlooking the Flat. The idea Of his
removing was never for moment entertain-
ed by any one in that secluded community:
Shakes and Norway Flat had grown up with
one another. Norway Flat was Shakes
home. If he possessed home elsewhere he
had never been heard to speak Of it,,
The winter of go had set in. 1t was
about the middleof Fovember. The ground
was covered with several inches Of snow
tinkliug of sleigh-bells was heard in the dis
lance, and the little, town on the Flat was
instantly thrown into connection. It was
all occasioned by the arrival of "Barnard's
Monthly Express The arrival of the Ex-
prees was an important event in the otherwise.
routine of every day life of
Norway Fiat; for be it remembered that the.
era of wagon roads and railways had not
been inaugurated, and communication be-.
tween that mountain retreat and civilization
was at best infrequent and uncertain. -.
Among the anxious faces waiting the OPEN
ing of the little wicket of the post ofice and
tl,s p! distribution q Isttsss aPpsagsd that zot
inteatiy perusing q letterA 3.
aDam d if don make tracks for hum;
he suddenly exclaimed, and as suddenly bid
farewell to Norway Flat and its surround
ings. o.. -
That evening Shakes was missed from his
u.ual haunts, and it soon became generally
known that he had left the Flat. This was
ON unprecedented episode in the history OF
Norway Flat, Nothing had ever occurred
before to disturb its equaninity, excepting
the shooting of Red Alick by Russian Bill
in q moment Of frenzicd excitement, pro-
duced in the heat of discussion as to the
parties then engaged in the Crimean War,
His departure was the universal topic Of con-
versation around every freside and in every
bar.room in the camp. The speculations as
to the cause were as varied as they were in-
probable.
The thermometer at Browns that evening
indicated fifteen degrees below zero but no
fears were harbored in the minds of any one
as to the safety Of the one who had SO unccr-
enormously left the camp, homeward bound.
Weeks passed on, and nothing had been
seen or heard of Shakes since his departure.
Norway Flat had almost forgotten him. :.
Brown, the landlord of the Occidental" ,"
was standing in his doorway gazing abstract
edly at the distant windings of the "down
country" trail. 1t was only the previous
day that prospective party had passed
along it from the Flat, bound for the desert
ed mining camp of Diggers' Delight, situa-
ted about ten miles distant His thoughts
naturally REQUIRED to their departure and
prospects. Suddenly his quick eye de-
tected in the distance group Of men slowE
trudging towards the Flat, and was some
what astonished to recognize in them Ihe
prcspectors of Diggcrs' Delight, returning
bearing with them heavy burden. The
news soon spread that Shakes has:been
found dead at Diggers's Delight. NJ was
evident that the night had overtalen him
there, and that he had determinedto spend
it in one Of the deserted shanties, The IRE
place had been filled with wood ready tor
the match, but it had remainel unkindled;
Why, no one could answer. The verdict OF
all Why heard the story was 1at . he had a fall.
en- victim to the severity Of the weather
~, Tho ovon;no of the dayhe left the Flat,
or, as they expressed it, arlz dead.
In an inside pocket q vest worn under
death his ragged ovephirt a package of let
ters were found, all # which were written
in the same handwriting and addressed to
aJames Wilkinsor, Esq, Norway Flat"
sundry photographs were also discovered in
the same pocksEonc Of an aged lady, an,
other of wehan in the prime of life, and
the rest of hree beautiful girls of from ten
to fifteen 1oars of age. All the letters bore
the same post-mark, G, Me-" Each
L Upno'l