New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-31
A NrNER,s SECRET.
me Lsse Ma Ma i; Mexic., Cam.

A MINER's SECRET.
ne Last Mas /. Mexicaa Camp.
IIeaquin Miller in the January Number of scrit
ner's Monthly.1
Mexican Camp was q nest Of snow-whit
| miners tents huddled do IN in dimple O
| the Sierras. If you had stood near the flag
| stars and stripes raised or lowered on tn
| arrival or departure Of the Mustang express
the only regular thread connecting tn
camp with the outer woodland looked in
tently west, you might have seen, on da,
of singular clearness, beyond some ne w. or1
cities, the flash of the Pacific in the sun
At your back, mountains black with pin,
and cedar, then bald and gray with granite
basalt and cinder, then " lite with everlast
ing snow, Lad made YOU Ell strong and sc
cure of intrusion in the rear. Close abOu
you, on the hiIlsides and in the gulch, yo,
had seen trees lifting their limbs abov,
the heads of thousands of men VIII
knew for this time no other shell .er
while at your feet in the gulch, ant
as far down as the eye could follow it, thu
little muddy sire am struggled on through
little fleets of tin and iron pans, great Mexi
can wooden bowls. and through cradles
toms and sluices. You had seen long gray
lines OF Mexican mules stringing around the
mountain, winding into camp with thei'
heavy burdens; you had heard the sholts
spiced thick with oaths, Of the tawny pack
ers; you had heard the sound of the nam
mer and axe on every hand, for a new CITY
had been born, as it were, the night before
and this was its first strugg!e-cry and reach
ing OF uncertain hands. All day on either
side the stream sat wall of men washing
for gold. The Mexican and the America an
were side by side that had been breast to
breast at Monterey; the lawyer wrought be.
side his client: the porter found his strong
arms made him the superior to the dainty
gentleman to whose wants he had once min
istered.
That was democracy pure and simple.
Life, energy, earnestness. That was the
beginning of race in life in which all had
an even start. What an impulse it was .
1t inspired the most sluggish. 1t thrilled
the most Indifferent, dignitied and ennobled
the Oasest soul that was there. Mexican
Camp has persisted, but it has left it's les
soma verdict clear and unqualified in favor
OF the absolute equality of men, without
any recommendation Of mercy to masters.
Each man peer or peon had six feet of
grounC. That was made a law at a miners
meeting Id around the flagstaff the dav it
was raised; at which Kangaroo Brown pre-
sided with uncommon dignity. considering
his long term OF service at Sidney, not to
AAANAlAOA tAC AAAuN 4uulScIctlOIS lalu TO his
charge before leaving his native country at
his cOuntry's expense for his country's good.
1t was at first passed that miner should
hold five feet only; but Yankee who had
an uncOmmOnly rich claim moved a recon
sideratlon, and without waiting to get a
second. made speech and put his own mo-
ton. his was his speech and motion. de-
llvered at the top OF his voice: Boys, 90
you foot better Blast it, let's give fel-
low enough to be buried in ANYHOW. All
those that say six feet make it manifest by
saying aye"
There was chorus. The ayes have it.
and six feet is the law: and I now declare
this meeting adjourned sign de-" and the
convict chairman descended from the nine
stump where he had stood in his shirt
sleeves. took up his pick and pan. and. al
vested Of his authority of an hour. entered
his claim and bent his back to the toll. as
dlI the thousands of men around him.
Mexican Camp fiourished like palm far
many years then, like all placer-miner
camps. 1t began to decline. The gold was
washed from the best parts of the pulch
md the best men Of the camp. one by one
'etnrned to their homes in other lands. or
etireu 20 camps deeper in the mountains.
rs their fortunes directed As the saxon
vent out the Celestial came in. but gave no |
lew blood to the camp. Vacant cabins and |
lao1e chImneys stood all Up and down Il
:ulch, and lizards summed themselves upon |
mem undisturbed. The butcher, the t |
lutocrat OF the mining camp, began TO |
ome around with his laden mules bur twice |
week instead Of twice day. A bad sign
or the camp.
But there was one cabin that was never
acant; It stood apart from town, ON the
rown hillside. and as it was one of the
rst. so Ii promised to be the last of the
amp. 1t always had an ugly bulldog tied
the door, and was itself low, suspicious
boxing structure that year by year sank
over as the grass grew taller around il.
Il! 1t seemed trying to hide in the chap T.
al. IL had but one Occupant-a sile,t.
elfsh man, who never came out by Iay
kept to bury himself alone in his claim at
DIRK. Nothing was known of him at all.
ave the story that he had killed lis IT
er in a gambling house away back ne
here IN ~. He was shunned an,lf =,
al, and he approached ami spoke to no
le. except the butcher the grocer and ex-
'essMan and to these only briefly. Oh
isines5. ! believe, however. that the old
itcast known as "Forty-nine Jimmy,
sat on the bank and talked :,
e murderer at work in his claim. It was
.en sad that EOrty-nlne was on fair terms
tn the dog at the door: but as this was
,uoted bE the man who kept tie OF
loon now remaining in Mexican Camp.
III VINO was Dnse,uently an authority,
e report was rot believed.
lhls solitary man of the savage dog was
loWn as The Gopher. That was MOI the
me given him by his parents. but it W $
name Mexican Camp had given him. .
neratlon before, and it was now the only
me 1y which he was known. The amount
gold which he had boarded and hidden
'ay III that dismal old cabin through yea. : !
d years OF lncessant toll was computed 10
enormous.
ear after year the grass stole fun ther =
WI from tine hil-tops to which it had been =
ven' as 1t were, in the early settlement of =
camp: at last 1t enyirOned the few re-
lininS cabins, as if they were besieced, !;
q 1t stood up tall and undisturb in the :,
y remaining street. Still, egularly
zee times day, the smoke { led up
m the Gopher's cabin. and the bulldog t
pc unbroken sentry at the door II
quartz lead had been struck little way L
ther up the gulch, and rival town es- o
'lished. The proprietors named the new o
mp .'Orodelphi ;" but the man of the sa- p
OF Mexican Camp, who always insisted s.
was born genirs, called it :. Hooem," h
suck Ike wax. and - Hogem" is the only k
ne by which the little town is known to
J day. > - ~ t.
)ne evening there was CONSERVATION Il
ong the idlers of Mexican Camp. TWAS lt
bounced that the last saloon was to be re- 81
we'd to Hogem. A remonstrance was II
1ed OF; but when a man known as the
Judge, from his calm demeanor in the h
OF the gravest trouble, urged that the III
amlty was not so grave after all, since r.
n man could easily transport his blankets b
trying pan to the vacant cabins of :,
gem, no more was said. ii
he next winter the Gopher was left W
sriy alone, and in the January spring W
followed, the grass and clover crept
IN strong and thick from the hills. and NJ
cad IN pretty carpet across the unmeas- ca
streets OF the once populous and pros g