American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-01-13
Miscellany.
THE LAST MAN IN MEXICAN CAMP.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

!
by JOAQUIN MILLER.
MEXICAN CAMP was nest OF snow
White miners tents huddled down in
dimple OF the SlcrraS. II you had stooC
near the Hag,poic IN the center OF the
camp, on Whlch the stars ana stripes
were raised or lowered on the arrlya
or departure OF the mustang express
he only regular thread connecting the
amp Win lhe outer World-and lookec
hfehlly west you might nave seen on 4
ay OF singular ciearness beyond some
he"-porh clIies, the laSi OF tle racine
inc sun At your Dacki mountain,
BACK WIN pine asa CEDAR, lhcn pald and
grey WIN granite DaSsal', ana clhaer,
hen Wlille WIN everlasting SHOWS, mao
made you feel strong and secure OF intru'
ION IN inc rear. close ABOUT YOU on the
llll SIDES ana IN the gulch, you had seen
rees ittlnT lheir llnbs above the heads OF
he pahds OF men VINO knew tor the time
10 other si,ller' Whlle at your feet IN the
Etlch ~ lar down as the eye could
0lloW II, tHc llttic muddy stream strug-
Sieu on through niue meets OF TN ana IRON
pans, great Mexican wooden bowls, and
,hr9uSh cfauleS' TOMS, ana slulces' You
hac seen long grey llneS OF Mexican mules
strih3'nS around ihc mountain, winding
lhto tilc camp WIN tilelr heaVy DuruenS'
you, Iiau hearu tle SHOUTS, sPced lnlck
W WIN oa'IlS' 0l the taWhF packers You
i'tu heafa inc SOUND OF the MANNER and
aAc Oh every lahd' lor new Guy hau
1eci 9orh' us 1t were inc highI peloFe
"Yu 'ilio WaS us nrSt SlruggiG-cry ana
ach'hs Vi uncertain hahds' Az daV, on
ei'het sue inc stream, sat wall OF men
tltNlfan
american "cic size ny olde tlial hai peeh
10 breast at hontcrcy' me lawyer
MI~ 7it pcSlue MS cllent; the porter
Iouha ms strohg arms made INN the stpc-
Ilor mere 10 tIie uaihty gentleman 10 whose
wants Ii, ne lIau once mlnlstereu'
nat was democracypuTe ana simple.
Llc eneISS, e"rntsI'GSS' less lllat was DC,
ginning ol race III NE III Whlch an hau
an even slart nat an impulse 1t Was;
\ u inspired me a liloSt slugglsn' 1t ihllIled
,lie 'h'st lli'lll 'lllefenl-ulShineu ana emo
ple'' - tilt p"seSV so'li tllaI was tlere' McAl-
gan o"iilP mas l'erISlleu, bu' II mas Ielt us
iessohra e EerulGt ciear ana unqualelleu III
iavor vi lhe ap'olule cquall'E oi men,
ltiiou' any recommendation Vi mercy 10
masters
hach man peer or peon, had SIX feet
sluuhu' Ha' was maue ia" at Il
llilteIS Hleetihg helo around the nag
7'au tilG uay II was raised, at Which Nan
Eafoo brown presided WIN uncommon
iiginltV, considering ms long term OF
service at sidney, not TO mention the
many lhdlscrctlons lald TO his charge be
lore JeaVlhg MS native country al his
country expense, Tor his country's good.
IL was al HfSt passed that miner should
Iiold hNe leet only, Dut a ankee who
ia' an uhcolinlohly rlch clam moved
reconSlderatlon, ana, without waiting to
set second, mauc speech and put his
own uotlon. rms was his speech and
nollon, delivered at the top OF his voice
Boys go you loot better. Blast 1t,
let give fellow enough to be buried in,
ihyhoW. All those That say SIX feet make
manifest by saying aye.
There was n chorus. The ayes
have it, and six feet is the law; and I
now declare this meeting adjourned
M3h de, ~ and the convict Chairman de-
ccnded from the pine stump where he
had stood in his shlrt-slceves, took up his
llck ana pan, and, divcsted OF his author
y OF an hour, entered his claim and
Denl ms back to the toll, as did the thou
SANDS OF men around him.
mexican Camp ilourlshed like palm
for many years. then, like all placer /.
mining camps, it began to decline The /
god was washed from the best parts #
the gulch, and the best men Of the carSI
One by one, returned to their homes Z.
othcr lands, or retired to camps deeper i.rf
the mountains, rs their fortunes directed. 1
As the Saxon went out che Celestial came
| in, but gave no new blood to the camp. 4
Vacant cabins and adobe chimneys stood .
all up and down the gulch, and lizards .
summed themselves upon them undisturb- .
ed. The butcher. the great autocrat of .
the mining camp, began TO come around .
with his laden mules twice a week instead .
of twice day \ bad sign for the camp.
But there was one camp that was never
vacant it stood apart from town, on the .
brown hillside, and as il was one of the
first, so it promised to be the last of the
camp. II always had an ugly bulldog
tied to the door, and il was itself a low,
suspiciOus-l0okinr structure. that wear by
year sank lower as the grass grew taller
around it, till il seemed irving to hide in
a silent. selfish man. who never came out
by day except TO bury himself alone i'm
his claim at work Nothing was known
Of him at all. save the story that he had
killed his partner in a gambling house
away back somewhere in 40. He was
Summed and feared by all, and he ap-