The Shasta courier., 1872-01-20
SH ASIA COURIER.
AN>fDvENTUREIN KLAMATH.

\ If a man, even in the roughest places in
the West, keeps out of politics and gam
bling, he may get along in the rowdy com
munity around tolerably smoothly. Dur
ing long travel and residence in some of
the worst localities In California and
Oregon, during the early "eutting, slashing
times" always did-except once, and
the exception may be related as an illustra-
tion of the hollowness of the wise saw
which argues that it takes two to make a
quarrel. | was staying about six years
ago at mining camp in Southern Oregon,
and there met Swede VINO on some con-
versation, | learnt was from district in
Sweden we'll known to me; while some
years previously student of mines in that
section, l had been well acquainted with
some of his relatives On the head of the
mutual friendship which we accordingly
began to entertain for each other, he gave
much useful local advice, and among things
he warned me to carefully avoid certain
camp in among the mountains, known as
"Oreans Bar" which did not in rowdiness
disgrace the city from which its founders
had named it. 1 was assured that immedi-
ately was recognized as stranger, and
worse than all, an Englishman, an attempt
would be made to pick quarrel with me.
| thanked my friend for his advice, but as
l had ve~y particular business with that
very locality, determined to run all risks
hoping that the same good luck which
had carried me through worse places,
would favor me there also.
Accordingly | set off over the mountain
trail on my weary jog, my Indian boy
answering to the name of "Jim"-his
aboriginal cognomen being of such un-
manageable length that if reduced to writ
ing it would, in the smallest of type, reach
halt across this page) drivi g up an old
Indian horse loadedwith my worldly chat
tells, while 1 stalked on before, after the
manner of "big Injun" generally. "Jim'
was not young gentleman of laxative
propensities even had his master not con-
sidered it inexpedient to endanger the
wholesome discipline which it Was found
now and then necessary to administer to
the youth, by indulging him in conversa-
tional amenities.
Our travel lay up hill and down-now
along the edges of steep procipices, look
down into a wooded valley, through which
a rocky mountain stream ran, and out of
which you could hear the echo of the
miners pick, while ow-peaks and long
vista of blue mountain out line appeared
in the distance. Now we decended into
the valley, and our course lay through
dense forests, along the banks of river
where the industrious Chinese digger was
busy with his water-wheel, or taking his
MONDAY siesta under the shade of pine
tree-his rude hut or cotton tent being
hung close by.
At last the trail became more trodden
and few houses appeared. One was
perched up on the rocks, another down in
the gulch-two or three stood respectfully
in row on fiat part Of the town, while
mining claims and bitches intersected il
everywhere. This was apparently the
"Orleans Bar" 1 which was in search of,
and directing "Jim" to picket the horse
on bit of grass which I had poinfed out
to him few minutes before, | transferred
nv baggage to corner of the tavern-a
rough log building, where the men wers
playing billiards, and two, "cuc-th-oat po
ker" "a chronic game in the town, as | sub
sequently discovered)-
Having eased my mind, I sat down on
log in front of the "Bar" to cogitate
what next I should do. In the meant me
occupied myself in observing the intel.
lectual amusement of some of the chief
loafers of Orleans Bar-which consisted 10
throwing stones at row of bottles, and
betting adrinks'' on their success A
"broke" Chinamau grinring from ear tC
ear was hired by them to collect the stone:
and set up the bottles, while the Caucasian
lords of creation sat comfortably on thei1
seat and gravely pursued their exhilaratine
employment.
While I vas 30 occupied, 6us Of ths