The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-05-31
LOTS WIFE;
AND HOW SIZE SAVED HIM.

Three of us held joint possession Of {
Claim" in one UI the rural districts OF thu
plaCer.mining country. At fist We had
excellent success; the sand seemed rich
with dust, and several small nuggets oil
the pure ore attested our rising fortunes
Ia short time, however, the yield began
To diminish; somehow it didn't seem to
pan out" well. Our scanty washings OF
dust grew scantier every day.
There was little chance for romance in
the lite wa led. We worked hard in the
"diggiugs" all day, taking our cold snack
at noon; and mOrning and evening took
turns in our culinary duties, and the
keeping of our little snanty. Upon wash
ing days-"Gew and lar betwecn"-aiter
wrestling nightly with soiled garments
aud creek water, HugmeutiDg cunsidera-
h.y therein the alluvial deposit, we were
wont to lounge in triuhC council, smok-
ing our pipes Of peace, and viewing com
placcntly our renovated apparel, drip
ping and swGying upon the tops Of the
nriVhbOring brush.
The surrounding "claims," with the eX.
CeptiOn OF one adjoining, had been work
cd out and abandoned long ago; but with
pCrtinaCity born OF necessity, we bad
cluug to ours, We had put in every
thing We had here; and it must be hard
struggle which should cause us TO throw
ii ull up, and leave empty.handcd. Thl
boys in the next claim were either "hard
er up" or more easily discouraged thai
we, for after trying In vain to sell gu
they abandoned their claim and lett thu
mines entircly-Hll but one man, who To-
some reason best known 10 himself de-
Cided tSSematn behind.
There were no other occupied claims
within space Of three miles; and oul
nearest point OI obtaining supplies being
n days journey out, one can easily imsg
inc that in our isolated situation the gain
nl cOmrade was not merely nomina
consideration.
TOmkins, the newcomer, or "Lot," q!
he WAS tamiliarlY called, WAS II character
Originally Nov Hampshire man, anc
shilllrSs MS only Il degenerate scion iron
the thrifty New England stock can be, hi
had clnigratsd from the "land Of steady
habits," first to the west, and from thence
toour American "El Dorado" Fated e
disappointment he had drifled about hith
cr and thilhcr, led by one freak and an
other, until finally he had settled down II
the mines. Lot was famous story.tel'
Ter, Astounding in legendary lore, and ricl
10 store OF quaint Old.limG ballads. In the
beginning Of his lite with Us, he nigh
have been often heard hilariouslY chant
iug, in high.pitched nasal tone:
1.-THE sand with golden d ust 10 thick,
Ito, boys. hol
Pick up Jumps as biz as brick,
OfCalllorny gold !"
Humorous, easy, and with a strong dasl
Of Cgotism, combined with persistent gOOC
nature and lively CrCdulily-such wa
Lot, rs we first knew him ut the mines
Eventually, however, his enthusiasm dieC
ont; Tor, as Lot himself iGGlingly expressed
il: "Ihe darn thing was cen Almost gil
ruut! -
ASH have before stated, for some reason
best known to himself, Lot had consider.
cd It exped!ent to remain behind, the tim
his partners abandoned the claim. Gu
explanation Of this was, that to his Casl
disposition II seemed lees difficult TO "bGa
The ills he had" than TO subject himselit
the exer!ion of seeking those he "kneV
aol Of" Subsequently, however, consid
CRADLE additional light was thrown upoI
this subject.
One slternoon--it might have bee
three weeks after the exodus OF Lots part
nrrs-One Of our neighbOrs engaged Il
mining three miles further up the gnlch
rrined into camp on his way back from
the city, where he had been to dcposl
his dust in the. Miners bank, and get gu
supplies.
Halo! George! Chris! Here are let
lers Tor you" he cried, tossing up the mis-
siyrs.
Lot, lettering up with quisical smil
perpelrated his standing joke
We'll, sssy, ye Amigo no'hin' far mt
COW, amt YEP"
mo, guess not" returned the OlhCI
with peculiar twinkle beneath his bush
eyebrows; "hut thar's woman and lou
small children on the way, asking fur Jus
sch a looking Teller as you"
Lots POPULARITY vanished IN an instant
his jaw dropped, and with visible agila
Hon he blurted OUT
Come, naow, none Of yur toolin'! \
don't pull that on with me"
"FoOlingG Nary timel It's sober truth.
a sickly palor swept over the man
countenancc, and he seemed to shrin
within himself until dwaried much be
low his usual diminutive stature.
What: what's that you say" he STAN
merd Wildly.
say a woman an four small childrC
Al coming this way, searching Tor bus
band and father"
How fur bChind?" gaspcd the an1iou
iLeI, whose legs were fast getting tremU
!ols under him.
"Oh, matter Of three mile, or there