Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1873-09-20
ccLORAD0-mADURO.

Halls Gulch, in Park county, Col, is
an anriferous ravine in which the choic-
est picturesque beauties of nature are
supplemented by that spirititalized ex-
temporization of nomatlic architecture
known as mining-camp. What Hail,
and wherefore he glilched, are questions
in the nature of a cOnundrum owing
half its charms to extreme uncertainty
of satisfactory sOlubility; thereby the
curious mind being prompted to unusual
ingenuity ot. Invention, and allowed to
enjoy itself therein toa perfectly indef-
mite extent. American nomenclature
has MANY mysteries, particularly in the
branch most elastically affected by tile
genial miner, and when a particularly
golden locality in California or Colorado
eau be mentioned by its pet name with
out violence to polite phraseology or the
feelings of the unprofane it is a
blessing so unexpected that the
average auditor should accept it with
unquestioning gratitude. The unex
planned guIch, then, of the unidentified
ago, as decorous as its title, and pervadeu
by the spirit Of all that is most innocent
and graceful in piotls mining life. The
sturdy 'Puritans who delved all day
for precious ore wlierewith to extend
their proverbial charities, retired at night
to touches which, except entomologfcaE
ly speaking, were expressly adapted to
the repose of the just; and If any deacon
or elder of the devout little Community
felt at any time like exercising himself
in the pastimes OF the world, he invafi
bly, welitup to the town of Fairplay,
some fifteen miles distant, and remained
there until his ensuing headache 'fiadcn-
tirely subsided. But no sooner is your
earthly Eden in its lovely prime than
certain pestilent spirits from without Sc
lect it as a peculiarly favorable scene
for their unhoiy pfcnics. Look at virgin
Vineland, with its spi:itualists; pastoral
Portland, with its convention OF scien-
fists; and peaceful philadelphia, with
its centennial maniacs Three weeks
ago two tempestuotis characters invaded
Hall's Gulcll with reyofvers and red
noses, and from thenceforth the simple
! manners OF the uiisophistieated miners
suffered Communication most depiorable.
| Their names were Harry Hall and Mi
| chael BOyce, and having established "a
mill for the fluent utilization Of cylin-
drical glass goods, they cordially invited
! the younger and more thonghtless of the
! people to practise what is known to ce-
| real athletes as climbing around the rye.
| AS this is an exercise nOtoriOtislv stinu-
lative of political passions, It had not
been practiSed q week before the gym
nasts OF the occasion involved the whole
camp i'm confusion equal to the last day
OF q Legislative session. Sobriety was
insulted, packs of cards we're drawn,
loaded dice were habituailv carried, and
Il convention to nominate somepOdy for
some political office seemed Imminent.
The elders OF the camp eXpostulated,
mildly remarkiIig that tile Guleh would
soon be II second Chicago if things went
on in this wicked manner, and were an
swered by shots from tile pistols of Hall
and Boyce, to make it seem more like
| New York. ''You'd better get your
shooting-irons if You want any discus
sion with u.s." observed bluff Mr.. Boyce
known to familiar friendship as "Bfg
Mike"-as he placed another round, Of
cartridges in his trusty weapon; and his
friend Hall and others protested that ht
was really coming out amazingly
.'Here are the very identical irons, then
you was asking for" answered the ell
derly miners aforesaid emphasizing theil
spirit of accommodation by neatly pre-
senting dozen loatled rifles at the head.
, OF the facile hilniorists. Regrctting sin
cerely that the range did not happen t.
be somewhat longer, the two lively spir
its surrendered somewhat preclpitately
, and consented to be placed under guart
!, in a store-house for the night; but ma
+ tive wit is not to be wholly repressed b!
Q arbitrary restraint, aud the merry cap
3 tives charged their captors with ''C;esar
: ISM" anu casually pledged themselve
S to shoot ut least one miner, yet, for ever.
hour they were held prisoners. The,
0 even set the hour at which such retro
: bntive craftsmanship should begin 81
!, the Following day and would, undoabl
edly. have been as good us their word
: hanging side by side from a limb of
: tree, near the fresh ruins of their mi
# for the fluent utilization of cylindric;
n glass goods.