Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1873-03-28
LOTS WIFE.
BY s. READE BRocKTON.


THREE of us held joint possession of q
'claim" in one of the rural districts Of
the placer mining country. At first we
had excellent success; the sand seemed
rich with dust, and several small nuggets
Of the pure ore attested our rising for
tunes. In a 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 life we led. We worked hard in the
''diggings" all day, taking our cold snack
at noon; and morning and evening "took
turns" in our culinary duties, and the
keeping of our little shanty. Upon
washing days-''few and far between"-
after wrestling nightly with soiled gar
ments and creek water, augmenting con-
siderably therein the alluvial deposit, we
were wont to lounge in triune council,
smoking our pipes of peace, and viewing
Complacently our renovated apparel,
dripping and swaying upon the tops of
the neighboring brush.
The surrounding "claims," with the
exception of one adjoining, had been
worked out and abandoned long ago; but
with pertinacity born of necessity, we
had clung to ours. We had put in every
thing we had here; and it must be o hard
struggle which should cause us to throw
it all up, and leave empty-handed. The
boys in the next claim were either ''harder
up" or more easily discouraged than we,
for after trying iii vain to sell out, they
abandoned their claim and left the mines
entirely-all but one man, who, for some
reason best known to himself decided to
remain behind.
There were no other occupied "ciaims"
within space of three miles; and our
nearest point of obtaining supplies being
q days journey out, one can easily imag
inc that in our Isolated situation the gain
of comrade was not merely nominal
consideration.
TOmkins. the new conner, or "LOt," as
he was familiarly called, was character.
Originally New Hampshire man, and
shiftless as only a degenerate scion from
the thrifty New England stock can be, he
had emigrated from the "land of steady
habits" first to the West, and from
thence to oar American "El Dorado" :"
Fated to disappointment he had drifted
about hither and thither, led by one
freak and another, until finally he had
settled down in the mines. Lot was a
famous story teller, abounding in legend
ary lore, and rich in store of quaint
old-time ballads. In the beginning of his
life with us, he might have been often
heard hilariously chanting in a high
pitched, nasal tone:
1.-The sand with golden dust is thick,
HO, boys, hoi
Pick up humps as big as a brick,
OF Californy goldr'
Humorous, easy, and with strong dash
of egotism, combined with persistent
good nature and lively credulity-such
was Lot as we first knew him at the
mines. Eventually, however, his enthu-
siasm died out; for, as Lot himself feel
ingly expressed it: "The darned thing
was cen most gin eoutp'
AS l have before stated, for some reason
best known to himself, Lot had considered
it expedient to remain behind at the time
his partners abandoned the claim Our
explanation of this was, that to his easy
disposition it seemed less difficult to
'bear the ills he had" than subject him.
self to the exertiOn of seeking "those he
knew not Of" Subsequently, however,
considerable additional light was thrown
upon this subject.
One afternoon-it might have been
three weeks after the exodus of Lots
partners-one of our neighbors, engaged
in mining three miles further up the
gulCh, reined into camp on his way back
from the city, where he had been to de-
post his dust in the Miners Bank, and
get out lot of supplies.
"Halloo! Georgel Christ Here are let
tiers tor your ne cried, tossing us the well
come missives.
Lot, lettering up, with quizzical smile,
perpetrated his standing joke:
''Wall, saay, ye amt got nothin' fur me
now, amt YEP"
'.No, guess not" returned the other,
with peculiar twinkle beneath his bushy
eyebrows; 'but thar's woman an four
small children on the way asking fur
just sich looking feller as YOU"
Lots jocularity vanished in an instant;
his jaw dropped, and, with visible aglta-
ton, he blurted oHt:
Come. naow, none of yer foo1in'i Ye
don't pull that on with mel"
truth"
A sickly pallor swept over the mans
countenance, and he seemed to shrink
within himself until dwarfed much below
his usual diminutive stature.
''What? What's that yeou saw" he
stammered wildly.
81 say woman an four small children
ar coming this way, sarching fur hus
band aud father"
S'HOw fur behlnd?" gasped the anxious
Lot, whose legs were fast getting tremu-
lous under him.
ooh, a matter of three mile, or therea-
boutsr' and with q. nod and a knowing
glance, and 'No further news, boys" to
US, the little mule, answering the spur OF
his rider, struck into brisk gallop,
which speedily carried them both out OF
sight,