The Republican journal., 1874-12-10

ms covert TO whose shade | flee,
10 breathe repOse i'll thee--n thee :
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Adventure Of Digger in Colorado.
| am dwcller in towns and lover OF
them. Io me, meaningless are the rhap-
sodies of those who delight in the majestic
solitude OF nature, and the wild glorious
freedom Of the untrodden desert Central
Park, and that portion Of New \ York lyirg
within a mile Of it, was always wild enough
for my taste; the jersey City OF Staten
Island ferries We're marine enough for me.
AS tor the tales of adventure from the
frontier | only shuddered at them, and
held the whole race OF gold-miners, above
all, in something like terror. Yet it was
tated that ] should become a gold-digger,
by proxy at any rate, and a most success
tul one 700. and this is how il came to
pass
1t is not many years back since my
wite's brother died in Colorado. He had
always been a wild sort OF fellow. fit only
for q life among miners, yet We liked him
much 1or he had many good Qualities.
He was injured by the falling Of some
rock and the nearest doctor-thev had
one not more than sixty miles away
said that although he might linger a good
while even months npr6ans he nus7 die
from tbe accident So Dick rot . cornrada
who was going eastward, to send me a
telegram rs soon rs he got where tele-
graphs existed detailing what had hap
pened. and begging me 10 20 to him.
need scarcely say how little this was to my
taste hut we did not hesitate q moment.
we liked poor Dick. and | thought it yery
nrobable that he was ]vinq oH q he'd nj
pain without = friend and without a dol
lar NV wife was naturally even more
solicirons about him than myself
The trjn westward has been toI0 foo
often TO need any dascription from me
lourneyed throuob what seemed almost
infprminab]e space. and at last reached
thot catherine Of (tbanl mean habitations
caIIed DanvaT n was there aram last
Iaor ani toand if sIioltiv ch9nce3 The
1laco where Dick lgS WIS tannd ahont
! bnnd.e1 miles from; Denver. and fonnd
also. that the best, # not the only wav to
net there was an horseback, and now the
travelled hy myself ar If hv ehance had
companions for s. few miles. these were
50 r6uob. wild and uncouth that I was AL
WAYS Heartily Glad 10 he rid of them and
the same when tbe monotonv of the
mountain tract, WAS broken by DESCENDING
teams or parties Of horsemen; their pres
pnce friohtencd me great deal more than
their absence. vel | cannot recall a single
instance Of even 1udeness on their part
but | was scared generally.
| had of course, taken care TO ascertain.
before starting on nv lonely ride. that
there was no fear of Indians. who had all.
if seemed Temporarily left the district so
one GREAT cauee of fear was removed
Rrietiy then reached Inanouration Town
50 called because of the dav when the
first tent was pitched there. and found it a
miserable place. A dozen loq-huts. five
Of them being saloons, and about forty
tents. forYaed the "city,n as # not unfre-
auently STYLED itself In wretched room
at the back Of the LARGEST saloon found
moor Dick in sad state He was very
clad 1o see me bnt if was very plain he
was not LONG tor this world he knew this
well enough. and talked of his death as
calmly as thouoh he had been speaking Of
some one else On one point | was quite
slnnrised-so tar from NEEDING any help
in money matters. he was really d rich
man and handed me deposit notes
amorntino to some thousands of dollars.
and made over to me the gold and valua-
bIes which were 1yino to his credit at the
.,BanL" Eyervtbino was done in the most
informal way but complete answer to
all nv doubts and queries was given, bv
saving that such was miners law; and
ANYHOW | had the proceeds Of the gold
duIv handed to me t0e day after Dick s
death
When the poor fellow was oone. | had
nothino to dotain me at Inaugrration
Town. and so left it. as | had approached
IT, ON horseback | could have had COM
many os the landlord of the saloon told
me there wasan ssol1ttit'' starting forDenver
on thn rayt morning and takino If for
orantnd tbat shonTd embrace The OBJ
1o,,tnnitv hn introduced several Of the
..ho1,c,' - n.o at onca. Int sncb ! wild
Observation-Disclosures snt 7 never saw. and
won)d NOT have travelled with for the
world Very greatly to my hosts aston
ishment called for nv horse. and rode
off at midday. more nervous on the score
of nv possible companions than of any
roadside enemies
| oot ON vory wen tbat day and slept
at honse where had stopped on my up-
ward Journey, The citizen who dwelt
there seemed clad to see me. alter the ap-
athletic fashion of these western people,
bnt seemed astonished too. | thought, and
when was qoino away. he, in his rude
wav compIjmented me on my courage !;
he said had more qrif in me than any
do1vn-eastar he had ever seen. .sIn fact.
.hoco 4h,,,a,r many q ,vastarp man would