Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-05-22

| PROSkEC ANU AN 0eAAUUE0s
Ihaye always thought that my fortune lay
IN mines. So, when Perkins asked me to e
pros,esting I didn't hesitate moment. But
LIZ one I, to he an honest miner, he must IN
} pear as one, and clothes ard things are a
necessary to q miner as to man; and mar
can't be Miner without hole in the seat
his pants. SLOUGH hat with twelve holes i.
the crown, a pan, no collar, top boots, pick
} q bottle OF whisky. one wooden shirt, q HI
yus, oyer-alls. 40 feet Of rope, pllg-tobacce
and Geo. Rea's ability to hope when ''now
you sec it-only now you DON'T
So, we went. The sun was coming down
at the rate Of ten miles a minute and my
horse bounced three feet high at every jump.
He didn't see why couldn't keep the rope
coiled on my arm instead OF about his hind
legs; and he wanted to know why Dug the
spurs an incl, and half into him at every
step when he was jouncing my sizzard Out
without it.
At the bridge my pan dropped and struck
the plank behind him with Grassland he
gave leap and shot his internal head to the
lett at the instant he threw his hind legs to
the right, and he went up and went down.
and Perkins kept on talking about colors.
And that ended the bottle of whisky.
And1 ran mile to catch that horse, and
penders. and lost my rope, and wished had
no. gone prospecting. But mad voted to go,
and wouldn't break up the party.
| At Smiths that horse stepped too far to
the side-and of course he got upon the only
loose plank in the bTidge-a1d OF course over
we went. and landed in the briars and los,
the bole in the seat of my pants. AS miner
felt myself ruined.
+, But there rode Perkins, calm and cool
and talking OF cOlors.
At TullOck's dinner was inst over. and
at Thomas they hadn't had any, and every
where else they shut the doors and ran into
the brush as we approached. And could
| smell the dinners in town, anil Perkins had
! not even brought cracker. lie said miners
don't eat. They get fooled on colors When
they cat.
BY the time we reached the ground I had
| to dismOunt and take down eight pairs of
bars. Perkins SAID it would do inc sood-bc
everything to me-brace me strengthen
my back-givc me an appetite-make a man
IF me. He says I'll learn. I've spent two
days picking splinters from my hands. He
says one should take hold OF the bars in a
kind Of color manner. ard be cool and COM
Portable about it, and then one won't get
mad at the bars. And lie says one shouldn't
swear because farmers don't build gates.-
lie says they havn't got time; and thew pre-
fel bars on account OF the exercise. Perkins
said great many wise things that day, and
am much obliged to him.
Halt way up Brilger two suns came out
both of them were double-barreled suns, and
there hasn't been mu h OF me left since then.
I must say I telt discouraged, bat Perkins
said it wasn't far from there to the diggings.
and ii I'd get off and sinci, up my saddle
perhaps wouldn't slide oyer the tail OF my
horse. But the horse did't want me to get off.
aud just as the internal brute kicked me heels
over head, and while surrounded by 10000
stars, heard something said about coiors.
At tho moment I'd have given $4,000 for
drink and $4,000 to have been back in
began to count the cost. Gold-pan, last
one in town. Of eourse) 81 90: bottle OF whis-
Ky, s. 90; 40 feet rope, SIS 90; damage to
watch. $40 90.
As tried to calculate the total. with in
teTcst on the money ans. . due regard to what
might have made had l staid in town. l
heard something said about Is colors to the
pan.
Wondering why all the gopher holes, in
Montana are in Bridger, and whether any
BODY ever made money prospecting. we
reached the diggings.
llitching our animals to some brush in the
m DIST Of 10000 flies to the inch that made my
minute. I found had lost my pipe. the creek
water so hot 1t would light i match.
''Sp'endid gravel! exclaimed that man.
s.Whcre ?" said I.
.'Whcrc! every where T. said he.
'.Eut the diggings," said |.
up there" said he.
looked. and it required five minutes to
look VII the way up. Clear up OH the arid
top of mountain that shot straight up from
It's basc-5O. 900 feet, or am fool!
"Up uberc!" scree< hed-and thought
heard the divine gong at Bczenlan.
"Why, yes" he said; up there-that
ISL t far, and 1t does man good to walk up
bin. So, you carry my pan and I'll take the
We began the ascent.
If said there were two suns in BIidger,
lied. There are IA. I'll take my oath. None
Of your common suns, but kind that throws
heat about in chunks, reil-hot enough to
burn holes through an alligator.
We reach the summit sometime during the |
middle of the afternoon, when found that |
had left the gOld-pan at The bottom.
Perkins said he was too old to- 60 after it. |
and without it we might lose q chance to |
make fortune, and must 90 for it, and he
.Ollkl almost see cOIOrS on the surface, and |
he'd bet that ground is worth $500. 900. and
i was cool and pleasant going down hill.
So, started, heels first-and the stones
rave way at every step-and any man who
Iays didn't make half the distance back
wards aud the other half on my head would
at his mothcR-in-law-an awful dose to any
nan.
The trail made getting back is at least
en- miles long-it branches off here and there,
Is that pan rolled into the brush some ten
lines. and said great many severe things.
But that man said I'D get used to it. and he
made me walk my legs off looking for dirt
md he psnned and panied and PANIED, and
10 got colOrs to his hearts content. But
hose are not the mines I want. l want to
70 with a scoop and q wheel-barrOw. and l
want to find nuggets by the bushel-why,
he seamless sack took along couldd't be
lied In century with coiOrs.
'-&vhcn Perkins found II colors. and gave a
l,out and threw his hat. and tipped over his
lick. fell into gulch. aud landed IN the mud,
ONE body was SO ticklel that he lost his bal
,ncc and went over into the SINE gulch on
op Of Perkins. who was banning out that