The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-07-09
Adventure Of a Digger i'm
Colorado.

COIOfduO.
l am dweller in towns, and q low.
er of them. To me, meaningless are
the Thapsodies of those who deligb
in the majestic solitude OF n9ture, and
the wild, glorious freedom of the un-
trodGen desert. Central Park, and
that portion of New York lying with.
IN mile OF it, was always wild and
varied enough for my taste; and ser
sey City or Staten Island ferries were
marine enough for me. AS for 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
fated that 1 should become gold dig
ger, by proxy, at any rate, and a most
successful one too, and this is how ii
came to pass Sc
1t is not so many years back since
my gife's brother die1 in Colorado.
He had always been wild sort OF
fellow, fit only Tor life among mi
ners, yet we liked him much, for he
had many good qualities. He was in
jured by the falling of some rock; and
the nearest dOctor-they had one not
more than sixty miles away-said
that although he might linger good
while, even months, perhaps, be
must die from the accident. So Dick
got q comrade, who was going east to
send me telegram as soon as he got
where telegraphs existed, detailing
what had happened, and begging me
to go TO him.. 1 need scarcely say
how little this was to my taste, but
we did not hesitate moment; we
liked poor Dick, and Thought Il very
probable that he was lying on bed
of pain without friend, and without
a dollar. My wife was naturally even
more sOlieitous about him than my
self.
The trip westward has been told too
often to need any description from me;
l journeyed through what seemed al
most interminable space, and at last
reached that gathering of (then) mean
habitations, called Denver. II was
there again last year and found it
slightly changed.) The place where
Dick lay was, found, about a hun.
dred miles from Denver; and found
also, that the best, if not the only
way to get there was on horseback;
and now the real horrors of my jour-
ney began. travelled by myself, or,
If by chance 1 had companions for a
few miles, these were SO rough, wild
and uncouth, that / was always very
glad to be rid of them; and the same
when the mOnotOny of the mountain
track was broken by descending
teams, or parties of horsemen; their
presence frightened me q great deal
/ 4fafr al yaf II
not recall single instance OF even
rudeDess on their part; but / was
scared generally.
1 had, of course, taken care to as
certain before starting on my lonely
ride, that there was no fear of Indi-
ans, who had all, IL seemed, Temporal
rily left the district; SO one great
cause of fear was removed. Briefly,
then, reached Inauguration Town,
so called because of the day when the
first tent was pitched there and found
1t a miserable place. A dozen log
huts, five of them being saloons, and
about forty tents, formed the "city,"
as it not unfrequently styled itself. In
a wretched room at the back of the
largest saloon, L found poor Dick, in a
sad state. He was very glad to see
me, but it was plain he was not long
for this world; he knew this well
enough, and talked of his death as
calmly as though he had been speak
ing OF some one else. On one point
/ was quite surprised-so far from
needing any help in money matters,
he was really rich man, and handed
me deposit notes amounting to some
thousands OF dollars, and made over
to me the gold and valuables which
were lying to his credit at the
"Bank." Everything was done in a
most informal way; but 4 complete
answer to all my doubts and queries
was given, by saying that such was
"Miner's Law;n and anyhow, L had
the proceeds of the gold duly handed
to me the day after Dicks death.
! When the poor fellow was gone, /
had nothing to detain me at Inaugu-
ration Town, and so left it, as L had
approached it, on horseback. / could
have had company, as the landlord OF
the saloon told me there was an tout
fit" starting for Denver on the next
morning; and taking it for granted
that l should embrace the opportuni-
ty, he introduced several of the boys
to me at once; but such q wild, des-
perate-1ookiBg set L never saw, and
would not have travelled with them
for the world. Very greatly to my
hosts establishment / called for my
horse, and rode off at midday, more
nervous on the score of my possible
companions than of any roadside enc
mics. aF 1e irn AZ
1 got on very we'll that day, and
slept at house where /, had stopped
on my upward journey. The citizen
who dwelt there seemed glad to see
me, after the apathetIc fashion of these
Western people, but seemed astonish-
ed, too, / thought, and when 1 was go.
ing away, he, in his rude way, com.
plimented me on my courage; he said
had more "grIt" than any down
easter he had ever seen. i'In fact,
boss, there's many a Western man
would be skeary at riding alone
through this locality, now the Utes i:
back so thick, and SO nasty as they
are, too; but" he went on, "you have
the real grit, can see." rode of
completely staggered by his speech
and doubt if any man in the world
was ever so utterly eowed BY a COM
plimeDt on his courage.E ] resolved
to ride very slowly, and allow the
wild "outfit'' from Inauguration tC
overtake me; but one can't contro
ones fate. l had not ridden halt-a
dozen miles before / saw winding NJ
hill, to the brow of which I had Jus
climbed, at least a score of Indians
, They were, luckily, at least a couple
of miles from me, and so there wa:
every opportunity for me to avoiC
them.
1 did not like the idea of riding di'
rectly back, SO determined to take ad
vantage Of a ravine which ran paral
lei to the road j was pursuing, aDC
which latter was little better than :
ravine itself, especially as, from M
elevated position, 1 thought 1 cCuli
see where it issued into the plain be
low. hesitated no longer, but turn
ed into the ravine, and was glad t.
find traces of road and CT traveller:
. there; so, judging one way was use'
about as much as the other, l jogget
cheerfully on. ~
saw no house at which 70 get M,
midday meal, but I did not min
that, as, from the rate at which / hai
been descending, reckoned shouli
soon strike the plain. l dismounteI
by the side of little spring, and, witt
my flask and some crackers and sar
dimes, managed pretty well. I ha'
just lighted my cigar, and was lyiDi
under the shelter of a solitary tree
when suddenly a mounted figure cam
over little stony ridge just behin'
me. 1 started up and he started back
A more suspicious looking charaete
it would be difficult to imagine. II
was q tall man, wearing a felt o
leathern hat squeezed into n
shape at all; his black hair hadIprob
ably not been cut for a twelvemontb
be was clad in buckskin from neck t
ankle; buffalo robe covered his sad
; die, by the side of which hung al
eighteen-shot repeating rifle; on eacl
hip he carried large revolver; AM
straight knife in q leathern sheatl
= hung in his belt. At the sight of me
he recoiled, as I have said, and hal
drew one of his revolvers, but seeini
that was alone, and quite in hi
J, power, he came slowly on, keeping
however, his eye on me all the while
/ thought conciliation best, so said
!. "Good morning.