Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1874-08-20

are ulueT tlc WCtiViiCl' ooil piO"
you lots of places between here and
Sacramento. Further up a few miles
is where they catch California salmon
| have seen as many as three hundred
of 'em foundering ronnd on the deck
of a boat at one time. They are fine
fish, boys. The first Chinaman that
brings any along after we get home,
we'll get some, and I'll show ye fish
that puts your fresh cod all in the
shade. Wal, we're off again. 1t
don't take 'em long to change the mail
at these places. Speaking of the mail
reminds me. Ye ought ter have been
here in so to see fun in the mails
One time when I was expecting a
letter from home, | give a feller a
clean slug ($3Oo) for his chance at the
delivery hole. There was more than
a hundred and fifty all in line waitin',
and darn me, | hadn't morn got his
place, when they shut the hole. Old
Billy was pretty near mad then"
"You had the first chance when the
hold was opened, didn't you?"
"You just bet l did. | didn't leave
there till l got my letter"
"Then you got it at last"
eyes, | alters had a sort of feelin'
when | was goin' to get letter from
the old lady. The good old soul has
gone to rest now died away back in
old Vermont. l never sot eyes on her
again after I said good bye to her,
and started for California. Aiter she
died | went home, sold off my things,
took Billy and Johnny, Geltie and
Lottie, and came back here again, fol-
you see l had a had mighty good
piece of ground, paid me an ounce q
day, and some days three or four. -
But them days are gone by"
so your children came back with
you?"
"Oh yes ! I couldn't think of leav'
in them there any way, for ye see
they want big enough to take care OF
themselves. But they have grown NJ
now, and the boys have gone, nobody
knows where, but Geltie and Lottie.
still stick to their old father. Bless
their dear souls, they are all have
now, but the boys may come some
time. The most l hope is that they
are living good honest lives wher
ever they are"
"No doubt they are, Mr.. Flanders
if they tvke after their old father"
"Dont be too sure Of that lads, I've
salted more than one claim in my
life. Yer don't know what that is, sc
I'll tell ye. When feller has a poor
piece of land he wants to get rid on,
he Just takes a little dust, and few
small nuggets and puts it in where the
earth has not been dug. Then whel
man comes along, that wantsa Claim,
he takes him to the place, pans out
few pans full, and sells his claim
Look out for them, boys, for they are
up to the same stuff yet"
ave are much obliged for your in
formation and will try to be on ou1
guard"
"That's right. Keep your eye peel
ed, for they will try every way to take
We in. Times are hard now and folks
will do anything for few dollars"
'It's not much they'll get out Of us
Eth |! George"
"That's so if your circumstances ar
like mine"
"They don't vary much, l reckon.
"Never mind, boys, where there's
will there's way, and where MAJ
will work he can always find enough
to do, even in place like California
As | said, like ye, and | see by ye
hands yer amt afraid to work. Uncl'
Billy won't let ye want for something
to do. I've got lots Of friends up il
Nevada County that will put you a
something if ye can't be satisfied tt
stay with me. But if yer sticl
to yer idee of mining, I've got a LITTLE
claim fenced in at home that has neve
been struck. Folks call it Uncle Bill
ly's pound, but if they knew what | go
for digging those holes they would
change their tune. l tell ye, boys
there's gold there, but 1 havn't hat
much use for it, so I've let it lay, ant
cut good crop of grass off from il
every year. 1 guess I shall have t(
let yer try yer hand on it if ye really
want to try minin.'
"We don't know as we ought to ac
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