The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1874-02-05
Miss Grey,Of Sandy Gulch

"Sandy Gulch You as don't stop
here git breakfast" We had deter
mined to stop here, and had kept this
spot in view as an objective point du-
ring several hundred miles of stage
journeying. There is something wea-
risome in six days continual riding
becomes slightly monotonous in twen-
ty-four hours; cramped up in a cor
ner, unable 10 lie down or get a good
stretch, is trial TO the patience of
the ordinary American.
We cannot present an active-look-
/ ing picture Of our fellow-traveiers to
your mind-they were all too stiff and
sore, and we might say out Of humor
! The man who could rest his head
anywhere and sleep was the subject
of envy and distrust, and a general
desire was felt by each wakeful one
to pinch the man driving you mad
with his delicious snores. Twas at s.
time when our nerves, detached and
shaken up, snd our very brains slosh-
ing around, we heard the welcome
sound, "Sandy Guleh 90
Not very beautiful name, nor, as
we poked our heads out OF Ihe coach
window, did it look TO be particularly
charming. Two hundred or more of
miners cabins that seemed to have
started from the station and got lost
in all sorts of plaess along the gulch;
odd little boxes of houses perched up
on the very top of an immense rock,
or nesting close TO their mossy sides,
down by the roaring mountain
stream, or far up oh the mountain
side, as the airy fancy of the rough
owner in fee-simple dictated.
The "main house, of the Gulch
was at the "Bsr,n and the bar was
the main house. -. ..-7 a-. -.---.- -
The broad stretch of golden sands,
washed by the heavy rains from the
mountains and deposited near the
mouth of the Gulch, gave the plsce
its name. The "Oyerland" always
stopped at the main house, we sup
pose on account of the bar. The COM
ing OF Skaggs, Jim Jones and Boss
Myers was something to Sandy Gulch.
They were heavy operators, and the
owners of the ponderous machines
that were up the Gulch battering
away at the silver ore. Even the bar
keeper shook hands with all and said,
"What, is it Skaggsy 2" But we were
unnOticed. We, who had come to
edit the Miners Friend, found none
no, not one to do US honor. Howev-
having visited strange towns and ed
tied several short-lived dailies before,
we were prepared to meet any fate
like philosophers.
There was one passenger we pitied
In his s1oneHness-not more than four
and twenty, slender, delicate, whose
e "a nj frvv,,a -, u
ual man. stripped of his grosser attri-
butes s-Who shrank from the rude
oaths and boisterous merriment of his
fellow-trsvelers, and who seemed as
unified for their society as would an
angel. We say we feel sorry for him
such sorrow as we somtimes feel for
inexperienced fellow-travelers on
life's journey. It was whispered
about that he was a missionary. This
opinion became fixed when it was
found, after repeated trials, that he
would not drink, nor had he been
known to swear during the entire
trip-something truly wonderful. His
place in the coach had been SO far re-
moved from Skaggs, Jones & Co.,
that, much as we desired to make his
acquaintance, no opportunity was Of
fered.
He, too, got out at Sandy Gulch, and
the greasy Register bore the name of
Rev: Milton May.
We learned that he had but Just
graduated from one ofour leading the
illogical colleges, and had come to
look after the spiritual welfare of +he
s'Gulch." 5.------.
The ''Guichers,n p big and little, were
to be brought under the sound of Mr..
Mays voice-that is if they wanted
to. On the first Sabbath ten OF them
did. But Mr.. May, being an enthu-
siastic aud an earnest Christian, de-
ttefmfned to increase this number
and during the second week climbed
sluice-boxes. jumped bitches, waded
the creek again and again, in pursuit
| of little working parties Of miners.
Nor die he stop with the workers.
The lonely, weary man lying on his
bunk, his frame racked with pain,
and seeing In feverish fancy the ap-
proach of . dear wife or mother, was
soothed by the pale faced man.
The gaudy room behind the bar was
not free from him, for be entered and
invited "Stick Dick" who was deal
ing faro, to the services at the log cab
In. Strange - 1t may SEEM, he oams,