The Republican journal., 1874-12-17


out, and offered me home during joe
absence; but of course, l would not le
him come without me- With Joes talent
he could do well anywhere, but he though
best to follow Mr. Hyatt's ADVICE
Now "Joe's talents had, SO tar, deyel
oped themselves mostly in the line of the
late breakfasts, unlimited cigars, and ;
somewhat supercilious inspection OF mat
ters about the camp In consideration O
his introduction II had interested him
self in the young man. and, as work O
some kinds was plenty. had put in his way
several chances which promised well. Bu
there seemed to be nothing that exactly
suited. You know and busy II coulC
not stop to listen to his ideas as to Wha
would suit As time went on, and brother
Joe still settled to nothing, | could see {
worried look creeping into Nell's brown
eyes, and at last she said one day. point
blank: "Mrs IL, | can not trespass
upon your hospitality any longer; dom
You know OF some little cabin where Jot
and can set up housekeeping ?"
But | would not hear Of it, and beside,
my lcng-promised kitchen, | managed tC
have 4 room for her added to our house
III
such scant fashion as we could-a few
yards of red calico, an old Suisse dress
and some discarded ribbons calling tortl
some remarkable talent in the upholstery
line Our little house was often the scene
OF as pleasant an evening" as if we hac
been back in --th street, and able to
send cards TO whom we would fol al
though the feminine element was so small
there We're men there of fine culture. ol
extended travel, Of high scientific attain
ments. and Of soundest practical sense and
eXperience-men who did not stop at the
end of their class books Of philosophy anC
geology and chemistry when they left
their colleges, but who went right on into
the great laboratory of nature, finding anc
proving and classifying for themselve:
and taking in by the way many lesson
in ethics and mental science by collision
with the varied humanity around them
Among others who came and talked of al
the things under the sun was q Young
man, the amalgamator in the quartz mil
which formed the nucleus of the camp
He had been well grounded in mining anc
metallurgy and general education in Ger
many, but the pedantry Of freshly i'm
ported 'Freiburger'' had been worn oil
by the friction of several years of West
ern life. lie was manly, generous, devoted
to his work, and we had all liked him
from the first. Alter Nell came. it had not
taken long for me to develop strong match
making proclivities. and to all appear
ances the young man would in time be-
come s. willing victim to my plots, But
Nell seemed TO have eyes and ears only
Tor Joe. and her heart was 50 wholly taken
up with Joe's prospects and Joe's success
that firmly believe she saw no difference
for weeks between handsome Will Seayel
and tussy Old Professor Leon, who had
come out as geological 'expert" for Tile
n. ! and o. ? S NJ. Co.
Nell's anxieties increased. Il lac
finally tried to initiate Joe into part of hi,
own many-sided business The Young fel
low was a good accountant but anyone s.
utterly irresponsible, and aggray yating
who had grown to mans estate, was nevel
before seen In camp where all We're
workers, where there were not enough
hours in the day for all we had to do, and
where the six o'clock whistle found us al
astIr OF mornings, Joe would lounge int
the office near noon, and, not insolentlN
but with the gayest iN2oucl0ncc, would ask
ii there was anything for him to do lie
lnduged IL no dissipation neither valley
tam nor poker had any attractions tol
him; but tor half the glorious, starry
devices night, he would roam up and
down the valley, whistling an opera clear
through, or trolling q ballad He aco,l.
charge the quicksilver to the mining al
count. and the blasting powder and drill.
were sure to be down upon the "milling'
page, and when pay day came, every
mans account was SO inextricablY mix
ed up with every other mans, from
the "roustabout' to the superintendent
that H was obliged eorrowfully L
give him up as an exceedingly bad ioD
Then, q new company wanted map b
their mines, and Joe, who for ANYTHING
like mapping, drafting, or e7en desi GGning
did really show talent, was Oft in the
mountains and as busy as beaver for 3
week or more-and Nell's step was light
her eyes bright with hope, and she ever
vouchsated little gracious attention tc
Seavers earnest talk
Butwhen the work was finished actually
finished, and Joe was back again, he told
us with his most lordly air that 'of course
he had given his services gratuitously, as
the company was incurring great expense
at the outset ;" and this, when | was NOR
ally certain their stock OF funds was all
but exhausted
Will Sewers kindly blue eyes had taken
IL a great deal OF the state OF affairs, and
he had quietly tried his best to get Joe ill.,
terested in something definite; but nv
lord evidently imagined himself located
on different plane from our hand work
ing VIII, and though most gracious and
condescending, never clasped hands In
any real friendly sense, One day H
came home with telegram from New
York. kilograms came as far as Salt
Lake City III those days over the wires,
but from there down they We're p0nu-
grams This one was from the secretary
OF our company, and read ''Send vour
most competent man to San Francisco to
buy and ship twenty stamps, with pans,
etc. Ship by sea to Los Angeles from
there oyerland-the man to see ii through
Further adyices in San Francisco
This was good news for our camp, but
| asked Ii rather wonderfully who
would be the "competent? ?"
II thlnk, Seaver. was hlsrel ". "Smith
can do his work, and as | have been
through over the road with the first mill,
can post him. He's really the best man
| have, and it will be a good card for him,
if he puts it through in shape
So that night Seaver was up at the
house tor a good talk, and IL wa
posting" him upon foundries and mon,
steamers and teams. and finally mapping
out the long desert journey, with its
springs and dry camps and "diyides +"
During the last part Of the talk Joe had
evidently been listening with both eyes
and ears, and finally, with the air of one
who confersa favor, he said to VIII Seavar
"My good fellow, believe III go with
you, l reckon it will be an adventure worth
having"
think that, for an instant, Saaver was
near making q wry face, but look into
Nell's wistful face must have decided him,
for he replied simply "All right, Joe, ii
you like o'-and the matter was settled.
In few days they were off, out by
Austin and Virginia City, and so on to
The Bay the shortest and quickest way
to get there. but back by long and tedi-
Gus road, through hot deserts and past