The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-08-06

dealt principally III gin, salt fish, tea,
and opium. In his leisure hours he had
constructed boat for transporting par
ties of his countrymen, who, from time
to time in their migrations about the
country in search of diggings, might de-
sire to cross the river. 1t was built after
the Chinese STYLE of marine architecture.
It was cumbrous, heavy, lop-sided, and
manageable in the most quiet waters.
On, aim in its construction had been to
use as much old lumber as possible.
When Wang Chu had finished "The
Ark" as the miners termed 1t, he painted
two great eyes in the bows. Thereby
he deemed he had made it rational,
living, seeing creature. When it was
first set ahoat there was dedicatory
burning of crackers, joss-sticks, other
pow-wowing, and an increased consump-
ton by Wang Chu and his contempora-
ries of gin and opium. After this the
ill-starred and ungainly craft foated in
it's crippled and lop-sided fashion in a
little blight of the river. It's passage
over the Stanislaus at the lowest stage
of water was accomplished with a vast
amount of outcries and gabbling on the
part of Wang Chu and his crew, who
mingled their frantic padding, when in
the heaviest current mid-stream, with an
incessant vociferation of contradictory
orders to each other. The result was
generally Judgment of the "Ark
quarter of mile below its starting point
on the opposite side, and suspension
of all Wang Chu's other business until
it was towed by hand against the cur
rent back again.
All the white men on the river were
agreed on one point, that the "Ark"
would drown somebody ere it's mission
was ended. On this being told Wang
Chu, as an additional precaution he
painted another eye IN the stern, sacri-
feed pig to some Mongolian marine
deity, burnt more joss-sticks, and ter
minated the ceremonies with another
outpouring of gin and opium.
In the summer time California noun
| tain river is an attenuated, feeble stream
that one may ford ut every few hundred
yards; an alienation Of rivulets, mo-
tionless pools, bowlder covered islands,
and great granite powders, rearing
themselves high out of the waters. But
when swollen by the long continued
ihlllo VI Nlllttly vi IllC lltltllS SilONo Vi
Sierras in the spring, its quiet, peaceful
character vanishes; it becomes turbu-
lent, roaring, treacherous monster; itsets
death traps in every direction. Here
whirling eddy, smooth enough on its sur
face and seemingly harmless, yet pos
sessed of invisible arms, more powerful
than those Of the devil fish, TO suck and
carry men down into it's lowest depths;
there maelstrom, raging and roaring
over the rocks hidden beneath. Dur
ing the freshet the banks culver and
tremble as the immense power whirls
and foams past, and your voice is caught
from your lips and hurled into indistinct-
ness. From "'49" upward, every one
of these mountain gold-bearing streams
has claimed long list of victims, and
many brave fellow has been caught in
their deadly embrace never to be seen
afterward.
The Stanislaus was "booming" one
Spring afternoon at its highest water
mark, when five Cinnamon, encountered
with their blankets, bundles, rockers,
jacks, pans, and shovels, came stringing
down the Park Hill trail. They stopped
and refreshed themselves for time Mt
the China store, and then, accompanied
by Wang Chu, placed themselves and
baggage in his boat to be ferried over
A quarter of a mile below their start
ing place was Black Rock, q gigantic
bowlder, which for centuries had pitted
itself against the stream. 1t was not
more than 80 yards from the shore, and
the Stanislaus at this point was not more
than double that distance in width.
Here the waters, suddenly narrowed to
this compass betwixt rocky walls, rushed
rather III a succession of great waves or
bursts than a regular current. This, in
fact, was the upper entrance of the Big
Canon, two miles in length, and by rea-
son of the rocky walls and raging cur
rent, no mining could ever be successful
ly accomplished here Mt the most favor
able season. Directly opposite the
Black Rock, on little knoll, was the
cabin of Timid Sims. He, in company
with chance partner, was working on
the bank near by.
Sims was always picking up the waits,
stragglers, and castaways drifting about
the country. His house and scanty lar
der were ever open to them. He took
them as partners, and trusted them as
! freely as though they had come bur-
dened with trunks full of endorsements
and testimonials Of good character.
Sometimes they robbed him; sometimes
they got drunk and made his house
pandemonium; sometimes they effected
the same result without the aid of whisky,
by gradually developing sour, surly, fe-
rocious dispositions. The best of the
lot carried the gross result in gold dust
OF weeks washing to Columbia for the
purpose of turning it into coin, and after
many days waiting therefore Sims re-
ceived letter from the delinquent, stat
ing that he was overwhelmed with shame
and remorse, but he had given way to
his besetting sin for gambling, and the
dust had all gone into the NAV of the
"tiger. D." He had not proved an able
workman either. His hands seemed
never before to have grasped pick and
shovel; and after a mornings gasping
labor, Sims would often insist that he
should remain at home during the after
noon and make himself comfortable. for
it was a sore distress to see man pant
ing and struggling with work to which it
/ al h.