Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-09-23

From Temple Bar.
TlMID SIMS "A CALIFORNIA SKETCH

"Timd Sims, I" as he was called, was
held in very inferior repute ameng the
boys at Texas Bar. because he had backed
down before a six.shooter. A man on
Texas Bar might be lacking in many quail.
tiles, but if he had 1.-THE sand" it covered a
multitude Of sins. "Sand'' was the jocu-
lar translation for grit Sand, in To-
cality possessing but little law and less Or
der, was an absolute essential to a good
standing in Texas Bar.
Timid Sims was pale, slender, inoffen-
siye. dreamy character. whose general as
pect and manner gave you the impression
that he didn't know exactly what he had
come into the mines for; indeed, that he
didn't know exactly what he came into ex-
istence for. He had body to clothe,
shelter and feed, and it was imperative
that he should work to clothe, shelter and
feed it. He was strong enough 10 do an
able-bodied mans work No one would
employ him, even when hands were need
ed in the river claims during the busiest
season; circumstance which seemed to
puzzle Sims exceedingly, until at last he
was plainly told by one Of the rougher
and more outspoken miners that he
couldn't keep up his lick with other men
anyway. and the best thing he could do
was to 60 into grocery store, tend bar
or keep school,"
"Sims, however. would mine. He bor-
rowed rocker, procured "a very limited
supply of flour, pork and potatoes on
credit at the store, took possession of a
deserted log cabin at the farther end OF
the bar, patched up the roof with old
boards which came floating down the riv-
er, and tried at night to sleep comfortably
on the floor in his scanty blankets. He
worked here and there along the bank,
sometimes washing over "old toilings.' ~
sometimes working some bit of bar or
rifle exposed during low stage OF the
river; which since :" AZ" had been dug
over score of times. He made "six
bits" sometimes a dollar ard half per
day, often nothing. His were reckoned
"Chinaman's wages" Taken altogether,
poor Sims hardly passed for whole man.
1t was not 80 much that he was feeble IN
body either. for there were others resident
near him, able to lift no more pounds or
swing pick hour after hour with no more
vigor than he but there was about Sims
an atmosphere of weakness and self-de-
probation. He was always shrinking in
to holes and corners. He had no bluff, y
no self-asserton. If he vent into room
full Of strangers, he seemed frightened at
some imaginary thing. With few, he
became intimate, and they called him a
clever little fellow To these he clung,
and desired no more ac1uaintances. Ev-
cry stranger he seemed to regard as an
enemy. He was fond of solitude, and,
during the summer. would neglect work
altogether. wandering about the surround
ing mountains.
Sims had one merit. He was an inde-
fatigable prospector, and at last struck
gravel diggings on Bixel's Flat. Had he
been smart he might have monopolized
the entire lead. He contented himself
with a modest slice at one end. Then
down came the able-bodied cutting and
shooting men of Texas Bar. Jim Free
mantle had worked bank claim facing
the Flat two years previously, without
eighth OF mile back. No matter. On
the plea of possessing u prior claim on
BixePs. he and his compeers argued that
they had the right Of running the first
boundary lines" Sims had already run
his own, which included. so far as he
could judge by external indications, fair
slice of the lead supposed to exist under
meath. This Freemantle & Co. coveted.
So they ran their lines, which clashed with
those of Sims. Sims found Freemante's
notice posted in the heart of his claim. He
expostulated with him. He renewed his
own notices which had been torn down.
These were again snatched off. and his
boundary stakes kicked over. This was
accompanied by threat from the propri-
etors of tie Conquer we must" claim.
that "any more of that sort OF thing would
lead to bullets" So Sims "took to water"
and was obliged to take up with frag-
ment OF the ground he had discovered.
Wang Chu kept "china store' little
above Bixels Flat. Wang Chu dealt
principally in ga. salt fish, tea and OPT
um. In his leisure hours he had construc-
ted boat ior transporting. parties OF his
countrymen, who from time to time. in
their migration about the country in search
of diggings, might desire to cross the riv-
er. It was built after the Chinese style of
marine architecture.
It was cumbrous, heavy. lopsided, and
unmanageable in the most quiet waters.
One 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 it, he painted two
great eyes in the bows. Thereby he
deemed he had made it rational, liv-
ing. seeing creature. When it was first set
afioat, there was dedicatory burning OF
crackers, joss sticks, other pow-wowing,
and an increased consumption by Wang
Chu and his contemporaries of gin and
opium. After this the ill-starred and un-
calmly craft floated in its crippled and lop
sided fashion in little blight Of the river.
Its passage over the Stanislaus at the low
est stage Of water, was accomplished by
vast amount Of loud outcries and gab-
bing 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 contra
dictory orders to each other. The result
was generally Judgement of the ARK !"
a quarter of mile below its starting
point on the opposite side. and suspen-
sion of all Wang Chu's other business un-
til 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 its mission was end
ed. On this being told Wang Chu, as an
additional precaution he painted another
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