The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-29

10 prevent the unpleasant results OF
the possible Identification of the real
actors in this interesting drama, we
purposely call places by fictitious names,
and assign our characters to localities
that do not exist. Now hearken:
Idaho Flat was a rocky gulch, upon
whose precipitous sides few men had
discovered paying prospects" in the
early spring. A mountain stream,
which we shall call Johns River after
the fashion of the country, though it
was not a river at all, being nothing but
rapid-runuing creek that lost itself in
summer in tributary to a larger stream
that disgorged somewhere, five or six
hundred miles below, into the current
of the Columbia, and OverflOwed its
banks in the early spring when the
melting SHOWS were seeking the sea
level. Johns River gave a very meager
supply of water for mining purposes at
the season of the advent of Edna and
John, but men were working like bea-
vers, in both effort and numbers, in get
ting the "pay dirt" excavated to make
ready for the autumn rains. Cabins, of
unique design and Lilliputian proper
tions, were perched here and there upon
knolls; tents that had once been white,
but had long Teveled in the creamy color
of the mountain dust, were planted here
and there; pack mules, loaded with
their burdens, stretched themselves laz-
lily upon the hillsides; men in gum
boots ami gray flannel waded in the
river bed; "saloous" aud provision stores
nestled together undIr the lee of some
blasted pines, and "faro bank" stood
omiuously near the camp where Aunt
Judy decided to pitch her tent.
Edna was now well and tolerably
strong. The baby Idaho proved an
obiging immigrant, who slept almost
constantly, and there seemed nothing to
hinder Edna, who, except Aunt Judy,
was the only woman in the Flat, from
building up a little fortune from the
proceeds of her own labor.
Years after, when she had learned by
bitter experience the folly of building
fortunes over which she was allowed no
control, she saw the folly of her young
ambition, but the wisdom came too late
to furnish her material aid.
John very soon struck bargain with
a logger and arranged to haul timber
with the jaded team of Aunt Judy from
the adjacent mountains.
A cabin had just been vacated on a
knoll hard by, of which the women
took possession, and they were soon
domicIled therein in apparent comfort.
"Tll die here ~ said Edna, after the
first day of comparative inaction in the
cabin. 81 must do something to keep
up the excitement. Suppose 1 turn
pastry cook"
Take my advice, Edna, and depend
on John for livelihood. He's not ovel
ambitious, as you know, and whenever
you begin to take other burdens OF
yourself than the care of your house
and family, he'll begin to lop and lean
and you'll have the bag to hold"
Nonsense, Aunt Judy You're per
fectly absurd. John will go on with hi'
work and | with mine. He'll have hi
funds and Tll have mine. Times ar,
good and gold is plenty. These miner
are starving for a woman's cooking
Every one Of 'em has been brought ul
by mothers and sisters, and when dis
play my pies and bread and doughnuts
they'll buy in quantities. Well ge
: rich after a year or two, and then won
| go home and show Squire Rutherfor
whether or not he can lord it over me p
'Pd like to know what you are goin
to get to cook out here, and what al
t rangememts you are going to make t
cook it," said Aunt Judy.
= "I'll build me mud oven, and T.
| make dried apple pies, auutie. c
e course we wouldn't eat 'em at home
e where we had everything else we wanted
D but these miners will devour them b
t the wholesale"
e To make the "mud oven" was any
# thing but the romantic work that Edn
}. had planned in the boarding schoo
e The first attempt was a total failur
After a vast amount of mortar mixin,
d that caused her hands to chap and blee
e and her temper to exhibit none of til
r mildest of its phases, the mass of mu
IS aud rock was shaped into a sort of no
low dome, which was filled with con
IS bus;ibles and fired. The heat was tc
o strong and too sudden, and the unweild
e mass cracked wide open, still furth,
/ taxing Edna's temper, and causing Sc,
e eral days delay. Then the experimel
$ of firing the oven was repeated, bl
1t with greater skill, and the first dozen
, tempting, crispy pies that were exhil
J. tied upon rough table covered with o
o newspapers brought price that we
'r repaid the tired caterer for all her tro
Or BILE.
ID For few weeks all went well. The
y a drizzling rain made logging in Il
81 mountains difficult, and John Smi
at lounged for a day or two around Il
Il; cabin, watching Edna's financial e
is plot with evident relish. Then he b
re gan to sell pies and pocket the chang
J. Edna did not remonstrate. She b,