The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-19
THE MINERS DREAM.
BY A. w. s.

| A strange story was once told me by
| Californian, which, whenever an event
occurs having in any respect similar
| features and similar connections to
those of the one it describes, comes be-
fore my mind with remarkable distinct
lness, l will endeaVOr to relterate the
words of the Californian as tar as pos
sible:
Our party had been some time indus
| triously at work in the mines. One
morning left the camp about half an
hour before breaktast-time, which was
generally at an early hour OF the day,
and strolled off in the vicinity to receive
the bracing influence of the morning air,
and inyigorate my system to meet sue
cessfully the hardships and rebutfs OF
the day. l was somewhat moody and
thoughtful, and the fine views Of far-otf
ranges Of mountains, which offered them
selves, caused me to gaze to distance,
so that l did not observe very partlcu-
llarly my immediate surroundings. so
enchanted was l with the scenery, that
an object of no little consideration was
almost passed by me without attracting
my attention. 1t was the person OF one
of our party, and my first supposition on
seeing him was that he must be enjoying
the same luxury as myself.
He was q Frenchman by birth, and a
very experienced miner; OF sober, Sc
rious. almost melancholy mind; seldom
participating i'll anything lively; and
always keeping in obscurity his past
life, with which, it had been asserted,
there were strange circumstances con-
nected, perhaps none in his taY0r-but
however this might be, his life Was now
deYout and true.
| was passing on, when my foot acci-
dentally overturned a loose rock, caus-
ing him to arouse, not from pleasant
musing, but from deep sleep. could
not but notice the grasping expression
of his hands, a slight shudder and quv-
ering OF his being, as he glanced anX-
iousIy around, as if expecting some fear
full calamity, and his whole aspect indl-
Gated that he was endeaVoring to t1ee
from the spot; but, i'll reality, could not.
His features, however, became calm, his
appearance less excited, and he saw me
standing curiously observing him.
"Martin," said he, show came l hereW
He thought q moment. son yes; twas
that headache that drove me here, and
have been sleeping"
"a hard bed you must have found it,"
reioined, noticing the rough ROCK on
which he reclned. "a little harder than
the camp-ground. think you made a
poor exchange"
eyes, it is indeed a hard bed" said
lhe. | should have been more careful in
selecting restlng-place mad thought
of falling asleep;' and he added Thought
fully, ''6ut, however, am glad it hap
pened so, for"
"What?" inquired, as he hesitated.
ga great revelation has been made to
) me in dream-a revelation which l
: must not regard as of no consequence.
Beneath this very rock, though deep In
the earth, lies gold enough TO make our
whole party ricn-a precious lump OF the
4 pure mineral is far down beneath me,
such is the revelation, and, young man"
said he, looking at me with intense ear
+ nestness, al shall heed it. The party
a may think me deluded, but l shall un-
dertake the profitable search. In the
dream l found the gold, and was almosl
reaching forth to grasp it, when-I
Y awoke. 1t seemed as though l heard /
q strange, rumbling noise, just before
aWoke," and he almost shuddered as his
o mind reverted to it; "but it might have
been the noise occasioned by your ap
proach"
"Strangew was the only word l ut
4 tered as he thus finished telling hi
dream, and it well expressed the manne
' in which my mind had received the rela
f ton. i thought OF many things that ha(
. been reYealeuln IN dreams, and was almOs
disposed to believe my cOmrade was the
> lucky person to whom an important FAC
= had been disclosed: but then, remem
: bering the absurdity OF some dream
p the idea departed, and l was about Try
ing TO dissuade him from attempting t.
I, accomplish in reality that which hat
. been done merely III imaginatiOn--bu
his determined look prevented me froI
I IL, t,n tttIf fly Ia, tlt
4 and both III thoughtful mood, we to
= gether retraced our way to the camp
e where delicious and healLhiul break
: last was ready to delight our palates.
f Golane Radeur-or, as some Of Ou
party called MIN, ''the solitary MINER
i since he had left us in our labors /,
!, carry out the project suggested in hi
# dream-had changed from the thought
If tul sobriety he had previously been dis
f tinguished lor, to the activity and ell
: ergy of one much younger than he.
d alone knew the whole cause OF this: hi
If imaginary view OF the precious lump o
Y gold living far beneath the rock on Whic
V ue had had the dream had set him wilu
j. delirious to obtain it. The rest of tn
S party knew nothing of this; ior not
l. word had been uttered about it, eithe
S by Golane OF myself. He requested tha
v | would not-not from prOmpGlngs OF Gu
;. pidity, but from a dislike TO prOmOt
|. useless endeavors to break his purpose
v and rather Than to get his Ill-WIll,
: obeyed the request; so it is not remark
e able that his sudden desertiOn of Ou
l. diggings for a spot which, apparently
l. offered no inducements whatever, shoul
create surmises regarding the state G
l. his mind. Fortunately the party did no
e suspect me Of having any knowledge i
O this freak OF his. Tney hoped he wouu
s return to his old position ere long, atte
/, searching his new grounds In vain; bu
1. | was confident they would be disaI
Ii pointed.
- The misauthropy-as it appeared t
,e many-of Golane caused not a few I
% visit his dlggings, where he was fas
" sinking a narrow shaft, tor most assiC
it uous were his labors. l made it prat
Vt tice to occasionally ride over and not
II the progress he was making. His col
T. tidence IN the result OF his work did NJ
u diminish, but rather grew the deeper
h descended into the earth. L resArde
with anxiety the condition of his shaf
Tor saw its sides were not too soli(
-, hut nprhonE liabie TO give Way at an