The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-04-06
PETE AND THE FROG.
A Dan de guile in the Virginia New Enter
prise.]

miners OF w ASnOe anu OHc VI lIo uio|Os
srcrs of the Comstock silver mines--one
ofthe men who turned up to the light OF
aay that glittering Gre which was the
FIRST Of over $500, 100000 since taken
from the great vein then hit upon.
Before going to work on Six.mile can.
yon, at the head of which the great dis.
covery was made, Peter OReilly mined
Oh Gold canyon, a long and large ravlne
heading on the opposite side OF Mount
Davidson, a mile south Of the canyon
hrst named. There he wrought with pan
and rocker at washing placer gold from
the sand and gravel Of the bed and bars OF
the canyon.
spete'' was fond of rambling away
alone along the meanderlngs of the stream
in search Of rich spots, where he could be
by himself and mine IN his " way.
Provided he could find & few 'colors
!sulall pieces Of gold he would dig and
pan away for days, quit" confident that
MS lack would at length lead HIM to a
rich spot and in the end his laEors would
D. richly rewarded.
Pete was not only a spirltuiist, out a
sim believer in luck and ali manner OF
signs and omens. The last mining he
ever did on Gold canyon was when he
started in to prespect d bar on which he
found already located a ''squatter IN
The person Of a frog, which frog in a
short time began to give him a great deal
of trouble.
He constructed a small dam or rcser-
yoir to turn the small rill running INTO
the ravine into a little ditch leading to
his banning hole near the bar. The reser-
7oir held but about a dozen hCGsheads OF
water, and it was . after this was com
pletcd and filled that Pete first had notice
Of the presence on his claim OF the frog.
He had sunk a pit almost down to the
bed. rock and had washed out two or three
pans OF dirt that yielded well. tie was
down IN his prospect hole digging up and
fillipy his pan with solnc particularly
hne-looking gravel, when he heard a
small squeaky voice sing out, Struck
"a"
Pete was at The time deeply absorbed
III the work in which he was engaged, and
the snrill. squcaking VOICE ringing out 50
near at hand and asking aqnestlon which
so exactly chimed in with the cham OF
thoughts running through his mine SO
starred him that his pick almost fell from
his hands. He picked up his ears and
Dokel about him III all directions to see
whence proceeded the cheery little voice.
he half expected to see a little red-man-
lied fairy standing IN some n~elghborlng
clump Of willows, OF pcering out at him
lhrou.na TUT of rank grass growing
along the marsi IN OF the risl.
AS he thus stood gazing about IN
open-mouthed nmazemcnt the little voice
again piped out "Struck it3 Struck 1t
Strdck it =
Turning his eyes III the direction whence
proceeded the inquiring voice. Pete pres
emily deserted a small green frog, mount.
ed on n stick which projected an inch or
two above the surface Of the water IN his
reservoir. The frog was but a rod or toe
away and seemed, us Pete thought, to be
looking iuquir,ngly into his eyes.
"Struck it = again said the frog
at is a good omen," said Pete. 1.-THE
little follow said | have sthruck 1t
Though he is no countryman of mine,
behave in me soul | have sthruck it II
this very hole"
So saying Pete carried the pan OF dir
ne had dug to his panning place, pannet
it out, and did not get 4 color. He wa
not y little astonished at this result ant
had ~ notion to call the frog a liar, bu
on turning to look for him the little fel
low was gone. Pete went back to hi
pit and dug another pan Of ~dirt-listen
lng all the time to hear what the froi
would have to say about 1t. Not = wore
aid the frog say, however.
Pete washed out the pan Of dirt and go
nearly a dollar. "Aha We little diyil !
cried he, "wherc are We o ! "Ye han
aword to say this time!
Well pleased with his luck. Pete oega'
digging another pan of dirt from tn
place where he had got the las; expectin
arch haul He had been at work bu
half a minute when the voice rang on
sharp and clear "Struck II ! Struck it
Struck it
20. yes. ye little iool ii alsy for We t
saw .Sthruck it S,hruck 1T afthe
seem, what | got in my last PAM
"Struck it. Struck it Struck i.
Struck it, cried the frog III what to Pet
seemed a triumphant tone.
~All right. me Bye cheerful'y a>seI
ted Pete. noddins his head toward ii
Httls tSitON kuak - WHINING 49,
Ainking on the end of the sticl
~All right. me hye-av course ~
sthruck it,
He carried the pan to his Waterloo
mashed t out, and didn't get = colo
Yer the warst liar | liver saw erie
Pete. rising up from his work and shAkir
his ifs, in the direction of the frog. Not
sign of the frog did he see. however Il
little fellew having very prudentiy :
tired to the bottom of pond.
Pete %grumbled for : time and tn,
vent and dug another pan OF gravel Il
frog again stuck his head above the vat
and said: Struck i'll" and again Il
dirt yielded no gold when washed on
Tins it went when the frog said nothI
he got a good yield Of gold. but when
made his usual inquiry-sneering
ouiry, Pete now considered l. to be-
AT last Pete had washed so many p