Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-12-23
" Who nlsn will be hnre 9,i

w llN NASN VIII w AAHAN
"No one but ourselves, and perhaps
one or two of the hands father had en-
gagged. VIII you come -
Just as | am ," he asked, laughing.
just as you are"
Well, maybe | viii, but the fact is it
has been so long since l sat down to the
table with civilized folks that 1 expect
I've forgot what little manners | ever
knew"
"Never mind we are willing to trust
you"
IttLe readers of this story think pro-
pose to waste my valuable time in giving
Il minute account of that Christmas feast,
they will find themselves to be most eyre
giously mistaken. "Old Jake" was
there, and for the first time probably in a
dozen years, his manly form was invest
ed in garments better suited to polite So
cicty than was his wont. A billed +"
shirt, whose collar and bosom displayed
symptoms Of frightful rigidity was the
most noticeable feature of his attire. But
there are some men in the mines who
never had on boiled shirt in all their
lives.
The claim, too, proved to be all that
was expected, and it was not long ere
Mosier begun to make large payments on
his debt to Jake. And proud day it
was to him whom, the seasons work be-
ing over, he sought our worthy hero and
took up the note and mortgage he had
/ insisted upon making. The richness Of
the Mosier claim became matter of
current notoriety and all the claims on
the flat were held at high rates in conse-
quence, for it was the general belief that
the same back channel which had been
struck above ran through them all.
So long as the water season continued
Jake made his daily appearance at the
claim, but when it was over ho was seen
no more except at intervals. But the
coarse Of Nature is one that never varies
seed time and harvest come in their
appointed order, and once moro the
granite peaks were hidden under their
hoecy mantle, the crystal water turned
into the bitches 20 assist ard be guided
by the hand of industry in the ceaseless
search for gold. Once more tho form OF
old Jake, blanketcd rs of old, could be
seen on its daily rounds. But change
had come over him, ana he was, il pos
sible, more taciturn arc less companion
able than ever. 1t was probably the
season that made him feel so, for the
storms Of Winter had held of until late
day and, the thought Of bad season
made the best OF Us feel rather out OF
Sorts
But the water was here at last and the
fat rcsouudod with tho sounds Of labor
What with setting in new gates, stopping
gopher-holcs, shoveling out slides anG
regulating thc.taps Of the reservoirs, Jake
was kept pretty busy. So much so, in
deed, that he seemed to have 10 time Il
spend, as before with his friend Mosicr
1t is not to be presumed that ye homes
miner, il, indeed, that individual is no
ono of the myths Of this country, is /
very attractive object to the eye OF love
ly woman, when in his working rig, an,
pretty well smcared with the red mud 0
his diggins. Nor is tending ditch one o
the occupations which peculiarly fit on,
Of those presumed to be made in the i'm
age Of bis Creator, for the admiration 0
the gentle sex, albeit he is not supposed
to follow either ofthose necessary branch
es Of labor in calf-skn boots and stand
ing collar. BE this as it may our frienC
Jake ceased TO be visible TO the gaz,
Of any Of the Mosier family in a manner
which showed them that the avoidanc,
was studied, and the thought was not I
pleasant one to either Of them.
We have hinted at the bare possibility
that "ye honest miner" might bo one o
the myths Of the Golden State, and muct
as we dislike to overthrow cherished ira
dilious, we firmly believe such 10 be Tho
case, Our rccolleclions are stlll quit,
vivid OF one group Of honest miners who
being annoyed at the frequent visits madC
them by the fowls Of neighboling hotel
keeper, wrung the necks OF half-a-dozen
and then proceeded to dispose OF then
with u gusto which a travelling Methods
divine might have enviod The feathers
were carefully picked into bag anc
when the shades Of night had fallen OF
the landscape, the bag WAS emptied neal
the bacl, door Of an lsraclitIsh clothing
dealer who had recently quit the hote
and gone to boarding himself. The land
lord missed his fowls and found the festh
ers, but the "honst miners were Al
right. SO much for our theory.
Now it may be that but for certain pro
ceedings Of the "honest miners " OF Cor
Hollow this story would have had no Sc
quel and would therefore have remained
unwritten. But the " Hog-em " compa
ny were not content with The legitimate
number Of inches OF water they bought
and paid for, but had the knack Of slip
ping up their gates after Jake had mad'
-his morning rounds, to the discontinue
Of those working below. There had been
several wordy wars between the contend.
ing parties on this water question, and a
last the matter was laid before Jake, who
after hearing the evidence pro and cor
settled the matter by mailing down Tho
gate Of the Hog-ems, until he got further
orders from head quarters.
He had finished this ungrocious task tC
his satisfaction and resumed his rounds
when there was light football in the patl
before him and be stood face to face witt
Bertha who had started for town. Nc
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