The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20
O'RElLLY'S GOBLIN FROG.
now THE DTSCoTERF or the COM
STOCK LODE WAS MIDE.
A LhtIe Jumpiua Demon Driving q Miner
from his Cln go Hard TO kii-Hunting
Frogs and Find,ha 5000. 600. OO0 In silver.

Frogs and Find,ha s2O0. 100. OO0 In silver.
prov, ne Yrgan Eskrp-ls.
Peter O'Reilly was one Of the pioneer
miners Il Wash e and one ~ the discoverers Of
turned W g. the light Of day that & itteriug ore
which was the first OF over $4,000 since
taken from the great vein then hit unon.
Before going TO work on Six-mie Ciion. at
the head OF which the great silver discovery was
made Peter OReilly mined on Golt Canon,
side Of Mount Davidson. a mile south Of the
cahon nrst named. There he wrought With
pan and rocker At washing placer gold from the
canon.
Pete was fond Of rambling away alone along
the meanderinss = the stream in search Of rich
spots. whore he could be by himself and mine
IN his own wav. Provided h. could and few
colors (small specks % golil he would dig and
pan away for day.. quite confident that his luck
would At lsst lead him TO the right sno', and
wardet.
Pete was not only spiritualist, bu, was also
. hrm believer in luck aud IN al manner Of signs
and omens. The last MINING he ever did on
Gold Canon was when ne started In to prospect
bar on which he found already located
sauatter In the Dc non Of a frog, which frog be-
gan In short time TO give him great deal Of
trouble.
turn the small rll running In the ravins into
little ditch leading to his panniue hole near the
bar The reservoir held out about a dozen
hoesheads Of water. and it was soon after this
was completed and filed that Pete nrst had no.
lice Of tine prcsence on his claim ~ the frog.
lie had sunk pit aim st down t. the Oed rock
and had washed out two or three pans OF dirt
that Welded we'll. lie was down In MS prospect
hole digging NJ and Bling his psn with some
particularly hne-lookins gravel, when he heard
small, squeaky voice sing out. "s.rueA ~
Pete was at the moment deep'v abs crbrd In
the work In which he was engaged. and the
ehrll sQueaking voice ringing out 50 near at
e esnS 1"n ssE Win he iqSb ~ the
ming through hts head. so startled him that his
pick almost fell from his hands. tie pncked
w his ears ami looked about In all directions TO
see whence proceeded the CHEEKY litte voice.
He bait expected TO see = little, red-m anued
fairy standing IN some neishpofing clump Of
willow or pcerinc Out at MIN through a tuft OF
the rank grass growing along the "a arsin u the
rill.
rs he thus stood gazing about In open-mouth-
ed amazemeni the litte voice again piped out
"struck III Struck ~ Struck ~"
Turning his eyes In the direction whence pro-
ceeded the inquiring voice. Pete presently de-
scried small green fros m 3unted upon siick
II the water ~ his reservoir. The frog was but
rod OF two awav. and seemed. as Pete thought,
to be looking inquirlngly into bis eyes.
" S'rIck its' again said the FROG.
1T Is good omen. said Pete. The little
feii says have struck II. housh he :. no
countryr an 4 mine. oelaye ia my sowl have
struck it in this very hole"
II DIDN'T PAN OUT.
! s. saving Pete carried the pan OF dirt he had
dug 70 hi- aiming iAce. oanned u OUT ana dii
az tui- result and had nutl lon TO call the frog
lar bat % turning q look ~ him the i'tle Eel;
! low was gone. Pete went back TO his pii and
dug another pan Of dlrt-li-teuinR al the tame
10 near what the frog would ~ a out IL. Not a
I WORT nd the frog LAY. howeve-
Pete washed out BE pan Of TT And GOT near
1 " dollar. Aha, We little diyu,' cried be.
where air sc nowf We hadn't word - say
We'll pleased with hi. luck. Pete began digging
an lther. pan u dirt from toe place here Re mad
, GOT the last. expecting rich haul lie mad been
! atwork but nalf a minute when tae voice rang
out sharp aud clear:
"Oh. yes We little tool; ns.iisy Tor ye % say
18th nck II. sthruck itv afthsr seem what /
"Strucxtt! struck struck ~" cried the
frog. IN what seemed e. Pete triump hant zone.
An night. me oye? cnee1ly ,ssented Pete,
noediue hi. head toward the li;tle fellow that
sat vinking and blinking on tbs end Of the stick.
An right, me bye; ay course I've struck Il =
He carried the pan to his water hole. washed
Il out. and didn't get a color Yer the wsrst
work and shaking his rst in the direction Il the
frog. Not sisn ~ the frog did he see. however.
the liitle fellow having very prudently retired 10
pete rr,iri lied n lime. and then went and
d4s ano iber pan II gravel; tue frog again stuc :
his be ad above the water and said struck ~
out. Thus IL went; when TOO frog said moth :
he got good Yield OF gold, nut when he N ad .
eii qiess 5nS = d va, aund e'e 10"
Al iast Pete had wusned 50 many pans Of dirt
that he oesan % ~ y very angry. He WAS also
not a little DISCOURAGED. Finally Just a. he be-
I gan 70 scrape the dit out % tue bottom &
very promising creyice. and just as be- WAS be.
ginning n think the frog would this time no 4
his tongue, out cane TIE little fellow with hi'
pete quietly laid down hls creyicing spoon,
SHY gathered TWO OF taree uiT rock. thea soft
ly. on up-toe. began stealing toward hl. liitl'
I prosecutor. and just A. toe frog cried ' StTuct
tT Pete let drive At BIN VIII a rock 50 huge
that It could have been hurled oy no lesse
AJAX. missing his marx, but raising a great com
motion 10 the pond.
NOT TO NJ FRIGHTENED or.
Thinking be had given. his bad ANGEL fr:h
that would last him FORTNIGHT. Pete retusne.
80 rL H. IA "A ali st llQA fa IN Vrf
| very net. looking dirt. when up came the frog
head and out came ais tahtalzns " Struck II
pete threw the pan Of dirt As far as he coul,
send u ana made for the frog, determined on ~
eestrH:t'on. lie would stapd no more o. ~ n
the middle Of the little reservoir and SCOPE,
and tore about In It with the vi-or and venom 10
mad bull Once or twice he saw. or imagtnet
he saw, toe frog dart through the discOlor
ed water. and brought down the back 81 hi
shovel upon the SPOT wiz -nca scat tina
the blo~ might haze teen beard half mi'
away. AZ length, noi seetng INVITING more 10
lie gave MIN a parting curse, and beng nov
wrought Up to such a gitcu u excitement an,
nervousness that he could work no more tina
afternoon, strobe away, put On his coat, anS
Tue next morning he returned to his claim
and hls work. lie had washed out several . Al
Of DIRT and was getting good pay out Of II en-
when suddenly there fell upon hls ear the shril
me nrst note sent thrill through Pete
frame ike the sharp shock OF an eiee tricai bat
terry, tnen a GQlil Irl down lAou MS ueArt, an
his hair almost rose on end. HIS evil genius, a
he now nrtnlv believed the little green frog 4
be, vas still there. alive ana AZ nis old tricks.
lie Kicked over the pan of ART be had dug an'
nj de rush for the reservoir. the frog " plump
ing under the water at hts apt roach. Pet
again went into the reservoir with his long
handled shovel and charged about at a furiou
rate: but he cond see nothing - the frog @
anytbing that looked ike II. Being determiue e.
70 d. for his tormentQr this time, Pete went 10
his pan and began trylng 10 paii out the reseI
yoir. Finding this too great task ne got PICK
dug down the embankment OF dirt ana rock
f.. ming the little dam, and eagerly watched
with uplifted shovel. Tor toe frog a. toe waite
ran N. The water all ran out, but the frog wa
nowhere to be seen.
"sTRUCK IT " AGAIN
Pete then waded out In the oozy bed Of H.
pond, digging aud ploughlng about with hi
shovel. bur he failed to start the goblin frOl
He then arrived at the very reasonable cOnciu
sion that the little imp had gone Gown III
stream with the body Of water that rushed on
! Of the reservoir when 1t was opened. lie cruise
about the spot for an hour or two. going dow
4 the channel OF the Taylne tuning over rock
| and beating tufts OF grass with bis shovel bu
| saw nothing OF the frog Thinking his ev
genius had been washed down through IN
| canon into the Carson river, Pete concluded
. | rebuild mis- dam IN order that he might nav
water ready for use In the morning. Thts j.
: ! done ne went home, feeling gate sure that h
had either killed OF pernsnsnuy ousted bis IL
= tie enemy. -.