The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-10-25
OUR LITTLE DAN.
I'M. Quad in Detroit Free Press

Al. quad IN Detrolt II Tee fIessI
l was telling you last week about our
silver mining camp at "Old Tom Col
lins.D About month after Our Fool
blew up the Indians in the gulch our
luck left us all of a sudden. We had
been doing so well for several months
that to come down to dollar day dis
couraged the men at once. We pros
pected till certain that our luck had de-
parted, and then one morning we packed
up and tramped out for. diggings new.
More by accident than otherwise we
stumbled upon spot which had once
been worked-perhaps by the Aztecs.
Certainly no white man had ever used
tools in that bungling fashion, or had
wasted the precious ore in that manner.
We were doing rough mining, to be sure,
but those who came after us were well
come to the debris.
Our new camp, which we named
Kings Castle" was situated in what
would be termed bay if the ground had
been water. A straight line of cliff was
suddenly broken into or scooped out in
a half-circle. A line across the mouth
of this half-circle would not have shown
over two hundred feet, and the bay or
"jogn extended back about twice as
far. Thus, on all sides but one we had
almost perpendicular walls from fifty to
hundred and fifty feet high; in some
spots bare rock, then streaks of shell
and gravel, and then bushes and small
trees In addition to being rich in
promise, it promised security from the
Indians, and that was of no small mo-
ment in the selection of spot which
might be our home for the winter.
Gu the day we began to make our
selves at home by constructing a house
of boulders, rocks and mud, we were
Joined by stranger. He was burly,
big fellow, having a second-class outfit
of tools, and it is fact that we smelled
whisky before we set eyes on him. He
introduced himself as "Bin Adams"
and stated that he was from a camp
about nine miles away. We afterward
discovered that he was renegade, iv-
ing with the Indians and planning with
them to betray US into their clutches.
We didn't like his looks bit. He had
a thievish, skulking air, and he didn't
walk into camp like an honest miner in
search of friends or job. After one of
the men had repeatedly declared that
he smelled whisky in the air we began
to look around. The stranger was watch
ing us from the bushes fringing the
mouth of the bay, and seeing that he
must be discovered, he stepped out and
advanced. Holding bottle. of whisky
extended in his hand and trying hard to
smile. he called out:
"Hil boys-glad I've found you!
Let's take drink and be friendsw
Now, the medina party" was COM
posed nearly altogether of married men,
whose thoughts turned homeward a
hundred times day. We had made
the long journey to "strike richness"
and then go back to our loved ones and
enjoy it, and we didn't shirk hard work,
play cards, nor drink whisky. The
strangers manner of introducing him
self therefore turned all against him at
once. Ben Headley, who had always
been "mayor" of our camp, walked out
TO meet the fellow, took the bottle from
his hand, and dashing it against the
rock with great force, replied: "That's
the use we make of such stuff in this
campp
There was an awkward silence for a
minute. Adams tried hard to conceal
his wrath and chagrin, and finally chok-
ing back his feelings he smiled lugubri-
ously and said:
"If that's the square thing, then 1
hain't got used to the ways out here.
Howsumever, boys, Pm dead broke. In
juns are thick, diggings are few, and
I'd like to stop with ye for few days.
What do ye sayr'
Lack of hospitality was almost crime
out there in those DAYS. We had never
turned wanderer or a hard-up man
from our camp, and when the stranger
struck us on this point we took him in.
We drew of, held a consultation, and
decided to let him tarry for week on
equal footing, though old Ben spake the
thoughts of every mind when he bluntly
Said:
"Yes, he kin stay, but we must keep
an eye on him day and night. He's a
rascal, sure, and at the first sign of
treachery Pm going to put a bullet
through his head"
Well, the fellow turned in and helped
us complete the house. 1t was good
big one, capable of holding the whole
party, and the front, facing the mouth
Of the half-circle, was pierced with loop.
holes, for use of our rifles in case of at,
tack. The man didn't hurt himself
much at his work, but when it came to
eating he was a second-class rhinoceros
He was great blabber," always hay
ing his mouth open, and he used an oath
at almost every word. None of us could
be hardly civil to him, and his every
movement was closely watched.
We had with us an undersized mar
about thirty years old whom we called
"Our LittleD Dan" .Hewas good-natured
rather boyish, and general favorite
He was not married, but he had an ole
mother in the states and could nevel
speak of her without tears filling hi
eyes. He had her daguerreotype with
him, and he never let day pass with
out hooking at it score of times. W.
were used to this, and respected the sen
timent, but it was that very pictur,
which brought about tragedy in camp
Perhaps Our Little Dan and the stran
ger hated each other on sight. At an,
rate Dan would not speak to him, evei
if directly questioned, and on the othe
hand, Adams lost no opportunity to an
noy and anger our comrade.
Indian signs were SO numerous tina
we kept sentinel posted at the moutl
of the bay every night to prevent SUI
prise. One man stood the whole nigh
out and was not required to work tn
next forenoon. One night when it wa