The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-10-28
An Episode Of Forest Hill.

more than two years. They had work
ed at 1t with all the perseverance of the
Scotch people, and they had refused 70
entertain any advice on the subject of
abandoning the enterprise. Against
ell manner Of discourasing circum.
stances they had kept stealing on.
never seeming to doubt that eventually
they would strike the lead and receive
their reward. There were five Of them
all young men.
The tunnel was one Of the kind that
lure miners on from day to day, from
week to week. from month to month,
and sometimes from year to year with
q rock. soft and yielding to the pick at
first. then hard, then harder, and 80 on
through every degree of perverseness,
to . state Of adamantine obstiuacy
sgainst which diamond pointed drills
batter up like lead. The rock in the
face of their work had reached the
hardest possible stage, the battered
drills lay useless on the ground, and
the five boys stood there in the gloom
Of the dimiy lighted tunnel examin-
ing the indications with looks of hope
less despair; on the face of that relent-
less wall of rock there was nothing to
excite hope that their years of labor
had not been lost. If some old miner,
reading this. looks way back through
q vista Of changes to those days when
he was roughing it in Californis-the
days that are very like dream to him
now-I expect he will remember time
in the extravsgant ;dream. like life in
the mountain mines, when dark
shadow settled down upon him ard
blotted out of his life all the bright
hopes he had taken with him from the
States.
That time has come to the Scotch
boys. They had fought against it
through many . long. weary day in
the old prospective tunnel they had
refused to entertain thought of fail
ure. and between themselves any con-
versation which. strsying from its
original course. took a direct leading
towards possible disastrous termina-
ton of their tunnel, was dropped by
common consent.
Their names might have been any
thing else at home. but in the mines
they were Kale, Sandy. Gret, Bitter
and Quartz. Kale was the leader, and
when he said, There's no help for it
lads I and began to pick up the tools.
the question was settled, and the tun-
mel which had cost them more than
two years of hard work was abandoned
After sort of vagabond existence
of nearly year. during which tine
they prospected about with such ILL
luck as generally follow company of
forty miners, they returned to their old
stamping ground, and surveying the
old mine anew. became convinced that
by running in from the opposite side of
the hill they would strike the lead.
which was the object of their search,
unless hard rock was encountered
again.
They agreed to make the trial, and
again they started tunnel. Pushing
it in rapidly, they were surprised at
finding no occasion to blast, and break
ing through the rim of soft granite
they struck beautiful ledge Of blue
gravel. long before such an event was
expected.
Their dreams of wealth had never
been SO extravagsnt as the reality at
the end of their little short tunnel; and
there seemed to be nothing lacking to
complete their happiness. 1t was the
regular old reliable Blue Lead,
which. starting from some unknown
point in the north of California, runs
through along the western slope Of the
Sierra towards the coast, and is un-
doubtly the bed of some ancient river.
over which by volcanic action and
general upheaval Of that whole region
vast mountains have been piled. At
various points the lead has been lost
for long distances. then found and
traced again, always pursuing the same
general direction and always showing
the same general characteristics when
found. In hunting for this lead pros
pectors first get its course and then
start tunnel down low on the mount
ain side; running it straight into the
mountain they feel for the lead by drop
ping inclines occasionally, II they be-
lieve they are too high, or drifting out
right and left il they are not sure Of
their course. After ell their trouble,
after all their bard labor. they gener-
ally become discouraged and abandon
the whole thing in disgust. Some
times the lead breaks short of, and has
been dropped away down or shoveled
mp, on to one side. by volcanic action
through which the whole mountain
range Of the Sierra Nevadas has evil
IDENTIFY passed.
Now, when their fortunes were as
sured. the Scotch boys bethoaght
them Of the old tunnel. and feeling
ssrenely happy they remembered the
days. too, with kindly regard; SO a. o
mark of respect for them, and as
greeting to the dawn of their pros
perity. they proceeded to pay the
abandoned tunnel . friendly visit.
About halt way in. an air shaft had
been sunk from the surface above
down to the tunnel for tho purpose Of
creating . draft and circulation OF
pure cir. The bottom of the cid shaft
bad become choked BY rubbish and
dirt caring down from above. until it
was quite closed up. On going in the
bows observed that the roots OF an old
pine stump protruded down into the
tunnel from the bottom OF the shalt
Il had fallen IN from the top. aud the
connection with the tunnel being small,
il had lodged and formed . dam. above
vhich the shaft had filled with water