The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-04-23
California Sketches.


was induced TO invest in quartz min
ing. SO / simply state the fact that l
did 50. One balmy Sunday morning
such As break nowhere so beautifully as
among the snow-capped peaks OF ths
Sierra Nevadas, in the month OF May,
1852, / was on the extreme heedwsters
Of Feather River, aud after a weeks
toll. such as none but the seekers OF
gold. in quartz, can know. WAS glad
to rest
l had been working in 6 company in
which had quartz stock, but oro run
ming short. necessity comp allied me to
become . 'hewer Of wood and drawer
OF water to . company whose claim ad-
joined ours. and besides, it was batter
pay. I had been a long time in the
mountains. working hard. spending
my substance, and getting nothing back
(of courss). and living extremely plain,
and was beginning TO long for the 'leeka
and onions Of the valley below; but not
having dimes to go with. was obliged
to serve my more fortunate neighbors.
who were paying me 800 per month. !
lodging myself. This much by way of
beginning.
| state further, that / am . work.
loving man, and fully endorse the
sweat of the brow system; still never
let any fair show pass by where money
can fairly bs got without.
WAS getting tired Of the mountains
and snow, and was anxious to behold
the green plains and flowers Of the
Sacramento, land which the enchant-
ing distance made me think Of as one
whose sun never pales. and whose
skies never wept.' and all was stay
ing for was to get enought of the need
ful to enable me to make the Journey.
Our crowd. some eight or ten. were
going through the morning exercise.
by runping foet-races to stake, firmly
fixed in the ground, and back. only
twenty yards from the starting point.
We had one chap who could make
astonishing quick trips, beating US
all.
While thus engaged. . splendid
specimen OF the genuine Yankee rode
up, on one of the most miserable, dim
inutive. scare-crow mules ever saw
The proprietor of this interesting look
ing quadruped was all Yankee just
such one as you have seen described d
hundred times--long, lank. thin,
sharp. green, everything. We invited
him to ston and partske ct such hospit-
alities as our mountain home afforded
us. but he said he Guessed he wouldn't
as be wanted to git to hum that day, If
his mule could stand IT, SO he sat and
watched the race course At length
the Yankee said:
I'll bet yeou q hundred dollars kin
ride this ere mule to that ar pole, and
back agin, quicker than eny feller
you've got
We looked at his personal appearance
and laughed.
4 dare yeou to du it, said the Yam
kee. getting little 'riled.'
had seen something Of mules. and.
for reasons best known to myself, /
approached the question cautiously. 1t
struck me that it was Legitimate way
Of increasing my pile. and shorte teaing
my stay. so l proposed that six of US
make up the hundred dollars, and try
Mr.. Yankee for his Yankee laid on
the ground two adooois, or slugs. and
ak Of US laid down his ounce. Now
the prelimiuaries were all settled.
/ reasoned in making this bet, that
the Yankee and mule together being
. heavier body than our man-who
by the way. was put up for running
would require moro powor to start
them. and their accelerated speed be-
ing greater. consequently could net
be stopped 80 easily. whereas our man
could turn himself by the stake, and
while Yankee and mule were bringing
up for the run back, our man would
run in and win the slugs. Was not
this good reasoning My faith in
these premises was shaken, though.
somewhat by the way the mule toed
the scratch. he was so cool and careful
about it; besides 1 thought detected
the devil in his eye. Il had on former
occasions observed the eyes Of mules. J
and half wished my ounce oat Of the
ring
Well. all things being ready. the
word was given. and away went Yam
kee and mule. like Q shot from gun,
and so did our man. by the time he
had got to the stake and turned, ready
for the homeward voyage. up comes
Yankee and mule, Yankee took the
money. and mule relapsed into his
'fosfner state Of being 40 plscidly as
though nothing unusual had taken
place, or that il was no trick at all to
win cool hundred by running sixty
| feet, turning . stake and back.
l merely inquired Of Mr.. Yankee il
he thought his mule would stan it tn
| git hums' He said he guessed so. eli
he didn't make eny more bets
l never lost an ounce 30 'onaccount-
able quick before, or at time when
80 dislike 10 part with IT, BY this
simple operation my stay Was prolonged
. week, and this ounce earned back by
days works. by the side of which we'll.
digging would have been fun.
Thus ended the Sundays amuse-
ments. to me ct any rate. and IS
wrapped myself in my blanket tha,
night. everything seemed gloomy. Thi.
additional weeks work seemed q noun
tain. and 1 slept only to dream Of mule.
with long ears and cunning eyes. rode
by grinning Yankees with stove pips
hats on. retired from those grand
| old mountains with . slight rheuma.
tism. and that last weeks work gave il
! TO me.
Mules and Yankees, the deuce. i
never mention them Kind reader
this Was my last attempt to make
money in California, in the mule line
but many Of my operations were but
little better. OF which may tell you
some other time.