The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-10-14


The current slang phrases Of Califor.
MIA were more feature in life in the
Golden State than the rude and sipnii.
cant nomenclature of its town and
Isolated mining localities. Names grew
up mushroon-like in Q night, and fast
ened upon places, hills, valleys and
streams BY magic. The simplest cause
or suggestion located . spot, and NO
one cared to find better name or seek
. change-it was good enough and
therefore let alone
In nearly oil these terrible rough
names was an equally iudicrous sup-
gestion that would strike the astute
sense at once with such force as to in
duce their possible origin. Away up
among the placer mines of 81 Dorado
county was a very noted locality called
Devils Cssyoas In the esrly days
when gold was frst discovered there
. wild olass Of miners were the bene-
fcisries. and they plunged iato such
recklcssness, gambling and dinking at
night. making the hills resound with
their debsuches, that o msil and ex-
press driver leaving the camp one
morning after his frst visit reported it
as Devils Canyon 1t is known by
that illustrative title at the present
time. although the bills echo back the
refining voices of civilized and -four
ishing little settlement
Near the extremity of this canyon.
where it terminates in depth Of lux.
urant chapsrrsl against . bold ledge
of the Sierras, is . small creek from
which hundreds of thousands of dollars
were 'panned out of its shining sands,
which later on was dubbed Hell
Creek, by party Of prospectors, who
failed to discover the gold deposit they
believed remained ut great depth be-
low the bed already washed out. In
dignant and ill-tempered. they pulled
up camp, declaring it to be He'll Greek,
and tho golden sands Dsmnation Dig
gins. There was q peculiar unique
ness in the coincidence of Devils
Canyon Hell Creek. and 'Damnation
Diggins. being accidental grouped and
located in the same neighborbood.
In Butte county, . delightful mining
section Of California. was, 'Deadman' 8
Bar o name doleful enough to make
one dream of ghosts and midnight as
sas.ins! yet 'Deadman's Bar was . rift
of sand in one of the sunniest. hsppiest
mountain streams that
'CHArTED OVER STONY WAYS
and made the jolliest waterfall that
ever danced over huge boulders in the
Golden State.
When the bar was discovered rs a rich
gold placer part Of Q human skeleton
lay bleaching on its pebbly breast,
high above water mark. in the Summer
sunlight
'Deadmau's Bar'bscame lively min
ing camp-it had its stores, shops.
assay Offices. and express Office.
1t chronicled ats sensations in rob-
berries, murders. and one elopement.
the bride being q pretty Indian girl of
the Digger tribe, and the swain an old
miner from Australia. All this as
early as 1850.
In Tuolumne county, verdent slice
of beauty, from the Nevada range.
where high mountain tops iutermingled
among the clouds of fleece, and tall
cedars made fragrant, solemn shaded
valleys, where gold lay in twisted
spiral chords, and great thin patches,
between the stratas of all the rocky
ledges. down under the bank of man-
zsnita. ferns and wild tulips, nestled .
bijou camp known all over the digeins
~ Gross Eye Camp The young ad.
vsnturer who loosened his bride one
day as he Vas crossing the Tuolumne
to give his horse drink. sat staring ct
the coler Of the dirt on the bank
crossing over. he thrust his stick into
the miro and made . discovery; it was
gold sand. The young man staksd out
q feeding place for his beast, took .
hearty lunch from his saddle. bags. aud
prospected-the next day board was
put up saying. in chalk lines. Gross
Eye Claim
A year after. twenty cabins nestled
among the ferns on the hillside.
Gross Eye had . wife and $4,000 in
gold dust, ready for . trip to San Fran.
cisco, aud by steam to New York. to
settle down with the old folks in Ohio.
In Nevada county, one Of the most
prosperous portions of the State to-day
and one Of the most cultured %
we'll, high among the snow-clad Sier-
ras. ara you Bet and Yankee jim
You Bet was named in answer
to the question of one party
to another, shall We camp here
to.night z the reply, You Bet drew
out rejoinder % follows; You Bet it's
them and uDpacking the kit they sat
about cooking their evening meal. 1t
was . remarkably located camp. the
altitude very great. the air very light.
the surroundings green and wonderful.
when We camped there. said the old
veteran, L dubbed il You Bet, and I'll
bet my bottom dollar il always goes BY
that name.
Yankee Jim 10 lower down among
the valley mines, and was named in
honor of its first inhabitant. Yankee
Jim's was rich placer mining locality
and once boasted . population Of over
. thousand.
Poker Flat, in Placer county, has
been made famous by Bret Hsrte, and
little need BE- said OF it here.
Whisky 0ulch is little dsfuoct
camp among the hills Of Yuba county.
Its origin came from the still. and
vhisky was the first liquor sold ito the
miners after discovery had been made
and . camp fixed.
Skull Flat WAS noted niu-toP IN
plumss; around the base Of the barren
.l.yet;on ran the flume that Supplied