Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-08-05
SHAD., PATSY AND RACHEL

SHAD., PATSY AND RACHEL.
BY B. J. FARJEoN.
Jackass Flat, a large plain in the vi
clnlty OF the Castlemaine gold field, was
riddled with holes, each shaft employing
two men, who worked from sunrise t.
sunset, in the hope of coming upon q
rich pocket. As rule they had little te
grumble at. When the rush first set in,
the half-dozen gold miners working on
the fiat had succeeded in unearthina
some tolerably large nuggets, and were
making e1OO week man. All were
not SO fortunate, but there was scarcely
claim on the fiat in which fair wages
were not being made, sufficient to pay
for meat three times day, drink, tobac-
co, and for an indulgence in the newest
fashions in water-hght boots, fine fan
mel gernseys aud cabbage-tree hats. The
sinking was shallow and easy; there was
no rock, or tough formation to get
through, and the golden gutter was gen
orally reached at depth of from twelve
to twenty feet from the surface. It &C.
cupted but few hours to peg your
claim, dig your shaft, erect your wind
lass, and lay bare the precious gutter in
which the gold was found. Some of the
wash dirt yielded two pennyweights to
the tub, some two ounces. On Jackass
Flat there were many prizes and few
blanks.
As consequence, therefore, every
body was in the best spirits, and men
sang over their work. The finest singer
on the Flat was Shad Riley, whose top
G would have made professional tenor's
mouth water. Shad did not know the
value of that G, as he had not been
brought up to the stage, but there is no
doubt that, had his voice been cultivated,
he would have made sensation in fash
ionable circles. BE had everything in
his favor-voice, figure, face. He stood
six feet in his stockings, was broad in
the shoulder, had an eye as bright as
sunlight, and q laughing mouth that
women that way inclined could scarcely
resist. Between him and his brother
Pat there was wonderful resemblance.
but Pat was built on a smaller scale.
He stood not more than five feet three:
he was simmer in limb, and his features
were more delicately cut. It was true
that there was important gap in the ages
of the brothers. Shad confessed to thir-
ty, and Pat, to not more than twenty.
though the young fellow was rather shy
about his age; boys like to be considered
men before they have arrived at that
estate, and that may have been the case
with Pat. He did not look twenty, and
it was plain there was plenty of time be-
fore him for his whiskers to grow,
Shad had a fine pair of them, and could
have grown noble moustache. Perhaps
it was vanity that prevented him; it would
have hidden his laughing mouth.
The brothers were among the fortunate
ones on Jackass Flat. Their claim paid
them at the rate of twenty ounces per
week, and their hearts were light and
merry. The first fifty ounces of gold
they made went flying away across the
water in the shape of draft, payable to
the order of certain Matthew Brady:
and it's mission waste bring out whole
family of Bradys, blind mother, lame
father, their son Matt, and not fewer
than seven young Irish lasses, every
mothers daughter Of them. With tears
and smiles they bale adieu to their
native land and turned their faces to the
gold fields, where they were to make their
fortunes, and live happy ever afterward.
There were no greater favorites on
Jackass Flat than the Ryleys, and it was
pleasant to see the care the man took of
the lad, giving him all the light work to
do, although Pat. was not behindhand in
Willingness. With everybody who knew
them it was Pat. and Shad. to their faces,
and behind their backs they were spoken
of as the Ryley boys. Shad. J; of course,
stood for Shadrach, and Pat. for Patrick,
but to have called either of them by their
full Christian name would have been
like giving them a slap in the face. which
would lead to shindy. They had Irish
spirit with their Irish blood. although.
singularly enough, they haden't much Of
the brogue. just the slightest touch of
it, to render it captivating to the can
The favorite resort of the gold diggera
after sun down, when their work was
done, was the Rose, Shamrock and
Thistle, q wooden hotel, the master of
which was 8 woman. This was as it
should be, as most of her customers were
Irish. She herself; Rachel Cary bv
name, was woman of Devon, q comely
creature, not more than twenty-five years
of age. Her brother had built the hotel
in the township adjoining Jackass Flat,
and, catching colonial fever, died Of it.
He left the hotel to his sister, who
proved herself a capable woman, and
conducted the Rose, Shamrock and
Thistle with spirit. She was not ex-
actly q Boadicea, for she was tender.
hearted and had fallen q victim to the
snares sof Cupid. She pined TO change
her name. Cary was good enough in itf
way, but not to be compared to Rylev.
If you have an idea that she fell in love
with the proper man of the two, the one
who was suited to her in years and
strength, you are mistaken. She fell in
love with the wrong man-too often the
case with willful women. Over head
and ears with Pat Ryley she fell, the
foolish creature, swapping her fingers 81
the circumstance of his being q mere
STRIPPING, while she was full-Rrovu
woman, at least five years his senior. Il
was somewhat reversing the order q
things, but what are five years. or fiftv
for that matter, or 500, If you please
when Cupid Is playing pranks with YOU
It is a game, however, that two must
play ct. If it is to lead to agreeable an.i
satisfactory results.
Rachel Cary made hot love to Pat. an6
Fat blushed and twiddled his fingers anli
held back, and was ashamed some
times, not always happens with raw Lad,
and ap:olutely had scarcely word K
say for himself. - What made the matte,
worse was that It might have led 70 I
collision between the brothers, for shai
Ryley Wa s much in love with Rache