The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-01-01

little pool of water, fed by a small
stream, where he could bring his dirt
and wash out for half an hour, and
then packing down more while the
pool was filling with water again.
Next he went and rolled away the
rock where Nell had been sitting and
singing by the dry pebbles of the riv-
ulet, and taking his pick, commenced
digging out ditch in the grass, about
two feet deep and two feet wide, down
stream, and took the dirt 10 his rocker.
He worked until sunset, only finding
about six bits of coarse gold, but in
his last bucket, when washed out, he
found q good solid piece of gold
weighing three ounces. This encour-
aged him, and frightened his hopes
for the future. There soas gold there,
he had now found to be fact.
Under the very roots of the grass he
found black, volcanic, powdery dirt
occasionally, and this seemed to be the
strata that held the gold. Bob slept
the sleep of the righteous and sober
that night and dreamed of pretty Nell
and big pieces of gold.
In the morning he rose by daylight,
and after his breakfast of fried pork
and coffee, ending with his usual
smoke of his pipe, he went to work
again, determined to work the place
out for Nell's sake, if he did not make
fortune.'
He worked hard and steady through
the day, only stopping at noon for
some coffee and smoke beneath his
pine tree camp. The sun was very hot
but he didn't mind it. At night when
he washed out the result of the days
hard toll, he only had a dollars worth
Of coarse gold !; but he had found lit
tie piece of blue ribbon Nell had lost
from her hair. This consoled him
amply, as he kissed it and said to him.
self: Bob, better luck to morrow
His claim was what miners call svery
spotted,' for the gold was scattered in
spots here aud there. The next day
and the next labor brought the same
results, about enough to pay expenses,
or as the miners call it, grub money
The fourth day, just before he wash
ed out, in his rocker of dirt, at sunset;
he found two pieces of gold-one
worth hundred and fifty dollars, the
other, full two hundred. Bob was
happy that night, and tied the blue
ribbon with leather string about his
neck, SO that it could rest on his heart.
The next two days brought no big
pieces, but the seventh he took pieces
of gold from the clay.like cement
weighing about seven hundred dollars.
1t was dark-colored gold, pretty solid,
and twisted into strange shapes, with
holes in it, but not appearing much
worn, or, in mining parlance, washed
When miners passed him daily on
their way over the divide they stopped
to ask what his luck was, and when
they saw very little coarse gold in
his pan they laughed at him. But Bob
kept his Jumps of gold in his pocket,
or buried them beside the rock in his
camp. In this way he worked on,
taking sometimes large pieces of gold
out, half IS large as Nelrs little fist,
and then for days very little. |
When he went down to the nearest |
trading tent for his supplies, it was
some temptation to see and smell the |
whisky, as the miners were drinking
and carrying it off in bottles, slowed |
away in their pockets and under their
shirt bosoms. But Bob could feel the |
bow of blue ribbon over his heart, and |
resisted all temptation and as he went |
up his steep path on the mountain
side, beneath the pine trees with a
heavy sack on his shoulders, he could
look down, and see afar in the break
Of the forest where Nell's homo was
and felt that he had kept his promise
TO her. And, besides, was he not
proving he could be a man again But
he determined he would not seek Nell
FOR some there yet.
The days and weeks passed by, but
Bob toiled on, determined to work out
his claim thoroughly. He dug down
stream, until over the edge of the fiat
It became SO steep no show of gold
could be found, and then dug holes
and cross-ditches to see if the little
depression of the mountain had any
more chunks of gold buried under the
grass roots. But he had worked it
out, and what was better he had kept
mis- word to Nell, his resolution with
himself to reform, and had taken out
mis- pile at the same time.
He now examined and weighed his
gold and he found that he had about
'ix thousand dollars, mostly in heavy
pieces. This was pretty good for
tune for seven weeks digging, and
Bob felt an unconquerable longing to
90 and tell Nell all about it. The
next morning by daylight he cleared
mp, packed his things, and started
down the ridge to the nearest trading
lent. But in his blankets, carefully
out OF sight, was a heavy bag of gold
in place of whisky bottle. The To-
cality where this strange deposit of
gold was found was on the top of a
long ridge bounding a little valley
called Tolls Diggings, few miles
from the Yubs River. Whether any
one ever had the curiosity to prospect
the ridge further is doubtful.
Bob had heavy load to pack, but
It was all down hill, and, therefore,
easier for him. He arrived at the
mining store, or trading tent so COM
mon in the mountains in old times,
where almost anything could be pur.
paper of pins to cali