The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-01-01
Whisky Bob's Claim-How
He Found It.

He Found It.
Whisky Bob was dead broke, YER,
tired, and wanted to sit down an,
study out his situation and what wa
best to be done. He put down hi
rocker and pack very carefully on th,
grass; his blankets were strapped il
it, with pick, shovel, tin wash basir
and frying-pan, with bag containing
a little pork, ham, -four, and tin POI
for his coffee; and, peeping from the
roll of blankets, was the neck of q
whisky bottle. He had stopped at the
bottom of high, mountain ridge not
far from the Yuba Riyer, that made
along for miles. 1t was we'll wooded
and shaded by old trees, had little nn-
derbrush and just below him there ran
a creek amid the bushes, clear and
cool, oyer the pebbles, which was
very pleasant to see and hear. In the
hot summer weather. Bob took the
bottle from the pack, and holding it
|upft TO the light, saw there was only
one good drink left. He looked up
the mountain side through the big
pines, and saw the Pickering sunshine
where it fell through the thick foliage
and struck the earth in many places /;
in some of these the earth was of a
bright, crimson color, like the flames
Of fire, from the mineral substance
in it. He drained the bottle and fell
into soliloquy:
"Here l be again, the same burned
fool as ever, ruined by whisky, after
making piles of money; 1 jest deserve
it. What doggoned fool q human
critter can make of hisself with whis-
ky2"
1t was very discouraging, this kind
of thing. But Bob, like many others,
was growing accustomed to his own
folly. Bob had left his ship in San
Francisco Bay in the early summer of
1850, and gone to the mines for his
pile. From the first he was lucky !;
where he struck his pick into the
earth it was sure to find gold. But
he obtained it SO easily, he thought he
could always find it when he chose,
and accordingly threw it away on
whisky, gamblers, and dissipation un-
til the love of liquor became a beset-
ting sin that was fast sending him to
ruin. Nothing but some new and
strong impulse, some powerful awak-
ening of his better nature could save
him. Justly, from his besetting SIN,
was his name acquired. Bob was a
young fellow OF about twenty-five
years, tall, strong, and well built, with
curling black hair and beard, brown,
intelligent-looking eyes, and, in fact
as handsome fellow as you often
look upon. There was a chance for
him yet, If anything might happen to
change his life and bring forth his
really good qualities. But what could
do this5 He continued his soliloquy.
Yes, here l be again, swearing off
whisky, making a pile-and always
going back to whisky worse than ever.
Not show of gold in my bag; q few
pounds of ham, of flour and pork,
with little coffee and tobacco, and
that's all I'm worth sure. If 1 could
strike pay dirt once more I'd try to
be somebody. Whar can strike iii
Ef 1 could only meet woman up here
I'd put my pick in the ground whar l
fret saw her. A woman brings me
luck every time. But who can expect
in this place to see a woman2 1 will
pack my traps mp this ERE ridge, where
the miners go every morning to their
claims, and eff see anything at all,
there locates for luck, for a woman
is out of the question:"
Taking up his pack. Bob toiled
slowly up the ridge under the trees
until he came TO the top, where it
fattened out in little level places and
slight depressions. Birds were sing.
ing and flowers blooming around him !;
and as he sat down to rest he heard,
to his astonishment, not very far off,
the clear, sweet voice of female sing
ing.
Peeping cautiously under the young
pine trees, there, in a little open flat,
sitting on a rock, was the singer. II
was a pleasant picture to look at, for q
lonely man, A tall, shapely, buxom
young girl with light golden hair. blue
eyes and very regular, pretty features.
She was dressed in short calico dress,
with moccasins on her small feet, and
sun bonnet thrown back from her
head. Her hand rested upon long,
Kentucky rife. She was a represen-
tative of the better class of Western
girls, who were continually, in those
early days, arriving in the mountains
of California from the long trip over
land, emigrating in families from Ken.
lucky and other States. Passing near
their camp-fires at night, one could
hear the quaint songs and ballads
often sung to negro melodies-they
had improvised on their march about
the daily journey and it's incidents.