The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-07-16
A Good Story That Lost Cool Claim in
the DiggiuS.

I
been told. 1t is worth recording rs it
gave him the story of the jumping
Frog" and sent him off along the line
of the literary lode, and set him to
searching therein for pockets of fun.
In 1865 Mark, weary of Bohemian life
in San Francisco. went up into the min
ing regions of Toulumne County to
rusticate with some old friends, Steve,
Jim, and Billy ellis. Jim ellis was
and is one of the most expert pocket
miners of California. Although educa-
ted with view of eventually fighting
the battle of life as a physician, and
though still finding solace in his leasure
moments in the works of Latin and
Greek authors that repose on their
shelves in their cabin, he is book
ed for life as pocket miner.
The business has charms for him that
bind him to it in chains of gold-chains
that bind more firmly than iron or steel.
Show him particle of quartz gold on
the side OF mountain, and if it came
to where it was found through the PROF.
esses of accidents of nature, undis-
turbed in any way by the interference
OF maa. he will as unerringly trace it to
its golden source as the bee-hunter viii
follow the bee to its hoard of sweets.
Mark Twain found the Bohemian
style of mining practiced by the ellis
Brothers to be very attractive. He and
Jim ellis took to the hills in search of
golden pockets. and spent some days in
hunting for the undisturbed trail of an
undiscovered deposit. Finally they
struck agolden Decline. They were two
or three days in following it up, as it
was necessary to carry each sample of
dirt considerable distance to small
stream in the bed of canon in order
to pan it out. Each step made sure by
golden grains, they at last came to the
pocket. 1t was a cold, dreary drizzling
day when the home deposit was found
The first samples carried to the stream
and washed yielded but few cents.
Although the right vein had been dis
covered, they had as yet found but the
tail of the pocket. Returning to the
vein they dug sample from new
place, and were about TO carry it down
the ravine to test it, when the rain be-
gan to pour down heavily. and Mark,
with chattering teeth, declared he would
remain no longer.
He said there was no sense in freez-
ing to death, as in day or two, when
it was bright and warm they could re-
turn and pursue their Investigations in
comfort. Yielding to Mark entreaties.
backed as they were BY his blue nose,
bumped back, and generally miserable
and detected appearance, Jim emptied
the sack of dirt upon the ground, first
having written and posted up a notice
of their claim to certain number of feet
on the vein, which notice would be
good for thirty days. Angels Camp
being at no great distance, while theil
cabin was some miles away, Mark and
Jim struck out for that place. The
only hotel in the little mining camr
was kept by CooE Drayton. an old Mis-
sissippi river pilot, and at his house the
half-drcwned pocket miners found shell
ter. Mark having for some years fol-
lowed the business of pilot on the Mis-
sissippi, he and Coon were soon good
friends, and snapped scores of yarns.
1t continued to rain for three days, and
until the weather cleared up Mark and
Jim remained at Coon's hotel.
Among the yarns told Mark by Coon
was that of the Jumping Frog" and
it struck him as being so comical that
he determined to write it up in good
shape; and when he returned to the |
ellis cabin Mark set to work upon it. |
He also wrote some sketches of life in |
the mines for the San Francisco Morn !
ing Call. Mark did not think SO much |
of the frog story after it had received |
the finishing touches as he did when he |
first heard it. He gave some other |
sketches the preference, and sent them |
to the Call and other papers. Steve |
ellis. however, declared it was the best |
thing he had written, and advised him
to save and publish it in book of |
sketches that was talked OF. A literary
turn having thus been given to the !
thoughts of the inmates of the ellis
cabin, month passed without a return
to the business of pocket mining.
While the days were passed by Mark
and his friends in discussing the merits
of the " Jumping Frog" other pros
pectors were not idle. A. trio of Aus
trian miners who were out in search of |
gold-bearing quartz happened upon the
,pOe WhStO NAL dua Jim Jug lutO
their ledge. 1t was but few DAYS af- |
ter they had retreated from the spot in
the pouring rain. The Austrian pros
pectors were not little astonished at
seeing the ground literally glittering
with gold. Where the dirt emp
tied from the sack had been dissolv-
ed and washed away by the rain lay
some three ounces of bright quartz
gold. The Austrians were not long ia
gathering this, but the speedy discovery
of the notice forbade their delving into
he deposit whence it came.
They could only wait and watch and
pray in the hope that the parties who
put up the notice would not return
while it still held good. The sun that
-ose on the morning of the day after
he Twain-Gillis notice expired saw
he Austrians in possession of the ground,
With notice of their own conspicuous