New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-16

in the palm OF the hand
HOW GOLD is BORN"
The miners believe there is some mysterious con-
nection affinity between gold and iron lhey
say that gold is "boIn in the pyrites-that 1T is
formed in the material from which they crystalzed
Yet they all agree that the preseDcs OF quartz IS
also necessary. Pyrites found in slate rock at q
distance from quartz barren. but let them pass
through it a ribbon of quartz not thicker than
knife blade and the little seam is liable TO be hiled
with spanglts of gold. If you point out TO one OF
these miners the fact that largo pieces OF native
gold are frequently found in pure white quarts
without q trace OF iron anywhere near. he will
remind you that when sunk upon TO a certain depth
iron is found in great quantities in all VEINS OF
gold bearing quartz, and will insist that tho gold
was carried up from the regions OF the iron when
both it and the quartz were in q motion state he
will remind you of the iron in the deep mines OF
Grass Valley, Nevada City, and other places in
California, and OF the masses OF iron and Iron
pyrites in which gold is found in Colorado and
other regions
MARK rwNS's POCKET MINING.
The pocket miners position among the people of
Q mining region very much resembles that OF the
bee-hunter aong the people Of tho frontier settle
ments in agricultural regions The business he
follows also has several points Of resemblance to
that of the bee-hunter. The trail followed by one
LEAFS him to the tree stored with golden sweets,
and that Of the other ends in pocket OF sweetest
gold. The man who becomes an expert beehunteI
remains bee hunter all his days and the same may
be said Of the pocket miner.
MARK Twan'sr narrow escape from becoming
pocket miner has never been told. 1t Ia worth re-
cording as it gave him the story of the jumping
Frog and sent him of along the line of the literary
lode and set HIM to searching therein for pockets
81 fun In 1865. Mark. weary OF Bohemian life in
San Francisco. went up into the mining regions OF
Tuolumue County 70 rusticate with some old friends
Steve. JIM and Billy ellis. Jim ellis was and
"a one Of the most expert pocket miners of CALI
tornia. Although educated with a view To eventu
ally fighting the battle OF life rs a physician. and
though still finding soace in his leisure moments
IN the works of GIeeK aud Latin authors that re-
pose on their shelves in his cabin he is booked for
life rs a pocket miner. The business has charms
for him that bind HIM to il IN chains OF eod-chans
that bind more firmly than those of iron or steel.
show him particlc of quartz gold on the side Of
mountain and if IL came TO where II was found
through the processes or accidents OF nature, IN
disturbed IN any way 10y the interference OF Ian.
he will as unerrngly trace II TO ITS golden source
az the bcc-hunter will follow the bee to ITS hoard OF
sweets.
Mark Twain found the bohemian style OF mining
practisel by the ellis brothers very attractive.
tie and Jim ellis took 70 the hills IN seai'h oil
golden pockets, and spent some DAYS IN hunting iof
the undisturbed trail of an undiscovered deposit.
Finally they struck golden bee line Ihci were
two or three DAYS in following It up. It neceS
sary to carry each sample Of dirt considerable dis
tance 10 small stream IN the bed of canon IN order
10 nan il out Each step made 10y golden 81 ANS
they at last came TO the pocket. IL was q cold.
dreary. drilling day when the home deposit was
fonnd The first samples carried 10 the stream and
washed yielded but a few cents Although the
right vein had been discovered, they had a. yet
found but the tail end of the pocket Returning :"
the vein they dug sample from new place. and
were about to carry II down To the rayinr aud test
! IL when the rain began TO pour down heavily. ana
Mark with chattcring teeth. declared he would re
{ main no longer He said there was no sense IN
! freezing to death as in day or two, whsn It was
! blight and warm they could return and puisnc
| their Investigations IN comfort. Yielding &c Mark
| ,ntroaties backed as thty were by ms blue Los-
hu,nped hack and generally miserable and detected
,pDearance Jim empticd the sack OF dirt upon the
! ground first having written and posted NJ notice
/ IF their claim to certain number OF feet on lie
| sein which notice would be good for thirty DAYS
| Angels Camp being AT no great distance Willie
| their cabin was some miles away Marx ana jim
| struck ont for that place The only hotel 10 the
| little mining camp was kept by Coon Drayton. an
old Mississippi River pilot, and At hi~ house tho
J hslfdrowned pocket miners found shelter. Marx
nav1nc for some years followed the business Of
| pilot on the Mississippi. he and Coon were soon
| sreat friends. and swappcd score, Of warns. Il
continued TO rain for three days. and uuril thc
weather cleared up Mark AMI Jim remained at
| Coon's hotel
TIE STORY OF THE "JCwP;NG rEoG.'
Among the yarns told Marx by Coon was that Of
he Jumping Frog and 1t struck him a. b"ing 50
-omlca that he determined 10 write It MP IN good
shape: and when he returned to the Giili' cabin.
Mark set to work upon 1t. he al@o wrote some
,ke,chcs OF life in the mines for The san Hrdnes'o
| Morning Call Mark did not think ~ much Of TIE
,tog story after II had received the finishing touches
| a. be did when he first heard II. lie gave some
other sketches the preference and sent them 10 ne
| call and other papers. Steve ellis however de
-larcd il was the best thing he had written and ad
| vsed him to save and publish 1t IN book Of
| sketches that was talked Of literary turn hav-
ing thus been given to the thoughts Of the inmates
NJ the ellis cabin a month passed without return
70 the business OF pOrket mining
While the days were passed by Mark and his
friends in discussing tho merits OF the &" jumping
Frog" other pTospcctors were not Idle. trio Of
| Austrian miners who were out IN search Of gold
bearing quartz happened upon the spot where Mark
| and jim had dug into their ledge. IL was but
few DAYS after they had rctrcat"d from the spot In
| the pouring rain. The Austrian prospeclors were
not A little astonshcd at seeing the ground literally
git,cring with gold Where the dit cmptied from
| the sack had been dissolved and washed away bt
| the ram Law some three ounces Of bright quartz
| gold The Austrians were not long In gathering
this but the speedy discovery OF the notice forbade
| their delYing into the deposit whence II canc
| They could only wait and watch and pray In the
hone that the parties who put mp the notice would
| not return while IT still held good Ia" sun That
| rose on the morning of the day after the Twain