The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-03-08
COVER THE HILLS AND FAR AWAY
The Tramps, Trials and Tribuiations OF II
Gold. Hunter Amid the Hills and Valleys
of the Far, Far Northwest.

The Tramps, Trials and Tribulations of n
Gold. Hunter Amid the Hills and Valleys
of the Far, Far Northwest
1t was a chill, raw rainy day yesterday,
and hunting up local items along the
thorouehfares and throughout the public
places and purlieus of the CITY was I'M
pleasant, disagreeable work. AS conse-
Quence, our reporter found fire whenever
he could to dry and warm his feet and
thaw the thickening blood in his veins.
Happening into certain popular resort,
where there is always a glowing stove, a
convenient chair, q handy table and a
cordial welcome, he found a party of men
in A group recounting to each other scenes
and "reminiscences of their past. One of
the conclave, especially, engaged his atten-
ton, for he was aA easy, fluent
and to some extent, a graceful coloquist
and our reporter listened to his narrative
attentiyely.
He was man apparently about thirty,
six years of age, and was hale, healthy and
well preserved according to his appearance.
He was genteely and comfortably clad, and
showed that whatever may have been his
him now to give him plenty. He was just
BEGINNING A STORY
when our reparter took his seat, and the
first he caught from the takers lips, were:
"rll tell you what it is, pards, the happiest
DAYS ever spent were upon the Humboldt
river. A Dutchman and formed friend
ship for each other, and we'd been knocking
around the head of the river for some time
trying to turn something up without sue
cess until we got tired OF the locality ana
determined to light out. You see in the
regions | am going to tell you about
a fellow cannot, ike wilkins
Micawber, want for something to
turn up. He must turn it up himself or
so without grub.
"Well, the Dutchman and started down
the river tor the SINK. The einK 10 u
point some three hundred miles below the
source of the river where the stream sinks
into the earth and is lost to sight, running
underground for some distance to appear
again. We had thirteen dollars between
us, and my Dutch pard elected me treasurer
unanimously, | laid out three dollars for
tobacco and six dollars for grub, leaving
four dollars in the treasury. With our
packs ON our backs off we started. You
talk about cold weather, but you don't
know what il is until you live awhile up in
that country. The snow was | don't know
how many feet deep on the ground and not
the sign nor trace of trail was there, so we
followed the meanders of the stream. We
were in no hurry. No affairs Of state were
pressing upon Us and we had no notesin bank
to meet that we needed to make haste.
Calmly and quietly we pursued our way,
free from thought and care, monarchs of all
we SURVEYED, with plenty for our wants and
not q hope or ambition unsatistied.
NY DUTCH FRIEND
was devoted to me, You may philosopher
on faith, and the preacher may prate of II
at will the rhetoricians may depict in all
the eloquent and elegant tropes and ilow-
the blind and unwavering faith of the East
Indian woman, when she throws her child,
her helpless infant, into the turbid waters
of the Gauges to be dcvoured by the croco-
dies, as an offering of appeasement to the
wrath of her god but naught that has ever
been before or that even will be again,
could equal the faith, trust and confidence
that my friend reposed in me. 'Vatater
you says part, Goes was his constant as
surance, and if | had walked off q
precipice thousand feet high he
all right, and part of the proceedings Of
the days events.
1T was so cold and the snow was so deer
We couldn't make much progress, and felt
contented if we made five miles q day
Whenever we came to n pretty grove o.
willows We would halt and go into camp
We would build us rancho Of the willow
logs, limbs and brush, and then, collecting
sage-brush by the wagon load to last u
during the night, would build us fire ant
cook our grub-and it was royal chuck, too
and don't you forget it, young fellow. Fresl
game Of all kinds, good coffee and bread, fl
for princes, made up the ample menu of oul
feasts, Then we would recline us on on
couches in our palace, the dark river flow
ing silently In front of us, and smoking on
pipes, we would dream dreams tina
made our souls to revel in delight. Thu
waters of Castaly were not brighte
than those of the river tina
flashed in the setting sun, the starlight o
the moons pale ncandescence. Some hug
butte in the mellow distance would ASSUME
the proportions and form OF
GRAND OLD CASTLE,
with ducal coronet or n princes diaden
cleaning above its turret stones. Ever an,
anon lights could be seen cleaning in tn
iar'away windows, and as the wind woul,
sough through the willows, II would soun,
like strains of music floating from out tn
tapestried walls from whose heights tn
faces Of armored knights and fair wome
looked down upon the happenings within
And then there were heard the ripples {
merry, joyous laughter, or the sad signing
OF beautiful women, daughters Of the oil
manse and OF the line of heroes and h,
roines, who still lived in pictured grac
upon the walls and sculptured form ami
the ancestral halls.
AS these imagining floate
through my mind and assume
shape upon the whifls and clouds of smok
lrom my pipe, seemed. to be in N
presence Of these danes and damsels Of III
magic castle. In robes OF purple, azur
scarlet and gray, and with noble mier
and voices like the sweet, tender meltin
eadences of the flute, they talked OF III
deeds Of their fathers,or sung Of their prov
essto the mellow accompaniment OF harp
ana then one, as fair as star In heave
when only one Is shining there with ha