Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-03-02
GaIes ano Skftfbfs.
fHE ANGEL OF EVANS GULCH.

By RALPH BAYARD.


and invited him to enter the cabin. He
checked his horse, di-mounied. and after
several vain attempts at carrying on a
general conversation. said. blUntly:
miss Jennie, / want to say something
something to you-and Tor the life OF me
don't know how 10 90 about it."
us it anything important. Mr.. Carter"
asked the Young lady. pink and red tide
suffusing her cheeks and temples. and as
cending to the roots Of her soft brown
hair.
..Importante ne echoed. his voice
growing firner: lit /. everything to me
Yon saved nv life few weeks ago. and
now this life will be forever miserable if
you do not become my wife.
For moment Jennie looked panied and
hurt, then she raised her frank hazel eyes.
and replied in low tone which bore a firm
conviction of its truthfulness Mr.. Carter
! am 80 sorry but really cannot marry
you. am engaged to John Purdy. and /
love him dearly"
George Carter made no reply He drew
back pace, gathered up his bridIe-rein.
mounted his horse and rode away down
the gulch as though in a halt stupefied
condition Of mind.
III tUf IItifLItit DtllIiif idLllfI
John Purdy had met with Indifferent sue
cess. They abandoned the first shaft. ow-
ing 10 the poverty Of mineral found. and
set to work sinking a second. few hun
dred feet to the right. This they christen-
ed 1.-The Last Dollar" and laughed
heartily over the name, which so nearly
represented the fund set apart for devel-
opment. stranger inspected the gulch
in October, and taking a fancy to the loca-
ton of the deserted shaft, purchased it.
The trifling sum he paid 10 bind the sale
provided the two Missourians with ample
means to prosecute their work on The
Last Dollar. and it was put down at a good
rate OF speed. a few days sufiiced to
convince the new conner that his prospects
we're poor on Treasury Hill, and he sur
rendered his shaft and went down to Mount
Sheridan. leaving the johnson party in
possession of Evans Guch.
The month OF November brought little
consolation to adventurous miners who
had located prospect claims 1900 feet
above the level of the sea The transforms
which flooded the valleys were converted
into snowstorms by the time they reached
the second range. and the ieathery flakes
would fall for days without intermssion.
From the great altitude of the Last Dollar
shalt, the annoyance caused by the snow
was excessive in the extreme. II required
almost the undivided time OF Paul johnson
to keep it shoveled hack from the dump,
and about every dav miniature avalanche
would break on the hill and come down.
engulfine John rs he toiled in the shaft
thirty-six feet below the surface. About
the cabin the snow apparently loved to
drift. II would come swirlng up the
gulch on the bosom Of the piercing blast,
penetrate the narrow glen, strike the cold
granite walls which surrounded the lone
habtation. and then fall listles>ly at its
base.
'You had better persuade your pop to
move down town till spring. little girl. ="
said Pete Finnerty. the owner of the Co
lumbia and Uncle sam mines. in CONVEX
sation with Jennie one afternoon. He was
returning to the city from tour of inspec-
ton to his interests on Mosquito Range,
and looked in ut the johnson cabin for Il
brief rest.
why so. Mr. Finnertv p asked Jennie.
as she poured him out Il cup of strong
hot coffee.
well" continued the man, who could
count his wealth among the millions.
"this is a treacherous spot. Jake Long.
Of the Long and Derry mines. said To me
only yesterday that he had hunted over this
section for nigh onto twenty years and had
never seen II Christmas but what this ba-
sin was filled with snow"
but Christmas Is five weeks and better
sway replied the girl. land who knows
but what we may find sand carbonateS be-
fore that time
Pete Finnertv made no answer 10 the
hopeful reply. but his manner. rs he but
toned his great storm coat of fur and took
his departure, would have led one to he
lieve that rs m expert he did not hold that
carbonates were either plenty or easy OF
access on Treasury Hill.
On the subsequent morning j. was dis
covered that John Purdy had been ~trick-
en- down with the dread pneumonia MAJ
lady which in the mountains of Colorado
Is about As fatal rs yellow fever on the
Southern seaboard Paul thought il best
to call physician without delay. and set
out in the heavy storm in quest of Dir.
Law. The little clock on the cupboard
marked 7.45 o'clock. and Jennie was in
the act Of entering the sick chamber when
n cracking noise on the mountain attract
ed her attention Momentarilv it grew
sharper until il resemhled the noise OF
thunder close at hand. Then the air was
darkened. and then came series vt heavy
conclusions which broke the windows OF
the cabin. and swayed its rude sides until
the whole seemed on the point
Of crumbling to pieces. \ cloud. halt
dust, half snow. penetrated every orjiice,
and Jennie saw by the freight from The
stove that snow had arisen wiihou, ~ a
level with the shattered windows. Her
observations from this source were oi
brief duration. however, for there was an.
other fall of snow which filled the Chin
ney and extinguished the fire in TIC stove
Despite her sudden alarm aud peJiiou'
situation. she retained sufficient presence
Of mind to surmise that an avalanche had
occurred. and that the cabin had received
its full shock. Procuring match and 8
lamp, she ignited the former. lighted the
latter. and ran to Jonh's side to assure him
that she had escaped unharmed.
And the surmises of Jennie johnson
were correct. Tor an avalanche OF snow
and powders. equal To any that evel
swept down Treasury Hill. had gathered
from some unknown cause near the sum
init. broken loose. moved from crag to crag
until the entire face of the mountain was IL
motion and then with naiaSti, f,rrs