Delta chief., 1883-08-29
A SUNDAY IN THE CAMP.
Sketch Of Life in California Mining Camps
During the 'Sixties."

Through the cabin window and through
the chInks of the cabin wall. 1t is the
Aame sunshine as that of the week day.
,/iet as the miner wakes and realizes it
y is Sunday, it has different appearance.
4 Everything appears more quiet, more
restful, and even more staid and serious.
There belongs to it, and to the land
scape as he looks out, flavor of far
away eastern Sabbath bells, and Sunday
mornings hush, and Sunday School.
But there is not church bell within ten
miles and there will never be one heard
on this Hat. There is not the least ap-
proach to church organizations. There
is not, so far as known, so much as n
man religiously inclined We are a hard
lot. No work on the claim to-day.
After breakfast, shaving. That small
mirror of most imperfect glass. whose
reflection distorts the features, screwing
up one side Of the face and enlarging
the other in an unnatural fashion, is
suitably adjusted. A smell of soap per-
vades the air. He lathers and shaves,
and re-laIhers and re-shaves with a te-
dius and painful precision. the while
making faces at himself in the glass as
he brings one portion Of his countenance
after another more directly under the
s"N'P Va 'nLoi. HI tnS's hN 'oihts
off with few scratches or leaves n hir-
suite oasis here and there of uncut bris-
tie. Black pantaloons. a white shirt. n
felt or straw hat. and the Sunday boots.
This is his dandy outfit. In his pocket
is a buckskin purse, once yellow. now
faded to a dull gray, holding gold dust.
few ounces more or less. perhaps five,
perhaps ten. II is the company dust.
and is TO be turned into bright yellow
gold pieces. And why all this prcpara-
tion' ITO go to camp
Camp is three miles away. over the
mountains yonder. 1t is the center of
news. The stage passes through il on
its way to a larger camp. Two boss
gamblers live there. There is faro
game on occasions. billiard table with
mountainous sort of bed. where the
balls roll as they please and after au &C.
centric fashion of their own.
He repairs first to the Magnolia. He
has long in Imagination seen il from
nfar. How cool is the big bar-room.
The landlord keeps the floor well wet
down. The Magnolia floor is one Of the
few places where water. unmiNed with
other fluids is useful and grateful. How
comforting and soothing is the first
drink. A long drink in a long tumblcr
with pA'nty Of lee. soda-water and
whisky. II heaven be anywhere rs
material locality. It is in the first cool
drink after three mile July tramp over
the kiln-dried hills and herbage of the
California foothills The Magnolia is
the social hcart-centre of the camp.
There he finds the doctor; the doctor
drinks with him; the doctor drinks with
everybody. Here, too. is the Justice of
NI.., a l..
The justice holds his court at the Mag
nolin. The proprietor Of the Magnolia
Is the camp constable. and between
drinks during trial calls ricc roco the
witnesses in the ca'e. The Judge drinks
with him; the Judge generally drinks.
The principal camp gambler is at the
Magnolia. He takes light drink. He
is wise man and knows the advantages
and profits Of kecpisg n cool head. The
regular camp drunknrd sits In the rear
in one of the arm-chairs back of the
= billiard table. He looks so humble so
ro-pcctful-and SO dry. that our miner :
heart moves TO pity and he tasks him
up" He complies, but not with undue
haste.
This treats Of the era between 1865
and 1870; the camp drunkard had not
then so "losi his grip H. 10 be unmind-
ful of n certain slowness. 'deliberation
and dignity beiitting gentleman. But
when he does arrive at the bar. he takes
''four-tingered" drink.
And now they stand In row at the
bar; the barkccpcr is mixing the long
and the short drinks. Each man waits.
says nothing and eyes every motion of
the bartender. Ths silence is impress
sive. All is ready Each glass is grasped
and raised. and then from each TO each,
and more than all. from all 10 the drink
donor, there Is nod. that incantory
phrase is uttered. ..Wcll. here's luck, ="
they call "Ahem!' with varied degrees
of modulation. But this is n careful and
prudent miner and he now repairs to
the store, where his dust is weighed.
sold and the weeks provisions ordered
His combined partners 'divvys" are
put aside in lump and safely stored
Now the weight is off his hands. He re-
turns 10 the attractions of the camp.
These are not numerous. There is
the Magnolia, the Belle Union, the Court
Exchange. the post and express Office
There are ''thc boys" He learns the
news of the county or the district. The
Mount Vernon is paying ~ per day
Long Shortman has gone on another
spree and hasn't done any work for the
last ten days. Jimmy Mcneil has sent
for his wifes sister. She Is unmarried.
Sullivan has had another row with his
wife and she has complained to the au-
thOritips Sam (,edney IL voinv IN RIM