The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1884-05-22
A ushssvs rrsssd

One OF the meat sdvsstsreus class
knows % "pssspsctors" had. 10 the fall
Of 1881. wandered through that esustsy. |
. Lurs which bsrs spon It,
back ali his worldly wealth, and bad
brought isso winter quarters is TIE valley
si Arkansas such promising specimens Of
brittle asd rubby silver that nAsy seeing
them. we're iaauced to 60 10 the srrics 70
spy out the land And 90 IL happened. on
q March night in 1882. that . dozen camp
Ares we're brightly burning. . dozen tsats
we're dimly outlined Ia the shAdsvs ssd
opssisgs Of the situated pines, ard fsrty
sr City ssp. il groups si IRON tArss 70
six. we're gathered aresnd The Asss. smok-
Ing their svesiag pipes and relating their
wonderful Aads u the year before.
Among Afty men brought togssher from
every part sf the verld, II Wild country.
BY purpose bora. 10 seine extent at least,
Of seliishnsss and greed. some are likely
70 be iouna in whom brutishnsss prsdem.
mates. There we're several such in the
camp al Hslf-Mson.
The pssts say that eomnuaion With "a
turs rehsss ana slsvates the ssnl. aad
leads men onward and upward toward ma
lures God. The poets are somewhat
wrong. The kindly spirit bern and reared
amid the best influences Of city home.
whore oil tho surrounding are Of : rshn.
iag charastsr. will become kindlisr AMI
better as years 60 on; while the dull
man will become dullsr, and the mean
nan msaser, in the very presence and
hush OF nature. At least IL is sometimes
80 with Bill Lewis.
He had seen nature in all her majesty,
moods, and aspects for more than thirty
years; had traverssd The country from the
Missouri 10 the Psei6e shore; lunchsa On
the highest submits and camped in the
deepest gorges. And yet his depravity
was Immense. He had been convicted Of
dozen crimes, and committed hundred
others without ssnvictisn. Each succeed.
ing fall had found him verse in every way
than the preceding spring, and those who
knew him best frequently remarked upen
tho new and sver-increasing capabilities
for sin which he was constantly usfold.
ing.
Bat hs was net wholly bad. Perhaps
no man ever was. There was q rumor
among tho miners, credited by few, that
once or twice daring his career bis rssgh
voice had becsms gsntlsr, and the light
in his fierce eyes softer, when be had besn
surprised into speaking Of his mother.
Where hs had come from, what made
him leave" where his mother lived, or
whether she lived at oil, NO one knew Or
had the hardihood to ask.
There was another MAJOR rather boy
-in that camp; but 10 could not be seen
that evening around any Of the fires. He
had come into the gulch in crowd OF
seven who had been on the trail some
twenty days together. and Bill Lewis was
another Of the seven, His name was
Zsno Brown. His comrades had failed to
catsh or comprehend bis first name. and
he had come to bs called Little John"
He would have been remarked any.
whore in mining region as one wholly
out OF place. He vas light. delicate and
fragils-though seemingly in good health
before coming to tho gulch-and was lily
fitted to meet the vicissitudss Of . noun
tain life He might have been born for
an artist or poet, or both, he certainly
never was intended for . miner Every
body except Bill Lewis liked and pitisd
him. Bill, apparently, did not hate him;
but he dispised him for bis soft, tender
nature; was in the habit Of calling him
feminine diminutives, aAd never let pass
an opportunity to humiliate and wound
his feelings.
In coming into the gulch the party had
an unusually serious trip. The trail was
lily defined; the snow WAS deep and soft
they had been compelled to unpack theiI
animals score OF tinss, and to sleep il
vet clothes and vet snow. For all this,
however, most OF them cared but little
They we're net invalid tourists aud they
had crossed the range too many times ia
bad weather to be much troubled by ons
trip more.
But with Little John the case was diff
fsrspt. He hsd never before been thu
sx xposed. and was evidently not sustained
TO any considerable extent by . hspefu
spirit, and hs had suecunbed. He lay il
|, his tent in his rough blanket bed, sicl
and exhausted. There was no phyicisr
there, although msst Of these men knsv
something Of sickness, and 10 discussing
his case, while none csuld cay that he hs'
this or that disease. al agroed that be Wa
, ''clean gone an likely 10 croak."
They had been talking Of him aroun'
tho 6rs when soms one, coming from
tent in grove near by. said;
II think Little John'll 60 up 10 night
Hes crazy nov and tbisks he's in Ohis
an kesps tAlkis about his mother
Bill Lsvis. before silsnt and sullsr
started up At once. "I'Il 60 and see th
kid" he said.
He vent. and al followed in wonder
The bed was warm enough, and sol
enough. Bnt ii and is surroundings wsr
terrible rough for one like him. ia his Coz
\ diiiss. The pale face amid the shagg
\ blankets. lit up by stallos candle burr
!. ing in can: the saddles. ropes. kettles
!. aad tools scattered around among th
bushes spss the earth 6oer-aIl togstlt
Q formed . scene weird and impressive.
'p-ls1hs man had said Little jobs VI