The Brookhaven leader., 1884-01-10
JACK FLEMMING'S FIRST BEAR.

JACK FLEMMlNG'S FIRST BEAR.
Boys, I amt gwinc to town this
mornin'.'
What, Jack, not goin' to town."
Not sick, are yer?
"Hello! not goin to town.
Nv hats the matter, Jack" we all
exclaimed in a breath.
No, nothin's the matter; jist kinder
acrkon I'll not go to-day.'
II wa, the last Sunday of October, in
49,. a beautiful sunny morning, the
air still, and a slight wind ruStled the
leaves of the many trees about our
camp. which was situated on the Co
>umneS River, in Fl Dorado County,
about ten miles from Hangtown.
Five of ''us boys" were mining here,
said ooys ranging from eighteen to
1wrnty-siX years in age, and hailing
G'om Missouri, Tennessee, Ohio, South
Carolina and New York
Jack tlemming was about six feet
fhrcc inches in height and weighing one
aundred and forty pounds, and was at
Ibis time twenty-five years of age, of
fair complexion, dark brown hair and
large blue eyes. Owing to his easy
disposition and the facility with
which lie turned joke from himself
upon any one OF his companions he was
an especial favorite in camp, although
the butt of all our fun, which he took
-good-naturcdly, without any sign of
anger or diSplcaSurc. 1t was wonder
tul, too, for looking back over the long
lapse of years can now see that many
rough jokes were played on him.
He was always calm and collected
and was never known to get excited
over any event, no matter how excited
others might become. His pcrccptive
faculties were dull. The only thing he
was sharp and shrewd about was
horse trade, in which he always sue
seeded. He came from Boone County,
Missouri. The name of the town ! do
not remember, although many a stormy
night we have been entertained bv the
tales told by Jack about this town and
the ''circus shows that his dad used
TO take him ''for to scc.'
Jack was the trUcst hearted and most
1rncultured of all that uncuItured people |
do not believe he ever spoke a correct
sentence IN all his life. The only eX-
preston approaching profanity we ever
heard him say was: Il gawd, boys
which always supposed to be a cor
ruI ton of what might have been pro-
fame, had he been able to speak it cor
re .tly. On Sundays it was our custom,
as OF all other camps, to 90 to town, to |
mail and get letters, see the sights, have |
q square meal and hear OF the latest /
discoveries in the mines. 1t was after
breakfast. We We're all surprised to |
IL Al
chair before the fire and light his pipe, |
instead Of making his usual prepara-
tiOns to 90 to town, as the rest of us !
were doing. 1t was the more surprising |
for the reason that the rains would soon |
set in, and we could not 90 to town |
many more times until spring. He had |
always been the first to start, and being |
tie pOSseSsOr of long legs, would arrive |
there some time before the rest of us, and |
when we got there we had only to see !
Jack and from him hearthe news. When !
Jack told of his detcrm nation to stay |
at home this morning we took it as |
joke, and thought that after we had |
gone he would take different trail than |
the usual one and arrive in town before |
us, and we fully expected to see him on |
getting there; but to our great disap
pO.ntment he was not there. We gen
orally started for home in time to be
there by sunset, but this day for some |
cause we started home earlier than usu-
al. On the way Jack was greatly |
missed, for when he was along there |
never was a lack of something 10 keep |
all entertained. When we came in sight |
of the cabin we saw the door standing
open, and expected and hoped Jack
would have dinner cooking. Although |
not thinking it would be ready, know
ing that he would not be looking for us
SO soon, we stepped in softly. in order
to give him surprise; but stopped sud
denly, for to our amahement Jack was
nowhere TO be seen, and everything in
the cabin was scattered over the floor.
a few days before we had laid in our
winter supplies; and the cabin was well
1IlIed with the goods and provisions
1ound in miners cabin in those days.
When we left in the morning quarter
Of beef was hanging on the ridgepole.
1t was gone. We looked for the guns.
They We're gone. A barrel of sugar
lay on its side upon the floor, half
empty. A keg of syrup, broken open,
and the syrup running over the
CABIN. Beans lying over everything.
In fact, everything was in confusion.
Tom Stapleton was the first to speak.
"BOys," said he, "look TO your revolv-
ers; the dickens been to pay here. We
will find Jack lying dead somewhere
with pound of lead in him. Hark!
Look sharp, boys! l heard somethin'"'
We had all heard it, and had our re-
volvers ready for use. Soon steps were
heard approaching the cabin, and each
po nted his weapon toward the door,
expecting to see the enemy; but, to our
surprise and Joy, Jack walked in with
the guns over his shoulders. He came
in with whoop; but when he saw four
revolyers pointed at him he said;
look here, boys, put them ere shoot
in'-irons up. There's no danger; he's
dead as door nail" ''Who's dead?"
we all cried. ''Why, the grizzly, of
course; what did you think it WASP"
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