The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1884-06-26
Deserving a Mining Camp.

Il
banks, the bankruptcy OF as many
liquor shops, the lowering of prices at
the hotels and boarding houses, and the
unending procession now vending its
way out of this bound and torrent
swept camp, all indicate that the great
boom has collapsed. Gamblers. thieves,
adventurers and hard men generally
from all the mining camps and frontier
| settlements in the country congregated
here, expecting to reap rich harvest,
! in such numbers that it occurred to
| them all at once that they had overdone
the business. They pitched their tents
and opened up their banks, saloons
and deadfalls, but they soon discovered
that the great majority of the stamped
ers were without money to spare, and
that as no gold was being taken from
! the placers there was precious little of
| it in circulation. Under such circum-
stances trade was far from brisk in any
direction, and, having looked the
ground over pretty thoroughly, the
sports concluded that the longer they
stayed here the poorer they would be.
| ''You can't run game without
money any more'n you can keep up
/
of the toughs this morning as he set
| out for the railroad.
The dog-eatdo process has been
| going on here in all branches of industry,
and the problem OF how four or five
thousand men, mostly poor and for the
| most part idle. can live off each
| other, is no nearer settlement o-day
| than it was before the Pritchard Creek
claims were located. Mad as was the
haste of these men to get here, their
anxiety to get away is almost as great.
In some respects the journey out is
worse than was the trip in, for now all
| the mountain water courses are opeE,
| and it is as much as mans life is
worth to attempt to cross them. The
men now turning their backs on the far
famed Cour d Alene district were only
a few weeks ago facing what they be-
lieved to be fortune Bitter experience
has shown them that they are now
leaving starvation behind.
''Good-by, boys said ''busted'
gambler yesterday morning, as he
swung his kit done up in a bag over his
shoulders. ARIZONA is good enough
for me after this. My health demands
that live in country where you can
see the earth that you're walking on,
There'n be enough heat in this place
before long to melt the snow, and don t
you forget it. y
| Scores of deluded fellows with
scarcely grub enough to last them until
they reach the railroad are keeping the
disappointed gamblers company in their
hegira. While feeling is spreading
generally through the camp that the
whole thing is swindle, good many
prospectors and business men with
means sufficient to sustain life until
summer are determined, now that they
are here, to stay and see the thing out.
The hegira of the impecunious classes
will prove godsend to the camp. fol-
there have been more men here than
could make a living unless the placers
proved much richer than any disinter.
ested people now believe TO be possible.
Nearly all the celebrated desper.
ADDE'S of the far West are now or have
been here. Every camp from the Black
Hills to the Pacific coast has had rep
resentatives here, and the stranger
coming into Eagle City is invited to
look upon these worthless by the
lot owner who may have him
in tow as proof positive thai
the new diggings are all that ha:
been claimed for them. The man
killer from Deadwood, Tombstone, OF
the Comstock is pointed ont very mucl
as a citizen further East singles out the
buildings or public institutions of the
town of his residence in which he take!
local pride.
OF the many rough and even desper
ate characters whom one may see OF
all sides, it has been noticeable fo
some time that comparatively few o
them are altogether cruel and heart
less. If there had not been a COOS
deal of latent kindness beneath thes,
uninviting exteriors, there would hay,
been untold suffering in this camp
Hundreds of fellows, with just monel
, enough to get here, have been sustained
by their more fortunate brethren 70
weeks. No broke man hesitates to asl
for food, although many a one show
that begging is not to his liking. Som
of these lunches are tolerated for
time, and then roughly refused, whel
they are compelled to look up anothe
place.
''How's grubp' asked one emaciate,
fellow of man who had plenty, sue
as it was.
.sGrub's scarce, and You want to be
, too, was the reply of the individua
addressed, in whose eye was savag
glitter.
''T'm powerful hungry, boss" sal
, the man, as he moved off few steps
"Well. come and eat, them" ez
! claimed the owner of the victuals
This thing is an internal nuisance an
an awful tax, but I'm blessed il | ca
refuse a beggar who looks as thin a
you do. Now fill your sack, and b
lively about it before any more gt
around. Eagle City (Iddho) Cor. N. J
San.