Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-12-03
Dead IN the Grave He Dug.

Old i'm Beatty came IN here with The
biz Tssh last Spung. de was out ol
moeey when he got into camp, and, as
se could not pick up gold in the streets,
he went crazy. dis insanity was OF the
harmless kind. f1e Was quiet, and never
Troublesome Sometimes he seemed tc
torPet 10 est All the other unfortunstes
were always hungry. Whether -four was
$40 " 500 barrel made no difference.
iney had to De fed. Old Jim would &c
around looking pale and weak, with his
JOINTS working loosely and hls clothes
daily growing too big for him, but be
never asked for anything. Ii was known
that he had nothing, snd that b. was
not right IN the head. but everybody
took il for granted that somebody else
was feeding him.
one day several Of the mea were dis
cussing the best means Of Kidding the
camp Of the beats, when a bystander
said they hsd better not touch old Jim.
ae did no harm, and he never asked for
grub. Il was agreed that he should not
be mOlested. Then somebody expressed
u curiosity 20 know now and where he
got hIs meals. No one in the crowd
knew anything about him. One of the
men said he would make i a point to
ind out. Perhaps the old fellow was
starving. Just then old Jim came along,
walking ieebly and looking weary and
hSggsrd. One Of the boys ssked him If
he was hungry, aad he went of into a
10 &c and weird Story about q discovery
tnst he had maze. The boys gathered
around him snd listened, plying him with
questions occasionally.
Gentlemen" he SAID, I've got q claim
up the creek here ways that will make
Us sll rich. | haven't said anything about
il, for wanted 10 make sure. dreamed
II al out one night when l was asleep on
the mountain. 1t came 10 me iusI as plsn
as anything. 1 know there's gold there,
snd want to get you ooys 70 help re q
little with II and wen divide. There's a
mountain Of it, with Just q crust OF rock
on the outside. If can get through the
crust that is all want III run tunnels
all thIoughIt and you can help yourselves. A..
Touched" ssId one Of the BOYS, point
ing to his own head, and the rest OF the
crowd nodded.
1--we located II all, " said old Jim,
slowly, "bui | can't seem 70 do much
work on II I'm getting too old. Csnl
you help NE q bII?'
The old man appeared 10 be almost
gone, and one Of the meD handed him a
rsss u liquor, Of which he partOOk spar
lngly. Then another offered some bread,
Ann lie devOured il with wOlfish svldity.
'lts Shame % let an old tuner like
jim starve 10 that way" observed &
SCang aud s,a!wart prospector. Lets
Ill hin up"
they took him to cabin near by aud
made him 9 meal, and VIXEN he had
slept : while they gave him more 10
sst Then they told him 10 come there
when he was hungry and they would see
about his mine. Two or three days lster
party Of them went with him TO his gold
mountain. Is he called II. II Vas iusi
Ike thousands Of Others, With no more
slgus OF gold il its composition than OF
ulamoEds. But they humored hin with
his notion They fed him aud gave him
strength, sHd told hiIa ~ dig sway. They
would help him after while
EyeTy dty the old man would set Jut 10
bis work with some CHEEKY remark. lie
Tad got almost l. the gold. one or two
more days would reyssl il. Then he
UeEau - buug home handfuls u earth aud
lOck and gravel 10 be examined. The
boys looked al the stun patiently amt said
Il APP ared promising. After while he
gTt y discouraged and said they would
nave I5 help hin. de knew II was there.
Tut he fesTed he colld not Teach il A
DAY was set on which two Of the msn
were 10 70 WITH him sud see what he hsd
accomplished This satisfied hin, and he
started out happy. 1lst night he failed
10 appear The next dsy came snd went
without him, and the men began 10 Won
der where he was. Ou The third DAG two
Jf them volunteered 10 go out and search
Tor HIN. They found the place at last
where hr had been G.Eying 4 cave IN
had occurred, and OLD Jlm vas 10 there
beyond doubt. They got others 10 help
them. and after little patient digging
they came u9Jn the Old fellows body.
He hsd been killed IN hIs first Drift.
Funerals are expensive N this part Of
the country, and none too elegant at best
1t was agreed lhat & funeral would DO him
40 good They left him IN the hole he
hRd dug covering 1t up once more, and on
q big stone which wss rolled in place on
The mountain SIDE they scratched the in
"Oid Jim Beatiy's NINE"