The Penn's Grove record., 1884-11-29
pssa in rns cravs u. pue.

Old Jim Beatty came in here with the
big rush last spring. lie was out oil
money when he got into camp, and, IS
he could not pick up gold in the streets,
he went crazy. IFS insanity was Of the
harmless kind. He was quiet, and never
troublesome. Sometimes he seemed to
forget 70 eat. All the other unfortunates
were always hungry. Whether -four was
80 or 500 q barrel made no difference.
They hsd to be fed. Old Jim would GO
around looking pale and weak, with his
FONTS working loosely and his clothes
daily growing too big for him, but he
never asked Tor anything. 1t was known
that he had nothing, and that h. wa
not right IN the head. but everybody
took il for granted that somebody else
was feeding him.
One day several Of the men were dis
c1lsslng the best means Of Kidding the
camp Of the besta, when a ~bystander
said they had better not touch old Jim.
he did 10 harm, snd be never asked for
grub. II was agreed that he should not
be molested. Then somebody expressed
3 curiosity 20 know how and where he
got ms meals. No one in the crowd
Knew awning HiAlAh hAG1a CuC ~ Viz
men said he would make IL 3 point to
dnd out. Perhaps The old fellow was
starving. Just then old jim came along,
waking feebiy and looking Weary and
haggard. One OF the boys asked him If
he was hungry, asd he went of Into q
10 q and weird story about 3 discovery
that he had made. The boys gathered
around him and listened, plying him with
questions occasionally.
"Gentielnen,' he said, I've got q claim
up the creek here q ways that Will make
as all rich. | haven't said anything about
it, for I wanted TO make sure. | dreamed
It all out one night when | was asleep on
the mountain. Il came 70 me Just as PLAN
as ANYTHING. / know there's gold there,
and / want to get you boys TO help re u
little with 1t aud we'll divide. There's a
mountain of il, with Just q crust OF rock
on the outside. IL l can get through the
crust that is all l want. IN run tunnels
all Thought and you csn help yourselves. 1
''Ioucned," said one of the boys, point
ing to his own head, and the rest Of the
crowd nodded.
,I've located It sill" said old Jim,
slowly, ''bnt / can't seem 70 do much
work on It I'm getting too old. Can't
you help ne = brt2'
TIE old man appeared TO be almost
gone, and one Of the men handed him a
dask Of liquor, Of which he paTtook spar
Ingly. Then another offered s1me bread,
and he devuured 1t with wol1sb svldlty.
''ll's a shame 10 let an old timer like
Jim starve II that way observed a
young and stalwsrt prospector. ''Let's
hl him up"
They o him TO a cabin near by aud
made him q meal, and when he had
slept q while they gave him more to
eat Then they told him to come there
when he was hungry aud they would see
about his mines Two or three days later
8 party OF them went with him TO his gold
mountain, as be called It. 1t was lust
Ike thousands of Others, with no more
agns Of gold In its composition than of
dlamoRds. But they humored hin with
ais notion. They fsd him and gave min
strength, and told him to dig away. They
would help him after a while.
Every day the Old man would sci out to
his work with some CHEEKY remark. He
had got almost to the gold. One OF two
more days would reveal IL Then he
began to bring home handfuls OF earth and
rock and gravel TO DC examined. The
boys looked at the stuff patiently amt sand
1t appeared promising. After a while he
grew discouraged and SAID they would
have to help him. lie knew it wa there,
but he feared he could not reach It A
day was set on which TWO OF the men
were TO 20 with him and see what he had
accomplished. This satisfied HIM. and he
started out happy. That night he failed
to appear. The next day came and went
without him, and the men began to
der where he was. On the third day two
of them volunteered to go out and search
for hun. They found the place at last
where he had been digging. A cave In
had occurred, and old Jun was in there
beyond a doubt. They got others to help
them, and after a little patent digging
they came upon the old fellows body.
He had been killed IN his first DRIFT.
Funerals are expensive IN this part of
the country, snd none too elegant at best.
IL was agreed tbat a funeral would do him
no good. They left him IN the hole he
had dug. covering 1t up once more, and on
a big stone which was rolled In place On
the mountain side they scratched the IN
acriptlou: ''Old Jim Beatty's nine"