St. Landry democrat., 1885-12-05

plains fertile beng secuted as vision
airy, the land being judged not worth
paving taxes upon u and the settlers had
undertaken the task themselves, all
unaided, and had been two years at
work on the main ditch when Erastus
Hemingway arrived in the COM
munity.
So dreary and forbidding was the
outlook that he felt tempted to leave
again Immediately, but, knowing that
no land remained open for pre- emption
elsewhere in the State, at last he de-
cided to stay and cast his lot with those
who were so manfully struggling to
overcome the difficulties by which they
were surrounded.
Guided in part by the advice of such
acquaintance as he had made since his
arrival, he located claim of one hum
dred and sixty acres, and made ar
engagements to live for a time in the
family of a settler who was on claim
adjoining his own, agreeing to pay a
small sum weekly for such food and
accommodations as they could offer.
Of the half dozen men who accom-
panied Erastus to the Slough, not one
had the hardihood to remain. All were
too much discouraged by the outlook,
and either returned to the old neigh
borhood or sought places for rent in
other portions of the country.
When he had staked out his claim
Erastus hitched up and drove across
the country until he found pasturage,
and rsncher who was willing to let
the colts run with his own stock until
such time as the light rains, which
might be expected to tall a few months
later, should revive the seemingly dead
grass of the Mussle Slough country.
He then returned to the Slough on foot,
and went to work with his fellow-set-
tiers upon the ditch, which was their
only hope.
For weeks and months he worked in
company with these men, many Of
whom had worked through all the
weeks and months of the two previous
years; ill-fed-often without bread of
any, kind for long periods at time,
sleeping upon the ground almost as ire
quently Us in a bed, working at night
as well as by day, their families camp
ing in wratched little huts at the lake
watching the patches of vegetables and
corn upon which their very existence
depended.
When the rain came and vegetation
started up, the colts were brought down
from their pasture and made to do .
portion of labor on the ditch; their
young master taking the best, care of
them possible under the circumstances.
He had written home soon after posi-
lively deciding to locate at the Slough,
but had refrained from giving very
accurate description of the country or
of his prospects, not wishing to excite
any anxiety in the minds of his friends
regarding his welfare. In reply ne had
received letters from the family telling
him of affairs in the old neighborhood.
Then for some weeks he was silent, not
feeling that he had anything cheerful
to communicate, and dreading, yet
| longing, to hear further regarding the
engagement between Lucy and Mr..
Annelsey.
Meantime the dam which was to save
the Parsons settlement from the over
flow had been completed, but scarcely
was the work accomplished before il
became evident that it would not long
stay the mass of slickings which was
coming down in such immense quanti-
ties from the mines above as to have
filled the gulch itself hundred feet
deep for ten miles below Gravel Hill,
and in spite of the fact that large guam
titles of it were turned aside into the
new channel cut for it above the dam,
it was slowly but surely filling the
whole gorge and would soon rise above
that structure, even If it did not sweep
it away.
Another meeting of the settlers was
called. at which it was resolved to ap-
ply to the courts for a perpetual in
| junction restraining the companies from
emptying their Stockings into the gorge
The services of prominent attorney
| of San Francisco were secured and ap'
| plication for the Injunction made.
But there were delays.
The attorneys for the mining com.
panies asked for time in which to pro-
duce evidence to show why the injunc'
ton should not issue, and although the
settlers pleaded the absolute necessity
to them of immediate action, the time
asked was given and even twice ex'
tended,
Then some technicality in the law Oh
the papers in the case was discovered,
and still further time consumed.
By this time the fall rains had COM
menced, and few days later the gorge
above the dam was full, not of water
alone, but of earth and stones, which,
| pressing against that hastily built
structure, swept it away and went
pouring over the valley and farm lands
below.
/ The bed of the creek was at once
filed with sand and gravel. Brush and
timbers from the broken dam, together
i Il. ~ 4 ~