The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-05-27
A FACETIOUS GOLD-HUNTER
MARK TwArEs's EXPERIENCE AS A
POCKET MINER.
The Forgotten CIaim-An Incident
Which Probably Turned the HUI
mOrIst from Whining 10 LIGerature.

The position of the pocket-miner
among the other inhabitants of a mining
region very much resembles that of the
bee-hunter among the people of the
frontier settlements in agricultural
regions. The business he follows also
has several points of resemblance to that
of the bee-hunter. The trail followed
by one leads him to the tree stored with
sweets, and that of the other ends in q
pocket of sweetest gold. The man who
becomes an expert bee hunter is likely to
remain bee-hunter all his days, and the
same may be said of the pocket miner.
Mark Twain's narrow escape from be-
coming a pocket-miner has never been
told. 1t is worth recording, as it gave
him the story of the jumping Frog"
and sent him off along the line of the
literary lode and set him to scratching
therein for pockets of fun.
In 1865 Mark wearied of Bohemian
life in San Francisco and went up into
the mining regions of Calaveras county
to rusticate with some old friends
Steve, Jim and Billy Gillis. Jim Gillis
was, and still is, one of the NEST expert
pocket miners in California. Although
educated with view eventually to fight
the battle of life as a physician, and
though still finding solace in his leisure
moments in the works of Greek and Latin
authors reposing on q shelf in his cabin,
Jim Gillis is booked for life as a pocket
miner. The business has charms for him
that he cannot break away from-he is
bound to it in chains of gold. Show him
a particle of quartz gold on the side of
mountain, and if it came to where it was
found through the process or accidents
of nature undisturbed in any way by the
interference of man, he will as unerring-
ly trace it to its source as the bee hunter
will follow the bee to its hoard of
sweets.
Mark Twain found the Bohemian style
of mining practiced by the "Gillis boys"
much more attractive than those more
regular kinds which call for large out
lay of muscle. He and jim Gillis took
to the hills in search of golden pockets
and spent some days in working up the
undisturbed trail of an undiscovered
deposit They were on the golden "bee
line" and stuck to it faithfully, though
it was necessary to carry each sample of
dirt to small stream, in the
bed up canyon in order to pan it
out. Each step made sure by gold
en- grains, they at last came upon the
pocket which had thrown these grains
off. 1t was cold, dreary, drizzling day
when the "home deposit" was found.
The sample carried to the stream and
washed out yielded but few cents. AL
though the right vein had been discov-
cred, they had as yet found but the
"tail-end" of the pocket. Returning to
the vein, they dug a sample from a new
place, and were about to carry it down
to the ravine and test it when the rain
began to pour down heavily. With
chattering teeth Mark declared he would
remain no longer. He said there was no
sense in freezing to death, as, in a day
or two. when it was bright and warm,
they could return and pursue their inves-
LEGATIONS in comfort. Yielding to Marks
entreaties, backed as they were by his
blue nose, bumped back, and generally
miserable and detected appearance, Jim
emptied the sacks of dirt upon the
ground, first having hastily written and
posted up a notice of their claim to a
certain number of feet on the vein,
which notice would hold good for
thirty days. Angels camp being at no
great distance from the spot, while their
cabin was some miles away. Mark and
Jim struck out for the place. The only
hotel in the little mining camp was kept
by one Coon Drayton, an old Mississippi
river pilot, and at his house the pocket
miners found shelter. Mark Twain hav-
ing formerly followed the business Of
pilot on the Mississippi river, he and
Coon were soon great friends, and
snapped scores of yarns. 1t continued
to rain for three days, and until the
weather cleared up Mark and jim re-
mained at Coon's hotel.
The story of the dumping frog" was
one of the yarns told Mark by Coon dur.
ing the three days session, and it struck
him as being so comical that he deter
mined to write it up. When he returned
to the Gillis cabin, Mark set to work
upon the frog story. He also wrote some
sketches of life in the mountains and
mines for some of the San Francisco
papers.
Mark did not think much of the frog
story, even after it had received the fin
ishing touches. He gave the preference
to some other sketches and sent them to
Steve ellis. however, declared that the
frog story was the best thing Mark had
written, and advised him to save it for a
book of sketches he was talking of pub
fishing. A literary turn having been
given to the thoughts of the inmates of
the Gillis cabin, a month passed without
return to the business of pocket mining.
While the days were passed by Mark
and his friends in discussing the merits
of the Jumping Frog" and other liter
airy matters, other prospectors were not
idle. A trio of Austrian miners who
were in search of gold-bearing quartz
happened upon the spot where Mark and
jim had dug into their ledge 1t was
but few days after Twain and Gillis
had retreated from the place in the pour
ing rain. The Austrians were not lit
tie astonished at seeing the ground gilt
tering with gold.
Where the dirt emptied from the sacks
had been dissolved and washed away by