Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1885-07-16
ALL LUCK GOOD LUCK.
How a Couple ef A9ers Happened to
Strike it Rich.

: | CoHSlueT tn1nSS. Salu Il lOftY -I111ef
, As often as any way, what one curses
: as bad luck proves the best luck in
> the world for him | once had an
example of this when out prospecting
F IN Ell Dorado county with a young
Missourian. One day we encamped
on dry rayine, near a spring, the
water of which sank after running a
few rods
1--WE were headed for place about
twenty miles up in the mountains and
had only camped to cook dinner.
About the time we had finished eat
ing it set in to rain at a lively rate.
Having no tent we got a lot Of bark
off Of some old logs and set about
making a shelter. On the side of a
bowlder with a face like the wall
With our hatehet we cut some forked
sticks and set them up in front of this
rock which formed the rear wall of
our habitation. With pick and shovel
we dug trench round our hut so that
| the water could not run in upon the
floor, and by making big fire in
front we soon had it dry and snug
within. There we sat looking at the
dreary downpour
''AIl that night it rained in drea-
~, drizzling way, and next morning
it was still raining steadily We had
about concluded to push on in spite
of the rain, when it began to pour
down in torrents and were obliged to
remain In camp. Between showers
we constructed a she'd to protect our
fire, which had been almost extin-
guished:we also got in a supply Of
dry fuel, gathered quantity Of pitch
knots on the hillsides. For two days
it either drizzled or poured, and we
sat inside and smoked our pipes, glad
to be so comfortable situated. We
had with us a Sacramento paper. a
week Old and this we read to the
smallest advertisement.
''Ihe heavy rain SO raj sed the water
IN the rayinlees that al1r seoiaosr
take pick and shovel and construct
sort Of dixie round it to keep out the
muddy water Of the raylne. That
night the rain poured down more yio-
lentIy, if possible, than it had yet
done and we could hear the water
roaring the ravine on the bank Of
which stood our hut; indeed at one
time il the night the torrent almost
reached out fire Pike cursed the
country and everything it contained.
He swore that in whole summer it
did not rain SO much in old Missouri.
AS it was doubtless showing up IN the
mountains, we made up our minds
that it would be useless to continue
our course to the place for which we
had set out. We thought it would be
safer to remain below the snow line.
In the morning we found our dixie
washed away and the spring over
flowed and filled with sand and mud.
It was still raining too hard to allow
of our breaking camp, therefore we
set to work and built another and
stronger dixie round our spring.
When this was done we dug a drain
down the side Of the rayine to prevent
the muddy back water from getting
into the spring then retired to our
hut to smoke our pipes and dry our
clothes.
I'm about an hour Pike went to the
spring to fill our camp kettle. He
had not long been gone before he ut
tered a shout and called me to come
out.
81 found Pike gazing into the little
rill of clear water that flowed through
the ditch dug from the spring. He
) was down upon his hands and knees
| and was iabbering all kinds Of Mis-
/ souri, lingo.
"What is it?" cried L
} ssIf this here tint BRASS said Pike,
1 sswe've found bushel of money! I'm
back in old Missouri right now! I'm
3 crossin' the cowyard to my father
9 front door with my grip-sack IN my
t handw
! Hauling on my coat which was
!. steanling before the fire, I ran out te
the spring and saw the bottom Of The
: little ditch sparkling with spangles
! and chispas of gold.'
( ssThe gold came out Of the grave
you had used in making your dam.
: said miner sitting by.
"We thought 50 at first, y said tht
other, 'sbut soon found it was rougl
quartz gold. The little ditch leadins
!, along the hillside from the spring hae
: been dug through decomposed mate
rial from quartz vein that run alons
through the hill rod or two abov'
j the spring.
). I'VE did not mind rain then. "
were soon busy with our pans, and hat
,s it rained pitchforks we would hav