Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-02-27

"a q ufaiA uOACH SO1uC 1ElGuu Hdu given
me the night before to smoke during
the trip.
Smoke away said one of them;
1T looks as strong as a pipe. did
smoke, and soon found it in every re-
spect equal to its looks. We were thus
placed at once on sociable footing,
and conversation flowed easily on the
various topics suggested by the numer-
Gus slight incidents of the journey, and
objects observed as we passed along.
OVER A ROUGH ROAD.
There are number of stage roads
leading out of Nevada City, and the
best one is that which connects that
thriving mining town with its prosper
Gus rival, the quartz-mining city of
Grass Valley, though it would have
been hard to have convinced us of that
fact that rainy morning, as the stage
splashed through mud-holes and
b ounced over corduroys, bolders,
stumps and other appurfenances of a
mountain highway. The conversation,
which filtered in short, jerky utterances
through the jolts, or, technically speak
ing, the .'dips, spurs and angles, rami-
fications and sinuositiesn of the mud
wagon, was extremely diversified,
touching upon many subjects; but one
topic | will never forget, a tragic tale
related by one of my companions, the
details of which, as afterward learned
by careful inquiry, were true in every
particular.
Just on the edge of Nevada City we
passed opposite the mouth of a gulch,
| Il i0I1 fr.iI rfo,. fr,
Creek, and across which, some dis
,tnce mp the stream, was stretched a
long, high trestle bridge, portion of
the narrow gauge railway which con-
meets that region with the Central Pa
cific at Colfax THAT is Gold Run, |
SUPPOSED" / ventured, as / held the
side curtain back so as to get better
view.
"Yes, that is the famous Gold Rum
| one of the richest diggings ever worked
in California" answered the oldest of
my companions, whose appearance in
dicated that he had knocked about the
mines since the argonautic days of 40.
''IAlrly in 1850 they were known
through the mines as the Deer Creek
Pound Diggings.
Pound diggings?" said, interroga-
lively.
''Yes; when claims averaged a pound
of gold dust per day to the hand, the
locality was generally spoken of as
pound diggings.'
at was all worked out long ago, /
supposeP
.'Yes, with the exception of certain
hydraulic operations, which might be
carried on there yet. Rich as it was,
it is more famous for being the scene
of the tragic death of Boss Wright
than for its great yield of gold,
''Who was Boss Wright-one of these
highwaymen who. am told, infested
the mountain highways and trails in
the early days?"
s.Not by any means. He was the
Sheriff of Nevada County. There was
highwayman mixed up in the affair,
however; the noted Jim Webster, of
whom you have no doubt heard"
Il cant say that l ever heard of the
gentleman, but go ahead and tell us the
story, if you can manage to squeeze it
in between bumps. We have plenty OF
time, and would like to hear it.
ssBOss'' WRIGHT.
And between bumps ] was told the
| following story:
The Sheriff of Nevada County in 1856
was w. w. Wright, familiarly called
"Boss Wright by every one. He was
man ofgreat integrity of character,
firmness and courage, and discharged
the duties of his Office so thoroughly
aud yet SO kindly, that every one, in
cluding the numerous prisoners from
time to time under his official charge,
loved and respected him. Every one
was eager to do afavor for Boss Wright.
An incident VIII illustrate this feeling
exactly. In July, 1856, the city of Ne
vada was devastated by fire, and the
Courthouse, which had just been erect
/ ed at cost of $50, 900, was burned, to-
gether with other property to the
amount of 81, 100000. When it became
evident the Courthouse would burn,
Wright rushed to the jail to iberate
| the prisoners. He had been working
desperately in his endeavor to subdue
the flames, and was completely ex.
hausted, so that after opening the jail
door he fell fainting near the entrance,
] overcome with the smoke and heat
| Among the prisoners was a powerful
man named George Lewis, who was
/ confined under Indictment for murder
/ and had been denied the privilege ol
bail. Instead of making his escape
when thus liberated, Lewis returned
| lifted the unconscious Sheriff upon his
broad shoulders, and carried him dowr
! to Deer Creek, where he bathed hi.
] temples with water till he revived
When he saw that Wright had fully re
covered, he said: Now you are al
right, boss, where shall / goP''
'.Go where you please was the re
ply, ''only appear before the court OF
Monday morning.
He actually showed up the next Mon
day, according to his instructions. Tn,
| court convened in building which hat
been spared by the flames, and you ma,
/ imagine that there were neither gowns
nor wigs to lend dignity to the occa
! sion. The Judge, Niles Searls, so wei
known in political and judicial life, VIII.
had lost his all in the fire, presided
without coat, and was arrayed in
blue flannel shirt, borrowed for the oc
j casion. Coats were rare among th,
! officers of the court, and what few ther.
were looked as though they had held .
/ discussion with. barbed wire fence
When Lewis put in his appearance, tn
i grateful Sheriff related the story of hi
heroism; and Judge Searls at once ad
mitted him to bail, the bystander
eagexly offering themselves as bonds
men. Lewis had been saloon-keepe
in Nevada City, and had killed mai
under peculiar circumstances. On
night plize-fighter, having filled him
i self. with an assortment of bug, taran
/ tula and other juices kept in the town
Al \ l.. L.