Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1886-02-16

Ii. Hopkins; but 1t was generally under
stood that he title was an honorary one ex
torted by his many eminent qualities, ant
not borne out by any legal claim which
he could adduce. The Parson," wa.
another OF his sobriquets, which was sufIl
cicntly distinctive in "a land where the
flock was scattered and the shepherd;
few. To do him justice, he never pre-
tended to have received any preliminary
training for the ministry or any orthod,.
qualification TO practice il. We're ali
working in the claim of the Lord he re-
marked one day, land IL don't matter
cent whether we're hired for the job on
whether we values in ON orr own &C.
count" piece IT rough imagery which
appealed directly 10 the instinct Of JACK.
I-an's Gulch.
We were certainly in need Of re-
generator AT Jackman's Gulch about tic
beginning of -. Times We're flush then
over the whole colony, but nowher,
Iusher than there. Our material pros
ycrity had had bad effect upon our
morals. The camp was a small one, lying
rather better than rs miles Ia the south
of Ballarat. al "A spot where mountain
iurrent finds its way to Join the Arrow
smith river. History does not relate who
the original .Jackman may have been. but
nj the time speak Of the camp, II CON
taned ln or so adults. many of whom
we're men who had sought an asylum
there after making more civilized mining
centers too hot To hold them. They were
a rough. murderous crew. hardly leay-
enc by the few respectable members III
society who were scattered among them.
Communication between Jackman
Gulch and the outside world was difficult
and uncertain. A portion 0f the bush be-
tween il and Ballarat was infested by n
redonbtable outlaw named Conky Jim,
who, with a small gang as desperate as
himself made travelling dangerous
matter. Ii was customary, therefore. AT
the Gulch, TO store up the dust and mug
gets obtained from the mines in special
store, each mans share being placed i'm
separate bag on which his name was
marked. \ trusty man, named Woburn,
was deputed TO watch over this primitive
bank. When the amount deposited be-
came considerab G. n wagon was hired.
and the whole treasure was conveyed To
Ballarat, guard Il by the police and by
certain number of miners, who took il In
turnNO perform the Office. Once in Bal
larat IL was forwarded on To Melbourne
by the regular gold wagons. BY this plan
the gold was often kept for months in the
gulch before being dispatched, but Conky
Jim was effectually check-mated. as the
escort of the party were far too strong for
him and his gang. He appeared. at the
time Of which | write, Ia have forsaken
his haunts in disgust. and the road could
be traversed by small parties with i'm
punity. I
Comparative order used to reign during .
the daytime at Jackman's Gulch, for the .
crowbar and pick among the quartz /
hedges or washing clay and sand in their /
cradles by the banks Of the little stream. T.
As the sun sank down, however, the |
claims were gradually deserted. and their 4
owners, spattered and .
shaggy, came lounging into camp, ripe
for any form Of mischief. Their first visit
was 10 Woburn's gold store, where their
cleanup of the day was duly deposited.
the amount being entered In the store
keepers book, and each miner retaining
enough to cover his evenings expenses. |
After that, all restraint was at end, and .
zach set to work to get rid Of his surplus
dust with the greatest rapidity possible.
The focus OF dissipation was the rough
bar, formed by couple Of hogs-heads
spanned by planks, which was dignified
by the name Of the Britannia drinking
saloon liere, Nat Adams. the burly
bar keeper, dispensed bad whisky at the
rate Of two shillings noggin, or guinea
. bottle, while his brother Ben acted as
rroupler in n rude wooden shanty behind, I
which had been converted into gambling /
hell, and was crowded every night There
had been third brother, but an unfort-
innate misunderstanding with customer
had shortened his existence. "He was too
s0ft 10 live long" his brother Nathaniel
Ieelingly observed, ON the occasion Of his
mineral. "Many's the time I've said to
him, IL you're arguin' a pint with
stranger. You should always draw first,
hen argue, and then shoot, il you Judge
hat he's on the shoot. Bill was too purlite.
He must needs argue first and draw after,
when he might just as well have kiyered
bis man before tIlkin' II over with him.
This amiaDle weakness Of the deceased
Bill was a blow to the firm of Adams,
which became 80 short-handed that the
concern could hardly be worked without
he admission of a partner, which would
mean a considerable decrease in the
,roflts.
Additions to the population Of the Gulch !
we're not numerous, and such as came I
e the time of which speak were rougher
md flercer than the original inhabitants.
N particular, there came brace Of
'ufIians named Phillips and Mamie, who +,
ode into camp one day and started
lain upon the other side Of the stream.
They out-gulched the Gulch in the
rirulence and huency of their blasphemy.
n the turbulence Of their speech and
manner, and in their reckless disregard of
n social laws The claimed 20 have come
rom Bendigo, and there were some
US VINO wished that the red0ubted
,onky Jim was on the track once more,
y long as he would close il To such visitors
. these After their arrival the nightly
al the Britannia bar and at
he gambling hell behind ii became more
lotions than ever Violent quarrels.
frequently ending I'm bloodshed, were of
,onstant occurrence The more peace
lbie frequenters Of the bar began to talk ,
eriously of lynching the two strangers
Who were the principal promoters Of dis |
rider. Things were IN this unsatisfactory
condition when our evangelist, Elias Is.
hopkins, came limping into the camp,
ravel- stained and footsore, with his spade
trapped across his back and his Bible in
he pocket Of his moleskin jacket.