Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-11-06
CHAPTER TX.
couDs.


cr ouDs
Broencr remain with me several months
before making anoS.ssr trip to San francisco
He taught me banning outn and the use Of
the rocker. agonized for days before get
ting the knack of that instrument. It Is to
be rocked with the left hand, while water l.
poured by the right on the dirt In the top
sieve, and my right and left arms seemed
continually trying to do each others work,
the right the shaking and the left the pour.
ing--at least, they'd make efforts to that
effect--and often was l so irritated by the
seeming contrariness, both of my arms and
the machine, that was tempted to kick II to
pieces s.a sfgta n viiHfl 4aH4
Brosner would laugh, saying, take 1t
easier. Sit down and lot your mind rest
There's where she trouble lies Your mind Is
trying to educate your body to the unaccus-
toned movement, and its hard work at first
for both teacher and scholar Don't get
angry. Recollect how many times you fell
down when you were trying to walk.
In few days mastered the rocker. Be-
fore leaving Broener thus advised me; II
win leave you twenty ounces Of river dust
Use 1t when you trade at Rankinh I've
'salted' the claim here beside. You don't
know what that meansG Scattered Stanis-
lans river gold dust broadcast in 1t, so it's
bound to yield four or five dollars day with
easy work. Thatll keep up the reputation Of
the claim We must seem to be making
something here. II salted it with TuoLnune
river dust or dust from the dry diggings the
trader would detect it. That would excite
their curiosity, and that's what we want Of
all things TO ward OFF,
II want to make as quick work as posi-
BILE, he continued, 'sof the Bank up the noun
tain. don't think its vein tliatll hold out
long It's not the right formation The
ledge is the same on both sides-granite-a
that's not a good holding ledge for gold, A
quartz vein to hold out should lie between two
different kinds of rock-say granite and
slate. How this gold-bearing quartz gets
poured in between them, as ID il apt to lie, the
Lord only knows. / think ours Is short
lived deposit--mighty rich 80 long az 1t lasts
but when it gives out it will peter all at once
like some peoples goodness when the temp
tation becomes too strong"
It was about the first OF March when
Broener made this trip to San Francisco. On
leaving, he said to me:
watch the Bank very carefully, butdont
touch it. / want to do all the work ON it
myself Go to it every day, and keep an
eye on all stragglers, prospectors and stran-
gers, and the more ragged and mo account
man looks, the more you want to look out
for him"
/ was left alone. But six months had
elapsed since l left Eastport ] had now
time and solitude to think things and myself
I 10, haxra 1sxraH fav, a..
many weeks. Eastport and my Eastport
self seemed of some remote period / was
part and parcel Of a new life, amid new sur
roundings and new men-not mere locker
on, but watcher vitality Interested In every
movement about me, because it might deeply
affect my own fortunes
Above and beyond all in my reflections
stood out this man Broener. In one sense, /
was his follower, absorbed by him, led by
him He was entire master of the situation.
/ looked up to him and admired his keenness
of Judgment, his ease and adaptability to men
and circumstances, his outside appearance of
recklessness, which seemed but cloak for
the caution underneath.
Yet did not feel wholly to like Broener.
One reason was, he repealed anything like
warm expression of friendship.
Don't try to thank me for what you say
I've done sor you" he remarked one evening,
when in certain set and TO some extent pre-
viously- composed phraseology, l attempted to
do so. "You owe me nothing. You are as
useful to me as am to you. We suit and fit
into each other for the time being. Some
power fashioned us to do so. Thank that,
whatever it is, not me- When things shape
themselves for us to part, we pArt-according
to the same law--for our mutual advantage
We may part friends perhaps enemies. We
can't tell what we shall grow into or what
may grow into us thatll make us friendly,
indifferent or hostile to each other That's
my doctrine. In plain, old-fashioned words
its every man for himself in reality and the
Old Scratch take the hindmost You don's
like 1t, see You believe In friendship to
| tie last and clinging to whatever you like
until it's in the last stage oe decay and killing
you with its poison. You believe in hanging
! on to a friend while be, maybe, out Of pure
ignorance or selhshness, Is, through his weak
ness, dragging you TO ruin along with him.
don't. like strong people, 80 long as they
are strong. / pity them II they become
weak. / cut from q cripple when be leans
on me too heavily"
"And how with womenf' asked.
That's somewhat another affair. am Is
TO women tyrant in this way. /. or rather
the nature inside Of me, exacts OF woman
who attracts my admiration-or eesspsls it,
rathei-that shs shall continue to do 80. II
she doesn't, cut, the same as with men. 70
remain true as IL Is called, is for me 70 70
main hypocrite and pretend q sentiment
which Il not felt"
Broener seemed TO me an iceberg, glitter
ing In the sunlight and rejecting that light
from thousand plnnscles but cold 70 Tia
touch; full o. power, 100, hut unpleasant q
near approach; pleasing only % long - ons
maintained the proper distance