Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-28


Gone hOne' gone hOmei'
\ litter Of poles was constructed, and
the poOI bruised face veiled with cloth,
and slowly up the trail, borne by the will
ing aims of his rough friends, Billy
HitchiuS came for the last time TO
the camp Cumttee was appointed
by the justice TO take charge Of
his cabin and when the cortege, swelled
by all the male inhabitants ut the ridge,
reached the plaza the darkness Of night
was upon us The justices Office wa,
considered the fittrst place for temporary
rest and there the poor lad 5 lest night
above ground was passed II was noticed
as an evidence of nice discrimination that
the Blue Wing had closed its doors and
decent whisper conveyed to the less guile
less portion nf the community that the
Arcade would deal no game for the first
time in five years. The absence of Jack
FeatheTbridge. the dealer, would have
neCessitated their suspension, as it was al
ready known that Jack was five miles
away on his riue to Nevada after ParsOn
Cleveland, remarking that If coin would
fetch the preacher he'd have HIM on the
first deal The time made by Kicking
Kate" Jacks mare, on this occasion
stands yet unequHled, and is explained
by his calm desire ito do poor Billy
proud" At the mass meeting presided
over by Col. Howard series of resolu-
tions, passed nem. con, were prepared and
neatly engrOsScd by Ned GAYLORD for trans
mission to the absent and aged mother
whose only boy had cleaned up his
last ground sluice 1t was unanimously
resolved to do the square thing by Billy.
gnI Of nit
was designated TO take charge of the CON
Offering grains. for which he gave his
life, to the mother he tOiled for
There wa, much decent emulation as
to the preparations for the funeral II
was decided the best the camp could do
was not good lnugh for Billy. Already
on the hillside, where the manzanitas
were the hamdSomest and few live oaks
cl Istered i'll simple grace near giant
sugar pine, spot was selected for the
grave, as Remote aS possible from all
contingency OF further auriferOus re
search
The delicate question of writing TO his
mother was unanimously left to the three
married ladies of the camp, and | am
sure that tender tears fell that night over
llit lllNlt uNii'ilt VI lclltTS anu
family relics handed, with his best Nir-
ginia bow and slight clearing of the
throat, to them by Col Howard Poor
old colonel 1t is to be hoped that some
kindly woman Cheered the last hours of
your gallant boy, Chandler Howard, who
tried Ia get inside of Hancock'S lines at
Gettysburg in the later. then unborn,
years. With the remnants of Pickett :
division he did not 90 back, but lay on the
stricken field remembering his old Vir
ginia motto: Not to go back on any
thing"
Morning again, calm end still, and up
the wooded hill wound the little process.
sion BY the open grave stood the entire
population of the camp, and the solemn
words Of ParsOn Cleveland fell cold and
distinct as rifle shots on the stiffness of
the bright mountain day. Men listened,
moved strangely by the unfamiliar utter
snceS. Al the head of the grave the three
sohbing mothers gave evidence of woman
ly sympathy and mOdesty. At the out
skirts If the crowd Nine Celestine leaned
on the arm of lack Featherbridge, who
calmly reasoned Oh the new discovery OF
feeling il his iair charge, whose silent
tears attested hci wOmanhOOd in common
with her more virtuous sisters of the
openly acknowledged world Poor Jack,
he WAS Just aS calm three months later
when he lay Ola the floor of the Magnolia
saloon At Grass Valley with five ball holes
in his breast, and family murmured,
pointing to his shapely feet, Boots and
they were taken off, and poor Jack slept
far away fynIn his fathers.
The mGuInful ceremony achieved, the
procession vas slowly withdrawn and a
few Lrawny Cornish lads filled up the
grave, which WAS shortly neatly inclosed.
The parSOn was s"lemnly dined by the
three families Col. Howard lending his
stately presence. Little knots of men dis
cussed the details of the ObSequies with
local pride, and il was agreed that Red
Dog, Liberty Hill, and Dutch Flat could
not have approached the eminently salts
factory handling of Sudden and saddening
events by the people Of the camp. The
action Of the cOmmitte in donating Billy's
cabin and loose tools 10 the kind hearted
Chinese who assisted so handsomely in
the Intellectual attempt at rescue was ap-
proved and Hop WO, the running mes
senger, was an especial favOrite aud free
from Caucasian violence forever '"he
committee of three was discharged upon
the acknowledgment If the English consul
of tho receipts uf the estate, and the stiff
but hearty complimentary letter was long
a pride 10 the old timers. Jack Feather
bridge escorted the parsou home TO
Nevada in knightly style, and the current
of life in the camp ran its even way, only
broken in several months by the receipt OF
a tender letter from the bereaved waiting
mother in far off England, who begged TO
thank the three Kind ladies and all the
camp for their unexpected kindness.
Sailor Bill remarked las how Billy's been
done we'll bv, >" and have reason to know
that the words of the thankful letter were
TO Mime. Celestine, who
was strangely moved thereat, being then
darkened III sorrow for the unreturning
Jack
To-day the camp is lost; yawning
chasms show where hill and gorge have
been moved away bodily by the giant
search for gold Of great companies; there
is no town of the name; the dwellers
therein are scattered and the familiar
places know the old times no more.
Nothing left but the memories of the
quaint old days gone forever; nothing
speaks of the flush times: the plaza has
gone bodily into Bear river and the only
main rock structure of the cleft gorge re-
mains Far on the heights the lofty pines
sway and sing at night and the rustling
leaves whisper sadly of the past. You
could not find to-day Poor Billy Hitch /
ms grave, and many OF the actors in
the little scene have learned the bright /
secrets hid behind the shining stars.-San
Chronicle.
Queen sIct6ria's Jubilee.
This is the tiftieth year of Queen Vic I
Oria's reign, fact which will be COM