Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-03-29

gave 10 HIS Wuole lace an appearing
pathetic look. He. was evidently
about forty years of age. He seemed
somewhat confused as he stood there
with his worn old hat in hand, a tar
get for so many curious but not I'M
friendly eyes.
Pm Jasper Breene, gentlemin."
he said. slowly; odd Jas, folks giner-
ally calls me. an I come from no.
where an everywhere. The Lawd
only knows where 1 amt hung out
durin' the last ten years. an what l
amt done fer an honest Twin in that
time; but I've KEEP honest, gentle min,
an I'm honest still. Your gold dust
an your purity bank bills amt no
more to me nor the dirt under my
feet's longs as they Amt my own that !
come fair by.''
How did you happen to come away
up here. so far from the main trailP"
asked Jared Hale.
t'Well, ] see the smoke comm from
the trees up here on this here mount
ing when 1 was way down there on
the trail, an. thinks to me, can jist
about reach that camp fire by dark,
an reckon they Il let me stay over
night. anyhow. an if they don't. they
cayn't more'n turn me away, an it'll
be the fust time q miner ever turned
me off when was cold an hungry
an dead broke as am this minnit;
yes, sir, boss. L aint cent on earth,
an I-I-well. boss. I've walked
Amt had bite to eat, not bite. "
There was pathetic little CULVER in
his soft, drawing voice IS he finished.
and the great mournful eyes glistened
in the freight
You aint?' said Jared Hale
well. then reckon you re ready for
your supper. and you can just come
right along with me and try your
hand at cooking by getting up sup
per for yourself-you can have full
swing in our commissary."
I'm right good cook" said the
man as he walked with Jared down
toward the log cabin near the mine.
II cooked six months in q RESTRAINT
down to Leadville, an was meat-cook
four months in Aspen. an alters did
the cookin' for the diff rent gangs Z We
prospected with. 1 wisht you'd try
me, an if you RELY want a cook,
can beat the Dutch on sody biskits an
venison flour gravy"
Now 'sody biskits" and venison
flour gravy" were delicacies greatly
esteemed by the men of Camp Hilarity,
and their last cook had been lacking
in good biscuit and gravy-making
ability.
You'll suit the boys to dot if
you're an expert in that direction, "
said Jared. ''and I'll give you chance
TO try your hand; but you want to tidy
yourself up bit, man."
So Jasper Breene tidied himself up
as best he could, and became the
cook of the Phoenix mine. He was
popular from the beginning. All of
the men liked him. 1t would have been
hard to find reasonable cause of COM
plant with Jasper Breene. II, was
so mild-mannered, so inoffensive, SO
obliging, and so cherry, in spite OF
the sorrowful face and the dull eyes
that seemed to have been made for
tears alone. And then his venison
gravy and soda biscuits were beyond
criticism. The men vowed, some of
them swore, that odd JAS" as they
called him, was the best cook that
the Phe nix had ever had or evel
could have.
Jared Hale raised the cooks wages
at the end of the first week, and told
him that he might consider himself a
fixture in Camp Hilarity for as long a
time as he chose to stay. He seemed
indifferent to his increase of salary
and to the success of his efforts.
'Tm glad the boys likes my grub, u
was all he ever said in reply to their
hearty and extravaganza commentator
| of his culinary skill.
The fame of the Phn nix rich june
| output was noised abroad. O. her
miners came into the gulch, and faint
wreaths of smoke curling up among
the pines and drifting away with the
low-hanging clouds told of other camp
fires and other cabins on the mountain
| slopes and in the ravines near Camp
Hilarity.
In j uly there was a great rush to the
| locality, and by the middle of August
| there was town of nearly a thousand
inhabitants at the base of the mount.
ain below Camp H ilarity The sur.
roundings were wonderfully pictur.
esque and beautiful, with wealth OF
magnificent mountain scenery that
could not be surpassed in the State.
Tourists began to find their way tt
the little town, which was called Crys-
tai City. A large hotel was erected,
and genuine .boom'' set in.
Hi. boys, said Lanky Sim, one Of
the miners employed at the Pin enix, as
he sat at the supper table in the board
ing-house cabin one evening in July,
don't any of you smell a mouse bout
the boss going down to Cry stall every
evening now, do youP"
"Why shouldn't he go?'' asked
Scotty S harp. with an air of indiffer.
ence. I'D go myself if 1 wasn't toe
blamed tired every night"
You'd go anyhow, Scot. if there
was purity woman to make it pleas.
ant for you after you got there.
a-playin' on the hotel pianny and
a-singin' love songs an all that, eh?''
''Shucks!" said Scot, with an air OF
contempt Il amt no use for the
wimmin; they're no good! An
never see down right purity one in 6
mimi camp yit, blamed if 1 have"
''You amt seen her yit," said Lanky
II 4 =