Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-25
LUCK TO SILVER CAMP.

For all that its inhabitants were composed of
men who had lived wild, adventurous lives
on land and sea, the place was as quiet and
peaceful as though it had been settled by
community of Friends, where the ties of
brotherly love had usurped tho dignity of the
law and robbed it of half its glory The
rough miners were an intensely practical set
Of men, and it seemed as If they had all come
TO Silver Camp for the same purpose-to re-
deem partly the wildness of their early career
by devoting time and attention to the art of
money making. But the earth yielded up
her boarded treasures of gold reluctantly, and
the stern discipline that she required from
those who would dig into her bowels of
wealth nipped in the bud the sanguine an
ticipatons of many youthful dreamer and
hardened the already rough characters of the
frontier districts. In the characteristic
words of Sandy Tip: "She amt got more
gold in her than she wants herself, guess,
an she's bound ter make us fight fur every
mite thet we can squeeze out o her. How
somever we amt greeuhorns bout SIGH work;
we've been thar aforen
The unlcttered sage prophesied rightly.
The grim silent miners took up their work
each morning where they had left it the
night before, and stubbornly swung pick and
spade through all sorts of weather from
morning until night, even though the return
for their work often amounted to less than
half dollar q day. At night time they
smoked their pipes with as much satisfaction
as though they were the owners of unlimited
wealth Over and above the discouraging
fact that they were faring poorly, every
l. irla E,pit tbatb
streak of i'll luck would pass away in time
and PALMER days would come. This hope
was adroitly disguised in Sandy Tips favor
lite remark
When the millennium for Silver Camp did
come it was first announced by a stranger.
A beardless miner had entered the camp one
bright May day, and, after purchasing sup
posed to be worked out mine for "A mere song,
he set resolutely to work, repairing the
damages done to the mine by the last owner,
and then making preparations to go on with
further excavations. The older inhabitants
of the place shrugged their shoulders at the
innocence of the young 'un," but no word
of advice was spoken to him, except the
laconic remark of one of the miners, who one
day met the stranger on his way to his hut:
Eye don't find much dust thar, d'ye-young
'uni Tain't likely that you will, nuther."
The stranger merely smiled softly at this
suggestion, which was intended as kindly
act; but apparently he considered his wisdom
of more value than that of the old miners
for, instead of changing his position, he
seemed to work all the harder in his mine.
From the first he was very reserved in his
actions and words, and he seldom associated
with the other members Of the camp unless
business demanded it. No one objected tC
this particularly, for the motto of the place
seemed to be, Leave alone, and to be lei
alone" About two weeks after the strangers
advent, the first excitement for years was
created by the announcement that gold haG
been struck The news ran from mine Il
mine like wild fire, and in half an hour al
the men were surrounding the lucky finder
1t was the youthful looking, beardless
stranger, who stood in the center of tn,
group, and explained how he had made tn,
lucky stroke \ few doubted the genuine
ness Of the gold at first, but several nugget
were handed to them to examine the stranger
showing delightful ignorance as to its quality
and value, which caused more than on,
grizzly miner to smile pityingly at thu
flushed, handsome face of the owner of tht
gold.
ats the real stuff muttered one burly
red fianneled individual, slowly weighing tn,
nuggets in his hand. AN We can depend OF
it, stranger, thar's plenty more where thi
cum from. These yellow nuggets never g
alone
AN tibet mine O yers ought ter be wurtl
anywhere from fifty Ter one hundred thou
sand, clean cash, intcrposed a second repre-
sentative of Silver Camp.
WHAT Fifty thousand dollars" ex
claimed the beardless youth, his eyes show
ing his surprise as much rs his words. The
all my misery and waiting are rewarded a
last Thank God But ii is too good new
to believe. Where can / get half that pric
for it2-who would give me thirty thousan
dollars for IT."
The stranger looked around upon the grou
of faces about him, and seemed to wait fo
an answer.
swell, stranger" remarked the first speal
er, after little pause, II don't want ter tai;
advantage Of yer ignorance 'Taint m
natter to be adon SIGH underhanded worl
But eff $4,000 is yer price, | reckon my par
an me will buy tibet claim Of ye I'll tell '
beforehand, though, thet We can get doub
thtb li - Nt "i4L iOLa tuDuHn, buL
cash Is any object ter We We can hev it te
night in as good gold as tibet We dug out
yer mine Ef it'sa 60 jes' say the word, a
we'll walk up ter the cabin, an settle it afol
nightfall"
The face Of the stranger still wore a doub
full expression. but it soon cleared up as |
turned to the bidder for his gold mine al
said:
men, don't know much about these ma
tiers, for | have never followed the business {,
any length Of time but this gentleman
offer is a fair one, and think | will take
came here to make a fortune so that cou
marry-could go into business in the east. "
The face Of the stranger flushedup quick
as he unwIttingly revealed his secret, and
knowing look passed acSoss the countenanc
OF the miners One or two whispers cou
be heard about "a sweetheart in the case
"a rich father-in-law, an poor son-iu-lav
Although not intended to reach the ears
the speaker, these remarks were plainly aut
bic, and they merely served to confuse
young man more than ever But nome
later he recovered himself, and, turning
the miner who had offered to buy his clai
be said:
81 will accept your offer. / need the cas-
and want to start for the east as soon
possible. Keep out enough from the thir
thousand to pay for your best horse. C
tneh sbart Ior nome al once, Where snch
welcome Will meet me as you men new
dream OIL"
The young I'm Is bali intoxicated wi
JOY huGhed one o. the miners, as
Stranger ana the buyer OF his mine sio"
saun'ered away from the group toward
.ateers nut Inc SIGHT OF such innoce
happiness on the part oil the beardless you