Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-10-19
LUCK TO SILVER CAMP.


Silver Camp was not given to romance.
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 a
community of Friends, where the ties of
brotherly love had usurped the 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
ticipations of many a 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 tibet we can squeeze out O her How
somever, we amt greenhorns bout SIGH work;
we've been thar afore."
The unlettered 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 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
miner had vague, indefinite feeling that his
streak of i'll luck would pass away in time
and PALMER days would come. This hope
was adroitly disguised in Sandy Tips favor
ite remark
When the millennium for Silver Camp did
come it was first announced by stranger.
A beardless miner had entered the camp one
bright May day, and, after purchasing sup
posed to be worked out mine for 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
'un? '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
no oft Ino
business demanded it, No one objected to
this particularly, for the motto of the place
seemed to be, ''Leave alone, and to be let
alone" About two weeks after the strangers
advent, the first excitement for years was
created by the announcement that gold had
been struck. The news ran from mine to
mine like wild fire, and in half an hour all
the men were surrounding the lucky finder.
1t was the youthful looking, beardless
stranger, who stood in the center of the
group, and explained how he had made the
lucky stroke A few doubted the genuine
ness of the gold at first, but several nuggets
were handed to them to examine, the stranger
showing delightful ignorance as to its quality
and value, which caused more than one
grizzly miner to smile pityingly at the
flushed, handsome face of the owner of the
gold.
"It's the real stuff" muttered one burly,
red fanneled individual, slowly weighing the
nuggets in his hand. TAM We can depend on
it, stranger, thar's plenty more where this
cum from. These yellow nuggets never go
alone'
cam tibet mine O. yers ought ter be wurth
anywhere from fifty ter one hundred thou
sand, clean cash" interposed second repre-
sentative of Silver Camp.
sWhat? Fifty thousand dollars?' ex-
claimed the beardless youth, his eyes show
ing his surprise as much as his words. "Then
all my misery and waiting are rewarded at
last Thank God! But it is too good news
to believe. Where can get half that price
for it2-who would give me thirty thousand
dollars for it!''
The stranger looked around upon the group
of faces about him, and seemed to wait for
an answer.
''Well, stranger" remarked the first speak
er, after little pause, 81 don't want ter take
advantage of yer ignorance. 'Taint my
natter to be adoin' SIGH undetermined work.
But eff $4,000 is yer price, I reckon my pard
an me will buy tibet claim of ye. I'll tell ye
beforehand, though, tibet ye can get double
tibet price eff ye wait long enough; but eff
cash is any object ter ye, ye can hev it ter"
night in as good gold as tibet ye dug out of
yer mine. Eff it's go jes' say tho word, an
We'll walk up ter the cabin, an settle it afore
nightfall."
The face of the stranger still wore doubt
full expression but it soon cleared up as he
turned to the bidder for his gold mine, and
said:
s'Men, don't know much about these mat.
tiers, for have never followed the business for
any length of time; but this gentleman's
offer is fair one, and think will take it.
| came here to make a fortune SO that could
marry-could go into business in the east"
The face of the stranger flushed up quickly,
as he unwittingly revealed his secret, and a
knowing look passed across the countenances
of the miners One or two whispers could
be heard about ga sweetheart in the case"
ga rich father-in-law, an poor son-in-law."
Although not intended to reach the ears OF
the speaker, these remarks were plainly audi
BILE, and they merely served to confuse the
Young man more than ever. But a moment
later he recovered himself, and, turning to
the miner who had offered to buy his claim,
he said:
81 will accept your offer. need the cash.
and want to start for the east as soon as
possible. Keep out enough from the thirty
thousand to pay for your best horse. ! can
then start for home at once, where such a
welcome will meet me as you men never
dream Of"
s.The young 'un is half intoxicated with
JOY" laughed one of the miners, as the
stranger and the buyer of his mine slowly
sauntered away from the group toward the
latters hut The sight of such innocenA
happiness on the part Of the beardless youth
pleased the hardened miners, and they re-
turned to their work again in happier
mood.
All that evening sthe new find" was dis