Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-08-23
AN Incident OF the Camp.
BY L. A. OSBORNE.

coElness OF my once OF the mine
that | now superintend, that old life
OF wild abandon and reckless ad-
venture seems as dream; yet |
have onl y to mount my horse aud
four good days riding would take
me TO the scene that would repre-.
sent all. 1t is a perquisite of n
wandering life that we soon forget
or dim the impressions of our recent
endeayors, and with a new enter
prise the old is thrown aside and
becomes familiar only by retrospec.
ton, and one has the unique sensa-
ton of reviewing ones own past
somewhat in the light of another's.
| hope | make myself clear. So it
is in looking back on those good old
days-we call good all that is old
that 1t seems that was reviewing
some old-time romance, never more
to be renewed by me, for alas! might
not the splendor fade, and the eu-
chantment break if viewed again by
the practical light of experience.
Let 1t rest as a memory of the hoi-
den days, when the life was as
strange to me as if dropped sudden.
ly on a Russian steppe among the
| Tartans.
| was foreman then of "brand"
of cattle "a sudden rise, attributed
only TO intuence--the magic wand)
and among the eccentrics of the
camp was the cook. One or two
ca,ue owners or their representatives
!. e,; foremen, inhabited tent.
Thereunto belonging was the sepa
rate herd of horses; the night and
day horse herder; the riders, four
or five; the cook, before mentioned,
and the employers, one or Two, max
ing from eight to len men in one
mess. Maybe there were dozen
such tents, or "outEits" 10 ''Round-
up" SO 1t was quite regiment when
combined And in the course Of a
few months, being thus united, a
close circle of acquaiutanceship was
formed among all Among 80 many
men thus hap-hazardly thrown TO.
gether from so many different To-
calitles, some gery far distant from
each other, the differences and pecu-
liauties were striking. Being under
10 true discipline 1t was more marked
than among soldiers. Another thing
! might mention here: Among the
mountains and on the ranges of the
far west one Is startled, almost, by
the amount of this little sphere
uaversed by the wanderers of the
earth, who, always in quest OF fresh
excitement, tax the limits of the
world. There have met men from
the diamond fields Of Africa. the
pampas of the Argentine, the whale
fisheries Of the frigid zone, the
sources of the Yukon, aud the
strange lands Of interior Asia. OF
the places mentioned | am certain.
Among such a strange medley one
loses all inclination or interest for a
civilized settlement, if / may use
the term, and becomes In spirit like
his companions. 1t sounded some
what odd to hear one say that he
was tired of the country, aud he
guessed he would pull stakes in the
fall for Patagonia or some other
outlandish place; and it was not
mere talk, they Cttea djd, for have
received letters occasionally from
spch places afterwards.
But to return to the cook. That
word goes not imply that it was his
usual calling; be just happened TO
be cook for the Time, al nothing
comes amiss 70 men Of that stamp.
lie was q good cook, too, at 500 per
month and found. lie had been
everywhere. His ailmeut was the
loss Of the affection Of a Spanish
senorlta, somewhere 10 Peru, who,
fabulously rich, had given him cause
10 LeIieye that he was to share her
wealth; but she bestowed her hand
on another, and bankrupt in heart
aud pocket he shipped for the
/ United States and drlited 10 the
range. lie was a person Of Ieticent
habits, with a tendency to whisky;
80 when it could DC obtained IN
sufficient quantities we were minus
a cook for few days.
For some reason he had taken
! fancy 70 me, chiefly because ! never
chaled him, suppose, on his con
yivial traits, and perhaps was the
only man in camp who was IN any
way conversaut with his past ms
to.g by our long chats together
/ CT #4e 10 look on him somewhat i'm
/ the light Of a friend, and adviser
when IT dealt in matters of nomad
tendency; pitied him FOR his lost
| chances, and admired the erldltion
50 sadly neglected. lie was master
81 several languages, and one Of the
best informed men on general sub
iecls / e@er met. Its chiefly AZ q
4 tribute % his genius that ! am writ