Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-16
A CALIFORNIA MINER.
Strange Apparition in the Sanctum
for an Interview.
HIS CITIZENSHIP IN QUESTION,
And How he Fooled Those Who Sought to
Send Him Back.
THE SAME COIN HE WENT WEST WITH

THE SAME COIN HE WENT WEST WITH
A tall, broad-shouldered figure strobe into
the reportorial rooms last evening. 1t was
that of man who had long since passed
life's ncontide, and had seen, if he had not
felt. the shades of its evening settling down
upon him-of that evening whose frosts fall
upon the head and whiten the hair, even as
they freeze and furrow lines in the features.
The old gentleman-for the figure was one
Of the male persuasion-carried a crook
headed cane, around which was twisted In
fantastic fashion piece of copper wire that
made the stick look very odd. A tall derby
hat, little black-and-white necktie, a sus-
picion of silvery fringe upon the face,
seersucker coat and vest (the latter full of
stitches across the chest indicating that
something might be tightly sewed inside),
silver half-dollar sleeve buttons and pair
of blue jeans overalls over heavier pair of
trousers-give you an introduction to him,
Just as he showed himself to the man at the
desk.
I'm the seventh son of q seventh son"
said the visitor, seating himself familiarly
close to the city editor, "and I want to be
interviewed. 1 can trace my fathers ances-
try back to the Wallaces of Scotland, and
nv mothers to the crowned heads of Ger
many. Interview mel"
"About what? Have you had any un-
usual experience-sufered any injustice-or
anything of that sort?"
"Yes, more than that-everything of that
sort. was born in 1928, in Mercer county,
raised on the line between Mercer and
Washington counties-came with father
through your Monongahela river bridge
when was 3 years old, when looked from
one end of the long old covered bridge to
the other and wondered how on earth we
were ever going to get through the little
hole at the other end, it looked so small in
the distance.
WHAT MAKES A CITIZEN.
"Weli, sir, that ought to make me citi-
zen of Pennsylvania. oughtn't it? But 1
went to California 80 years ago-went to the
gold diggings, and took many long wash
at it myself-panned until drew blood
from every one of my ten finger tips Count
ing the thumbs, which complete the ten,
believe); and now, after being back here in
my own native State for over a year, paying
my assessed taxes and doing mighty big
Jobs at farming and carpentering, they want
to make out that I'm citizen of California,
and send me back there; but I'm a little too
sharp and too quick for 'em. I reckon
"And why do they want to send you
back to the Golden Gate?"
"Why, because I'm an heir, you see, to
the property up in one of the northern
counties; and they've had me in the asylum
at Warren, and tried to ship me away to
get rid of me-"
"Your name, please, and something of
the circumstances"
Certainly, sir-Joseph Benjamin Frank
lin Ross. I'm member in good and regu-
lar standing of the Presbyterian Church at
Napa, Cal; have read the Bible through
in course three times on my bended
knees, and never did anything
to harm q man or woman in all
as a soldier in the late War of the Rebel
lion, and was the one to man the biggest
gun just after our Presidents assassination;
though went to California 80 years ago
(that was before the assassination1, and
mined gold for 81 years, panning out from
25 cents a day to twice S17 in "a hours:
though got there with only a silver quar-
ter in my pocket, and have kept it ever
since; in spite of all this, they want to make
out that 1 haven't the right to come back
and claim a share in my fathers estate, as
the youngest son living"
HE WAS IN AN ASYLUM.
"What has been their plan of opera
tious?"
"Why, simply this: To thrust me into an
asylum as they did the Goth OF last March;
to let me out July q, only to place me in
charge of trustee, who should ship me
back 20 California as charge upon that
State. The trustee went with me as far as
Chicago and there spent the day, (although
it was Sunday and he a good Methodist),
hunting all around among the ticket cap
pers to get me cheap ticket to the slope
How did chase him around over those
Chicago streets-took him first to
one capper, then another-until his
tongue hung out that far indicating
the second joint of his finger
though it ought to have been so far [indi-
eating from the finger tip to the knucklel
before got through with him. Well, it
cost him S47, the very best he could do, for
a limited ticket. / went on to Kansas City
alone; concluded 1 wouldn't 60 any fur
ther (for you see my ticket read to Seattle,
burned-down city); sold my tickets and
came back. Didn't come, though, until I'd
sold my ticket and got money enough, nor
until I'd preached couple of sermons, two
hours and a half long, in the open air, to
Kansas City people"
HE NEEDS FRIENDS.
The old man talked a good deal more,
talked entertainingly too, by spells, as his
Jim Blaine eyes flashed out from under lids
as obliquely set as old Ben Buffers; but
there wasn't much more he said that helped
to clear up his case, and there wasn't much
in all the nuggets and trinkets he showed
that tended one particle to prove that the
people were altogether wrong in sending
him to an asylum. Indeed, notwithstand-
ing his assurance that he had been given
charge of important departments in the
Warren asylum. had weighed the meats and
food for the patients, and been trusted other
wise, there was the faint suspicion about
the evidently good old man that, strong as
he was, with his AZ inches Of chest and his
six feet of stature, he needed some kind
friend to care for him.
And so the veteran visitor. redepositing
his nuggets and buttons in his long leathern
purse, babe the writer kindly good even
ing, and vanished, anxious to prove himself
a of Dappsvlvopio