The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-01-31

Bar, on the Tuolumne river, in Tuolum.
no county. Thither I went. When |
struck" Hawkins In 1853 1t was on it's
last legs. Still 1t boosted store and Il
dozen houses. Golden hopes were still
anchored in the bed OF tho river, Ex.
pensive river claims were then being
worked IRON Red Mountain down to
French Bar. But premature rain and
consequent freshet swept the river that
season from end to end with the bcsom
OF destruction, and sent for the winter
the miners back to their two dollar per
day bank digglngs.
II was at.tlawkins' that l had first
"buck!sd 10 the mines" My first "buck.
Ing" however, was in tho capacity of
meat pcddler. became tho agent OF
= firm OF butchers up on the mountain
Tor distributing their tough stakes to the
HAWKING Bar miners. Through the
fundamentally Of a horse, over whose
back WAS slung couple OF huge pan
liiiets, | continued the agency for Il week.
Then one morning the horse kicked, up
his heels and ran away. As he nm, NJ
every kick a raw and bloody steak would
lly out OF tho boxes. flash in tho brilliant
morning sunshine, and then fall in the
fine rcd dust OF the mountain trail. I fol-
lowe! hard after, gathering up these
steaks as they foil, and when tho burden
became too heavy piled them up by the
roadside i'll little heaps Of dusty, very
dusty meat. At last, dusty, perspiriny
and distressed beyond measure, man.
aged TO catch that villainous horse. For
he, after having elected nearly tho whole
load OF meat, concluded to atop and be
caught. LOADED the panniers again with
the dusty, carnivorous deposits, lei the
horse down the steep trail to tho river,
then muddy aud Of Il rich coffee color
from up country mining sediment.
Herein | washed my steaks, rinsed them
as well as could OF dust, and, as was
then the custom, hung up piece after
piece in the gauze curuined meat safes
at the miners cabins. Think Hawkins
got its share of grit that day IN its beef.
Shortly afIerward went out OF the beef
steak distributing bureau.
Then went into the service of the
man who kept the Bar store, saloon and
boarding house. Twas Grand boy, bar
keeper. bookkeeper, woodchopper, rs.
slstant cook and general maid OF all
work, and possibly worthlessness. One
day the storekeeper's horse, packed with
miners supplies, was given into my
Charge to lead three miles up the river
to tho camp Of the Split Rock river
Claim. The load was strapped to
oss.jsck" saddle. It consisted most
ly OF flour, potatoes, bacon and demi-
john OF whisky. was advised by the
merchant, on setting out, not to let
that horse get ahead OF me. II lie did
it was prophesied that be would run
away, sure pop" But ] had not gone
forty rods from the store when the beast
made rush, got ahead Of me, tore the
leading halter out Of my grasp and set
oi ssong the narrow mountain trail at
tho rate OF twenty knots per hour. l
followed on 4 run OF about ten knots per
hour. Hence the distance between us
soon increased. 'H lN
As he ran, the motion burst the bag OF
flour, ditto the potatoes, and then tho
whisky demjohn broke. 1t was a fine
sight. The flour rose in the air like Il
white cloud above the horse, out OF aud
above which flew potatoes, and the whole
was interpreted with jets OF whisky. It
looked like snow squatt travelling GU
horseback. When the animal had split
MI the flour, Ill the potatoes and ill the
whisky, he slowed up and allowed him
self to he caught. His mission was &C.
c1mplislled. found remaining the sad
die and the empty potato sack. The
trail WAS white with flour for Il mile,
and so it remained for months after.
ward. led the animal back 10 the
store. My heart was heavy and his load
was light. The storekeeper gave me his
blessing. ] did not thereafter remain
loug i'll the service Of that
bureau. -
Alter this l borrowed a rocker and
started to washing some river bank
gravel. It took me several days to be-
come in any deere. skilled in the use Of
the rocker. had no teacher, and was
Obliged to become acquainted with all
its peculiari,ies by myself. First set on
4 dead level. As it had no "iall' the
sand would not run out. But the hard
est work OF all waste dip and pour water
from the dipper on the gravel in the
sieve with one hand and rock the cradle
with the other. There was constant
tendency on the part Of the hand and
arm employed in pouring to 20 through
the motion OF rocking and vice versa.
The hand and arm that rocked we,u
more inclined to 50, through the motion
Of pouring. seemed cut up in two
individuals, between whom existed a
troublesome and perplexing difference oil
opinion RS to their respective duties and
functions. Such conflict, to all in.
tents and purposes, OF two different
minds inside OF and acting as one body
shook itup feArfully and tore it all te
pieces. WAS rs a house divided agains,
itself and could not stand. However, a
last the physical and mental elements
thus warning with each other inside o
me made up their differences, aud tn,
left hand rocked the cradle PEACEFUL,
while the right hand poured harmon
iously, and the result was 81 50 per day
Soon after found my first mining part
ner. He wandered to the Bar, a n,elan
choly looking man, and three dog
accompanying, and was always in
chronic stare OF red bandanna and nos
wiping. He and l joined forces an,
went up the river to "crevice" anon
/ the rocks near the Split Rock claim. Il
had all the skill, all the experience an,
aKthe dogs, and i had all the genera
/ Ignorance ard iueRDaeity. [ tleamad