The morning call., 1890-07-20
THE DISCOVERY OF
THE SUNSHINE MINE.
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

T.ELL you how the Sunshine mine was
As1 discoYered?" repeated John West, a
eytSS sturdy, sun-browned miner, as he sat
nnder the shadow of a tree near his cabin,
up in the Rocky Mountains, enjoying an
evening smoke, why, certainly, If you
think it will interest you. Yes? Well, it
was about this way:
at was one evening in June, and as
stood in front Of the door OF our cabln-a
sort of birds nest perched on ledge high
up in these Notwithstanding just returned
from a hard days prospecting, looked
around for my little Sunshine-my little
darling daughter who was wont 10
meet me whenever L came home-but l
could not see her. Sunshine ? l called,
gleefully, but there was no response.
Again and again l calle ed Sunshine, Sun
shine and listened anxlously for reply,
but none came, and all was stiffness except
the echo of my own voice. which seemed to
repeat in hollow mockery my calls for Sun
shine and the murmur of the wind that
came wailiDg down the canyon III sting the
fir branches, and moaning among the pine
needles. and solitary bird gave out pro-
longed note.
II missed my little golden-haired daugh-
ter who always used to meet ME, and |
missed the sound of her familiar voice and
The words, Papa has come"
1--WE lived not far from Underline above
! which nothing, not even the hardy fr, grew.
| Above was only solid rocks and dazzling
| snow, and when l failed to receive re-
| Spouse everything around me seemed to be-
come bleak and dreary. The gray rocks
that oyershadowed our cabin seemed to be
starting from the mountain side, ready 10
fall upOn and crush me. Again L called
'Sun5hiDe,' and then there was agony IN my
voice. | listened, my heart stood still,
while / strained to catch the faintest sound,
but failed to hear one. The tears came to
my eyes, and with lightning rapidlty flashed
through my mind the events of the day pre-
yious. [ had taken her up mountain trail
to see the nodding ferns and to pluck the first
wild columbines, and thought she might
have gone in that same direction, had be-
come bewildered and lost In the mountains.
Oh, the agony of that moment! 1elt that
my Sunshine was lost to me-. L Tell on my
knees and uttered simple, feryent prayer,
asking him to restore 10 me my little
darling, and | called upon that good angel
whose soul took its flight to the realms
above when we laid her to rest under
solitary pine near the cabin, up the canyon.
to cast her protection over little Sunshine.
That good angel was Nellie, my wife, the
daughter of New England Clergyman, who
seven years before had accompanied me to
this mountain home, to be with me IN my
search for gold, but she passed away and left
little Sunshine to my care and that Of
kindly neighbors, Scotch people who lived
in q cabin near by. That day they had
gone to Denver to meet daughter and
Sunshine had been left alone.
Il started TO 90 up the trail, but decided
upon second thought to wait a few mo-
ments till the miners returned and then
have them all make search. Among them
was an old colored man, Old Black Joe
we called him, and he loved Sunshine so
dearly. As | thought of him memory held
hPfpre DfcturP. sunshine and Oll
Black Joe were seated before our cabin
door. They were talking of angels-lIttle
Sunshine believes in angels-she always
loved to look at the pictures OF them in her
grandfather'S Bible.
Little Sunshine, asked Joe. what de
use OBJ de wings on de angels anyway?
Sunshine put her small white hand on
his large black one and led him to where
they could see the evening star, and point
ing to it she said, Joe, the angels fly from
star to star.
Mus all de angels have long yallar har
and be white, Miss Sunshine?' asked Joe,
anxiously."
1--WE shall all be changed by and by,
Joe,' she replied, we shall all be like the an
GELS and then she added, there will be
great change in you, joe"
1.-The miners laughed, but neither Sun
shine nor Joe appeared TO mind them"
"'Dar'l not be much change in you,
honey Joe said, as he almost reverently
lOuOtAOo euo SAiA " INA sOAo0AA ho4A'
''When the miners came searching party
was soon made up, for there was not man
among them who wouldn't have walked his
legs off to serve Sunshine. Up, up the
mountain trail L went, where only the day
before | had taken my little one to see the
flowers, and how gayly she chatted to me
on the way. Poor little Bulge had trotted
beside US, and Bulge was missing also.
Poor old Bulge, that she had rescued from
how hn had tod efn
around his neck and were about to throw
him into lake. After she saved him and
took him to the cabin they became insep-
arabic companions.
LAS l trudged up the trail, L thought
over and over shall | ever see my little Sun
shine again. Suddenly | came across a
tiny copper-toed shoe on the trail One
glance was enough to satisfy me that it
was Sunshine's. picked it up and thrust
it in the bosom OF my Woollen shirt. 1t
gave proof that she had been on the trail,
and inspired me with new hope; but then
wild thoughts filled my mind and made my
flesh creep. Indians, wolves and fall
down some frighuul precipice. Suddenly
heard sound; it was the barking of a dog;
of that there could be no mistake, and how
it sounded like the bark of Budge-yes, it
was poor old Bulge, for no other dog on the
mountain side had such a bark. His bark
ing was to me the most welcome sound |
ever heard III all my life, and | can assure
NOu tHdt IL uIu uOb tthG HE iOuB 10 Iedcn
the spot whence came that sound. As L
reached the crest of a little rising ground,
and looked down on the other side, there
stood Bulge, wagging his tail and turning
his head every few seconds from me to
some point down the canyon. His bark
seemed TO say: Come with me, and I'll
show you where she is
=" He turned, followed, and in few mo-
ments saw behind a clump of bushes little
Sunshine, barefooted, her little blue apron
filled with wild columbiues. The next mo
ment was by her side and had her in my
arms. SO Joyous was | tnat | could not
utter word, but after kissing that sweet
little face again and again, tears filling my
eyes and casting my gaze heavenward, L
thanked in silence Him that had ans wered
my PRAYER, and thought of that angel who
had thrown her protecting arms around
Sunshine and saved her from the dangers
of the mountains.
Suddenly | was aroused by hearing my
baby darlington she was but six years of
age-saying, l was lost down there and
she pointed down the deep canyon, and |
was afraid Then suddenly she exclaimed,
Papa, l lost my other shoe down there
kissing her again aud stroking Bulge
told Sunshine to wait for me. | went to the
place she pointed to- 1t was steep
and every now and then 1 had to drive
my pick, which | uad with me, into the
ground to prevent me from slipping.
fust before got to the lost shoe drove
the pick into creyice and secured the foot
covering. In recovering ny pick the rock,
a sort OF rotten quartz separated and DIS
searching for, for seven long years-goId,
gold in plenty.
And that was the way The Sunshine
Mine was discovered"