Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-01

8Ot0s
We built ourselves . rude brush house
on a shelf Of the rocky ledge In can
yon whose sides sloped ct an angle Of
forty.five degrees. Even this shelf was
not level. il pitched toward the river,
and there was % Iittle Of u that during
the nights reposs our legs stuck out Of
the house entrance. We were obliged
10 ''chock" all our supply Of provisions
In their respective packages to prevent
them from rolling out Of our wigwams
over the brink and into the Tuolumnc.
II . potato got loose II ran like ching
possessed" over the rocks and down into
the muddy, raging current. We were
obliged to peg ourselves at night while
sleeping to prevent o like catastrophe.
II was . permanent and laborious exist
ence at an angle Of forty-five. TO stand
erect for any length OF time was very
tiresome. More frequently, like Neb-
uchadnexxar, we lived on all fours.
"Crevicing" did not prove very profit
able. BY day the bare rocks become
heated by the sun TO blistering ca
pacity.
With pick and sledge and crowbar
and bent bits OF hoop iron wo pried and
pounded and scrnped. and scraped and
pounded and pried all the hot day long,
or else were doubled up IN all sorts Of
back aching, back breaking, body firing
positions. drawing up at arms length
from some deeper "pothole" or crevice
spoonful after spoonful Of yellow mold.
II did hold considerable gold, and heavy
gold too. But 1t took 30 long to get the
mold. This was In the latter part OF
September. The termination of the dry
season was reached. The first rain came.
1t came at night. It drizzled through
our brush house. 1t sent tiny streams
down the rocky mountains, and some Of
these streams found their way under us.
We had lain and endured the rain from
above dripping on our faces and wetting
our clothes. In those times ones day
suit served for nightgown. But when
the aqueous enemy undermined our
position we had to turn out.
II blew gale. How the wind howled
and tore up the canyoni We tried to
kindle fire. Match after match was
blown out. Finally blaze was attained.
Then the rains descended heavier than
ever and put 1t out. The chief misery
was, we could not at night find our way
out Of the canyon to any place of shelter.
Nor could we walk at all to keep warm.
There was standing room only" All
about US were the steeply inclined rocks,
nodded into every irregularity Of shape.
We were obliged all through the night
70 "stand and take it" as 1t came, shiver.
ing in our thin summer clothing. With
daylight we made our way to the camp
of the Split Rockers. They gave us
some gin. 1t was common gin--very
common gin-but the comfortable and
soothing remembrance Of that gin after
such a night exists for me even unto
this day. / wore black cloth cap.
The rain had washed out the dye,
and this dye had coursed over my brow
and checks in tiny rivulets of jet. l
noticed that seemed to be more than a
usual object Of interest to those about
me, and wondered. until friend ad-
vised me to consult mirror. ! did 30,
and found my face marked like a rail
road route map. Such was my inau-
guration In mining ut Hawkins Bar
What glorious old times they were!
What independence What freedom
from the trammels and conventionali-
ties of fashionl Xhp cafeuf or cofii-
mente4 Il we did turn up the bottoms Of
our pantaloons, or wear, for coolness'
sake, our flannel shirts outside the trou-
sers2 Who then was 80 much better
than anybody else, when any man might
strike 1t rich tomorrow? Who would
beg for work or truckle, and fawn and
curry favor of an employer for the mere
sake Of retaining a situation and help
that same man to make money, when he
could shoulder pick, shovel and rocker,
go down to the rivers edge and make
his SO or So per day? Though even at
that time this reputed So was oftener
$3.50.
Even then reports of the paying capa-
cities OF claims were as apt to be
watered as are stocks nowadays.
PRENTICE MULFoRD.