The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-10-23
LAST STRIKE AT oPHiR.

ophr SIS the noss rrcsperous min'ns
camp 90 the western slope 81 the Siefn'
and wuh Bonner uss the most prosper
ons n iosr IL contained. His claim The
'.plue Juniais. vss paying enormously.
and wah had become very popular. Tor
be gave away bis money - fast ~ be made
II. Wash was : tall. good humored Mise
ouriap. lean. light haired and sleepy. No
ore gave him cfedi, for much energy or
ambition, spd the accident BY which be
bad stumbled upon bis claim when The
camp vas frs, sesiled VAS told Tar and
vide % . csss oi fool luck.
i. happened this way: The camp be-
gan So placer camp, and oil the claims
along the siresm or on the fat we're taken
M. when Wash. . tall greenhorn Of new
conner. drifted in without dollar TO biz
name and stood watching the sailor com
pany Of runswsys from ships 10 San Fran
cisco bay ss they took out their 'ounce
10 the man" from the best wssbiuss 10 tbs
camp.
What sre you lookin' al. Young isllos'
said the captain OF the company.
| Why don't you stake out q clsimf
| All taken. said wash slowly.
Go up Oh the top Of the bill by them
oaks, said the man. wipking at his COM
rsdes. More there than here.
Wash borrowed pick, went to The
place indicated, and 10 sn hour developed
the mos. famous mine OF the district. II
wsss curious pocket mine in 3 loose
broken formation, and though every one
fushed 10 the place aud stsked out the
whole hillside, no other claim ever paid
q tenth part as much as the blue jus
niata."
| Ia the course OF time. as the region bee
came settled and men with families came
| in, Wash fell in love with the pretty dsugh
ter OF q farmer 10 the Sacramento valley.
He reviewed the past, hundred tbou'
sand dollars had come out OF bis mine
and be had nothing left to show for It. Ht
resolved that II the girl would have hin
he would never waste another cent. H'
vent TO his claim. worked all day, strucl
a "pocket," aud took out-more than
thousand dollars. the largest yield OF
single day in the history Of the mine
Then be quit work. went to the town
"spruced himself up" drove down into
the valley, called on the girl. proposed and
was accepted.
Jennie, said Wash, you've got to tak'
me- ei You want me. jest - il hadn't any
mine .nd wasn't worth picayune.
| do, said Jennie; it's you care fo'
Wash.
| A month later they were married. and
began housekeeping in little house o.
white pine built near the mine. Their
Wash began the regular deyelopmentot hi
claim. For elk months he kept up cour
age, though not dollar had come from
/ II in oil that time. They lived on wha
was left Of the 81, 900 after the wedding
expenses we're taken out. Then one day
Wash said, Jennie, the boys tbiok tht
old mine is played ont. but ! don't. II
never give it up while live, Ill find
bigger pocket in that mountain side thar
any man ever yet struck in Cslifornis.
He climbed the bill, and began worl
on tunnel which should strike the brok
en-. gold bearing lodges at lower poin
than be had yet reached.
Months more passed over the heads o
the miner and his wife. One after an
other their friends deserted them. Thei
credit gavo out, and they lived on game
fish and berries, so that the little money
they had could all be spent for blasting
powder, Every morning at daybresl
Wash. esunt and silent. went to bis worl
every night at dark be stumbled home t
his cabin.
Jennie. be said, know there is gol
} there, We shall find II soon. l never b
fore worked . mouth in the old mine wit
out taking ont something. This desdloc
has lasted more than year. IT can
lsst always. will find again, aud the
We " III let the rest go, and buy farm
the valley. where We can forget about sh
! fight
She believed every word, for abe vas
loving. loyal woman. aud she knew th'
this great awkward Missour'sn was ma
among thousands. The very boys 10 TOW
booted after him and called him crsz!
bu, she knew better. Her family had one
ureed her 10 leave him and come hon
: but they never ventured to suggest
again. Old miners pssslpg by looked
the claim, and said there was no gold lei
Mn sho had thousands Of dollars fro
her husband. aud owed tier entire 'ol
times to bin, at las; refused to give hi
credi, for sack Of -four or side of b
con.
You stick by the mine, Wash III s'it
by YOU. ws. all that Jennie said. 81
never told Der Lu. band that she bad goI
10 her brother. who was rich, aud stk'
him ior little many to carry the
through the winter. Not Tor that spent
thrift Missourian 10 waste. was bis q
swer. He can CLERK 10 my store i be v
give M his foolishness.