The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-10
LAST STRIKE AT OPHIR.

Ophlr was the most prosperous mininl
camp on the western slope of the Sierra
and Wash Bonner was the most prosper
GUS miner it contained. His claim, TIL
BLUE Juniata, was paying enormously
! and Wash had become very popular, fo
he gave away his money as fast as h,
made it. Wash was tall, good humoreC
Missourian. lean, light haired and sleepy
No one gave him credit for much energy
or ambition, and the accident by which
he had stumbled upon his claim wher
the camp was first settled was told fal
and wide as a case of fool luck"
1t happened this way: The camp be
gan as placer camp, and all the claims
along the stream or on the fat were
taken up, when Wash, tall greenhorn
of a new conner, drifted in without a
dollar to his name and stood watching
the sailor company Of runaways from
ships In San Francisco bay as they took
out their "ounce to the man" from the
best washings in the camp.
what are you lookin' at, young fell
low?' said the captain of the company.
why don't you stake out a claim?'
"All TAKEN" said Wash slowly.
go up on the top Of the hill by them
oaks" said the man, winking at his COM
rades. More there than here"
Wash borrowed a pick, went to the
place indicated, and in an hour developed
the most famous mine of the district. It
was curious pocket mine in a loose,
broken formation, and though every
one rushed to the place and staked out
the whole hillside, no other claim ever
paid tenth part as much as the blue
Juniata."
In the course Of time, as the region be-
came settled and men with families came
in, Wash fell in love with the pretty
daughter of a farmer in the Sacramento
valley. Hereviewed the past, hundred
thousand dollars had come ou- of his
mine, and he had nothing left to show
for it. He resolved that if the girl
would have him he would never waste
another cent. He went to the claim.
worked all day, struck a pocket" and
took out more than a thousand dollars,
the largest yield Of a single day in the
history of the mine. Then he 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
take me, eff you want me, jest as if
hadn't any mine and waslt worth q
picayune."
Il do" said Jennie; ''it's you 1 care
for, Wash"
a month later they were married, and
began housekeeping in little house of
white pine built near the mine. Then
Wash began the regular development of
his claim. For six months he kept up
though not dollar had come
from it in all that time. They lived on
what was left of the 81 900 after the
expenses were taken out. Then
one day Wash said: Jennie, the boys
think the I'D mine is played out, but 1
don't. I'll never give it up while live.
III find bigger pocket in that mountain
side than any man ever yet struck in
California"
He climbed the hill, and began work
IN a tunnel which should strike the
broken, gold bearing lodges at a lower
point than he had yet reached.
Months more passed over the heads Of
he mincs and his wife, One after an
other their friends deserted them. Their
,redit gave out, and they lived on game.
ish and berries, so that the little money
hey had could all be spent for blasting
powder. Every morning at dsybreak
Wash, gaunt and silent, went to his
work, every night at dark he stumbled
lome to his cabin.
Jennie" he said, 81 know there is
,old there. We will find it soon. l |
lever before worked a month in the old |
nine without taking out something. |
This deadlock has lasted mere than a
ear. 1t can't last always. l Will find |
he lead again, and then we will let the |
est go, and buy farm in the valley, |
where we can forget about this fight"
She believed every word. for she was 4
loving, loyal woman, and she knew /
hat this great awkward Missourian was /
man among thousands. The very bows /
D town hooted after him and called him 4
ray, but she knew better. Her family /
ad once urged her to leave him and
ONE home, but they never ventured to
1gCest 10 again. Old miners passing
Y looked at the claim. and said there
-as no gold left. Men who had thou
inds OF dollars from her husband, and
wed their entire fortunes 70 him, at
Isl refused to give him credit for a sack
f -four or a side of bacon.
You stick by the mine. Wash; I'll
lex by you, was all that Jennie said.
be never told her husband that she had
one to her brother. who was rich, and
sked him for a little money TO carry
lem through the winter. Not for that
,endthritt MisSourian TO waste" was
IS answer. He can clerk in my store
he viii give up his foOfshness."
Wash's hair grew gray and thin. He
ooped lower and lower Deep lines !
ere craven IN his face, and his ewes BE-
me fierce and terrible. Men met him
the gulches trapping game, or down
the streams with his fish nets. and
used him by without word. Pros
actoTs, CIImDIng over the hills. heard
le sound Of his pick as he toiled in his
Innel. and laughed him 10 scorn. Be
Iuse he found few pockets he Is Dor
e right into the granite. Crazy as a
on, and his wife IS bad. Her relations
ave done everything TO help them
fered them farm and the best kind OF
show down IN the valley
Il was an afternoon in October. Tie
loonkeeper sat On the bench by his
,or reading q newspaper. He heard a