Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-02-15

tWlXt san IRAN.
cisco and the
"diggings." I had friends on Hawkins
Bar, ON the Tuolunne river, in Tuolum-
ne county. Thithcr l went. When l
"struck" Hawkins in 1858 it was on its
last legs. Still it boosted store and
dozen houses. Golden hopes were
still anchored in the bed of the river.
ing worked from Red Mountain down
to French Bar. But a premature rain
and consequent freshct swept the river
that season from end to end with
the bosom of destruction, and sent
for the winter tho miners back to their
two dollar per day bank diggings.
1t was at Hawkins that l had first
"buckled to the mines" My first "buck-
ling" however, was in the capacity of a
meat peddlcr. became the agent of q
firm of butchers up on the mountain for
distributing their tough steaks to the
Hawkins Bar miners. Through the in
strumentality Of a horse, over whose
back was slung Il couple of huge pan
nicrs, continued the agency for n week.
Then one morning tho horse kicked up
his heels and ran away. AS he ran, at
every kick n raw and bloody steak would
fly out Of the boxes, flash in the brilliant
morning sunshine. and then fall in the
fine red dust of the mountain trail. fol-
lowed hard after, gathering up these
steaks as they fell. and when the burden
became too heavy piled them up by the
roadside in little heaps Of dusty, very
dusty meat. At last. dusty. perspirinS
and distressed beyond measure, l man
aged to catch that vil!ainous horse. For
he, after having elected nearly the whole
load Of meat, concluded to stop and he
caught. loaded the pannicrs again with
the dusty. carnivorous deposits. led the
horse down the steep trail to the river,
then muddy ard of II rich coffee color from
up country mining sediment. Herein
washed my steaks, rinsad them rs well
~ could of dust, and, as was then the
custom. hung up piece after piece in the
gauZe cur!aincd meat safes at the miners
cabins. think Hawkins got its share
Of grit that day in its beef. Shortly after
ward went cut of the bccfstcak distribu-
ting bureau.
Then went into tho service of the
man who kept the Bar store. saloon and
boarding house. was errand boy, bar.
keeper, bookkceper, woodchoppcr, as
sistant cook and general maid of all
work, and possibly wor,hlcssness. One
day the storckeeper horse, PACKED with
miners supplies, WAS given into my
charge to lead three miles up tho river
to the camp of the Split Rock river
claim. The load was strapped to a
"cross-jacii" saddle. 1t consisted mostly
of -four. potatoes. bacon and !; dem;john
Of whisky. l was advised by the mer-
chant, On setting out. not to let that
horse get ahead OF Inc. Ii he did it was
prophesied that he would run away,
"sure pop" But had not gone forty
rods from tho store when the beast made
rush, got ahead Of me. tore the leading
halter ont of iay grasp and set OFF along
the narrow mountain trail at the rate Of
twenty knots per hour. l followed Oh n
run Ct about ten knots per hour. Hence
the distance between Is soon increased.
AS he ran, the motion burst the bag Of
-four, ditto tho potatoes, and then the
whisky G,'mijohn broke. 1t WAS fine
sight. The -four rose in the air like a
white cluud above tie horse. out of and
above which ;lew potatoes, and the whole
was in:e.sp"rscd with jets of whisky. 1t
'no..>l III" \ snow sHua!l travelling ON
:ors: pal /. When the animal had split
ii the i.car. al the potatoes aid all the
,.nis.,, Eo slnN d Up and allowed him
elf To lie eau. lit, His mission Was ac-
romv!ish.h. found remaining the sad
die and the empty potato sack. The
trail was white with i,our for mile.
and SO it remained for months after
ward. i led the cnilaAl back to the
store. My heart WAS heavy and his load
was light. The s;orckeepcr gave We
| his blessing. did net thereafter remain
Ion. in the service OF that transportation
! bureau.
After this l borrowed rocker and
| started 10 washing some river bank
gravel. II took ine several days to bc-
come in any degree sk illri in the uss of
the rocker. had no teacher. and was
peculiaii,ics by myself. First Sc. it on
= dead level. AS it had no fail TIE
sand wouid not run out. Dat the lard,
est work Of nj! vas to dip ;ini po.r water
from tie iipprr on the gravel in the
sieve with one hand and rock the cradle
tendency ON the part Of tie land and
arm employed in pouring TO so through
| the motion OF rocking. and vice Versa