The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-25
HE DISCOVERED BRASS.
How n sclcntlio Superintendent Kae,
Too Much for Ills Own Cool.

oorauo SOunty, CAL, was at one tlnlo o
prosperous claim that paid its owners
large monthly dividends and gave every
promise OF a still moro prof sable future.
The owners had considerable trouble
with t;acir superintendent, burly Cor
nish miner, whose love of alcoholic
stimulants and predisposition to fight
wcrc u source of constant ANNOYANCE.
AS often happens in gold mines the vein
was ''pockcty," being very rich in some
spots and barren in others.
1t was while running through ono of
these barron strcaks that s'lsig Jim"
the superintendent, became involved in
proper course to pursue to And tn, pay
chute again. Jim was very ugly. aud
the owners, as was always tho casewhcn
"horse" was encountered, wcro them
selves far from amiable. Tho outcome
was that Jim received his congo the day
following and a new .'supcr" was in de.
mand.
No one about the camp being avail
able, I, being ono of tho parties inter-
cstctl. set OIL for San Francisco in search
OF tho man We wanted. found him
sooner than j expected. Ho was not a
practical miner, but had, he said-an,i
his letters OF Recommendation seemed
to back up his statemcnt--a thorough
! scientific knowledge OF gold ores, was
ancXpcrt chemist and usaNyer-in short.
was almost ready to state that nc could
make tho mine profitable whether tbs
gold was ii the rock or not.
forthwith engaged the services !; :.
this man of science, and we wcrc soon
at the mine, where Mr.. jackson, my new
acquisition was duly installed as super
| i"tcndent. We had paid ''B:g Jim" $i5s
IL month, hut 3im was only practical
miner aid not a scientist, 80 we could
not. in all conscience, offer Mr.. jackson
les than q iif,y-dollar advance on JIM.
salary.
Look here" remarked ono OF the
partners to mo one day after our new su-
Wrintcndent had been with us about q
week. II don't think that that nav
scientific mining expert of yours knows
| amy more about y mine than u Mute In.
dian l WAS obliged to ;:.l,nit that J
myself had grave doubts on the subject.
Mir. Jackson obtained some remark
ablo assays from rock that wouian';
show a 'color" i'll the pan, and when !,
sought to pin Kim down to any iiehn:t.
question as to tho value OF nrrs hn gav'
'.v.sive answers. lie was certainly 81:
expert at lodging questions if at moth
ing else.
In the meantime "Big Jim" hat:
begged hard TO he taken back, promising
all manner of good conduct.
II don't know nothin' about them air
assa.s,' said he, "but yer kin bet yc,
l.fc knows good rock when l secs it,
jim was spar,icular'ys on our ,,c~
superintendent, cl;.in.ing thai hr (M:.
'ac!sson) couldn't toll a gold i,,inc fro:,
Il .,ra:, iSctllo. In this Jim was right,
as the sequel will show.
S.,orl!y af;cr this Mr.. jackson cam
r'ish;ng over to tic cabin ono morni1r
with number of bright pieces of lnet;.
in his hand. Was it possible, though.
l. that rical pocket had been found?
WHATS the matter, Jackson? !
asked.
You've got the richest mine in the
world, SIR" said lie. :Look at thes.
bits of metal. They were knocked dcwn
at tho last blast. I've tested them and
they're nine hundred ano ut least"
Why, You tarnat:on FOOL broke in a
voice Over my shoulder, .'thats brass" >"
1t WAS jim, who spoke. llo had cvi-
! den;ly put up a job on our new supcrin-
tendcnt, though where he got tho lunrs
Of l,ras; from never learned. He was
scoa back in his old position, however.
and MIR. .'as:issnr vas seen no moro in
these parts. haven't heard Of or fron,
/ him since.
Tho Cousin jack paid we'll fer about
ayear after that and was then abandoned.
n. y. Hc5ald.