Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1890-10-23
LAST STRIKE AT OPHIR.

LAOI DIhlkE Al UHHlh.
Ophir was the most prosperous mining
camp on the western slope of the Sierra
and Wash Bonner was the most prosper.
GUS miner it contained. His claim, the
blue Juniata," was paying enormously
and Wash had become very popular, fol
he gave away his money as fast as he
made it. Wash was a tall, good humored
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 when
the camp was first settled was told fan
and wide as a case of fool luck
1t happened this way: The camp be-
gan as a placer camp, and all the ''claims"
along the stream or on the fiat were
taken up, when Wash. a tall greenhorn
of 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 s'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 claim"
.sAll taken, said Wash slowly.
$50 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. 1t
was curious pocket mine in 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 'sBlue
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 farmer in the Sacramento
valley. Hereviewed the past, a hundred
thousand dollars had come out 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 pocket" and
took out more than a thousand dollars,
the largest yield of 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 all was accepted.
Jennie" said Wash, you've got to
take me, eff you want me, jest as if /
hadn't any mine and wasn't worth
picayune."
81 do" said Jennie; '.it's you 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
courage, though not dollar had come
from it in all that time. They lived on
what was left of the 81 900 after the
wedding expenses were taken out. Then
one day Wash said: Jennie, the boys
think the old mine is played out, but l
don't. Ill never give it up while live
I'll find bigger pocket in that mountain
side than any man ever yet struck in
California"
He climbed tho hill, and began work
on 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
the miner and his wife. One after an
other their friends deserted them. Their
credit gave 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 daybreak
Wash, gaunt and silent, went to his
work, every night at dark he stumbled
home to his cabin.
Jennie" he said, Il know there is
gold there. We will find it soon. |
never before worked month in the old
mine without taking out something.
This deadlock has lasted more than
year. 1t can't last always. I will find
the lead again, and then we will let the
rest go, and buy farm in the valley,
where we can forget about this fight"
She believed every word, for she was
loving, loyal woman, and she knew
that this great awkward Missourian was
man among thousands. The very boys
in town hooted after him and called him
crazy, but she knew better. Her family
had once urged her to leave him and
come home, but they never ventured to
suggest it again. Old miners passing
by looked at the claim, and said there
was no gold left Men who had thou
sands of dollars from her husband, and
owed their entire fortunes to him, at
last refused to give him credit for sack
OF -four or side of bacon.
"You stick by the mine, Wash; I'll
stick by you,' was all that Jennie said.
She never told her husband that she had
gone to her brother, who was rich, and
asked him for a little money to carry
them through the winter. s'Not for that
spendthrift Missourian to waste" was
his answer. ''He can clerk in my store
if he will give up his foolishness."
Wash's hair grew gray and thin He
stopped lower and lower. Deep lines
were craven in his face, and his eyes be-
came fierce and terrible. Men met him
in the gulches trapping game, or down
Al tlO ct1Cd1Lo. H4Ln LID Aicll lltlS, anu
passed him by without word. Pros
pectors, climbing over the hills, heard
the sound Of his pick as he toiled in his
tunnel, and laughed him to scorn. '.Be-
cause he found a few pockets he is bor-
ing right into the granite. Crazy as a
loon, and his wife as bad Her relations
have done everything TO help them
offered them farm and the best kind Of
a show down in the valley
1t was an afternoon in October. The
saloonkeeper sat on the bench by his
door reading q newspaper. He heard
noise at the head Of the street; the VII
lage boys were shouting, Here comes
the crazy Missourian minerr' Wash,
ragged and miserable, came into sight,
and after moments hesitation spoke to
him.
Evening, Mr.. Riley"
Il can't do anything for you.p
"Mr. Riley, listen to me. / haint q
cent in the world. We've sold all our
goods and worked in the mine together
thismontl. Jennie's held the drill while
/ Idruv it. can't get q pound Of pow
der, but the holes are all set in the face,
ready. Something tells me this time it