The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-08-15
THE BUSTED HOPES.

Among the veteran miners of the Gold
Leaf district none could lay claim to longer
residence therein than little Andy Cobb,
the original discoverer and present hall
owner of the Busted Hopes" In forty
eight hours from the origination of the
Gold Leaf boom little Andy was in the
gulch, coming along with the first install
ment of fortune seekers from Deadwood.
with his camp kit packed on the only
broncho in the party, chartered for the
trip Jointly by Andy and the Nussbaum
Brothers, the Jew clothiers from Cheyenne.
We located side an side-the two Nuss-
baums an me-" Cobb used TO relate to
every ''tenderfoot" that be could beguile
into listening Levi Nussbaum struck it
rich in the Three Ply Sunk a prospect
hole bout big enough TO bury a Dutchman,
an sold to q Boston syndicate for fifty
thousand in less u a week His brother,
ole Moses, had the same kind of luck. The
All Wool Is the richest claim in the gulch
TO this day, an it has bin five years since
Nussoaum let it s.ide for enough money TO
buy all the second hand clothes in Amer
lea"
And how about your claim?" the listen
er would inquire
Mine? Oh, I've got it yet. I changed
Its name after the first year. all the same
II was the 'EldOradO' first, but now l call
IL the Busted Hopes It's a nice claim if
1t IS a poor one-handy 70 the shanty, an
wood an water convenient. There's plenty
OF good ore IN the Busted Hopes If we
only had a little capital to invest in devel-
opin' it the lad au' I could windlass out
the metal fasuer'n forty minis could han
die it"
Ed Brundige was the lad" 10 whom
Cobb had references. He was a new man in
the gulch, comparatively speaking, his cit
izenshIp merely dating hack some eighteen
months or thereaboUts. No one seemed TO
know anything in regard to the lads"
past history, and in justice to the other
miners must admit that obtrusive curl
osity was failing almost unknown among
them A stranger IN their midst was ex-
pected TO furnish some sort of name, for
the convenience Of parties who might wish
TO address him, but further than this he
might, at pleasure, refuse TO proceed.
Thus it CHANGED that Brundige, making
his debut IL the gulch when half Of the
miners were down with mountain fever,
had quietly settled down as a permanent
resident Of the place, without offering or
requesting any condolences whatever; and
aside from the fact that he was Yam
kee," and possessed OF some previous ex-
perience as miner, the amateur Pinker-
tons of Gold Leaf had failed to elicit any
points" worthy OF mention.
Little Andy Cobb had been one of the
first 70 suffer from the fever. and for four
long weeks, stretched on the not oversoft
hay mattress in the solitary apartment
that contained all his worldly effects, ex-
cepting the mining claim just mentioned.
lay il daily anticipation OF that grim
visitor who calls alike upon rich and poor.
Nurses were few in Gold Leaf GUIch, and
OF the lucky citizens who CHANGED to keep
on foot while their neighbors were fighting
single handed with daath, the majority
were too busily looking after their own
interests TO care for the well being Of
Others. So, accustomed TO being left alone
and uncared for, Andy Cobb was agreeably
surprised upon awakening from one of
his feverish maps 10 find that the dingy
liccle room had been ''slicked up" TO an
unprecedented degree: the miniature table
that held his medicine vials vastly beauti-
FED IN appearance by the addition Of 3
snowy cloth, improyised by splitting a
billed shirt" down the back: while the
willing hands that had voluntarily worked
this transformation had gone farther in
their good work. knocked a board from
the wall 10 admit more air. spread a
dampened cloth on the invalid's fever
burnt brow, and was now energerically
toiling with abundant SOAP and water 20
provide the proprietor Of the Busted
Hopes with a much needed change of
clean clothing.
Too sick 70 feel much concern in any
earthly affairs. however remarkable. poor
Andy had merely watched for time with
languid interest the ineXpGcable move
ments of this strange visiCant, and then
gave way once more to his overpowering
drowsiness, waking later IN the day with
a clearer brain TO find his guardian angel
still al his side
Eff it hadn't been for you 'twould have
been 'Gcod-by, Andy" he gratefully re-
marked. when, in a fair way toward re-
covery, he was enjoying the luxury of =
smoke under the shadow ofthe great noun
tain pines. L tell ye what it is, lad, eff
the Busted Hopes ever makes my fortune /
half Of il is yours. And"-as # by inspira- .
tion-''when you have blowed in all that
come around an I'll split up what's left" 4
Ed BrundiSe responded 70 this burst Of I.
EELCINSAe1 Win q A--Ss taee---- slG1 no /.
more about it. old man, said he. 1T .
wasn't altogether an act OF kindness on /
nv part At all events l wasn't wholly .
You see, l wanted 70 stand /
IL with YOU and buy share in your claim" 4
Little Andy stared II him il open eyed .
wonder.
To buy into the Busted HOpes''
Certainly
''But-thunderl Why, man, its the dad 4
poorest pieces Of mining prop I
erty in the hills
Not quite smiled Brundige. There (
is perpetual grubstake in II if q man VIII 4
work-eh9n
There always has been" Cobb was
forcsd to admit; ''but then, you see, Tn
boss on the hunt, and always rustic for my
meat in the hills
"Just 10 my hand, f" acquiesced Ed 'H
there Is anything enjoy it IS good hunt
LIS - ~--N--- -~--- N---A I
IN shs Exploded Anticipatio-s' from this
dayo III give you your cwQ r-5oe-~Lcn
dig it out CT the mine-and If rae claim
never pans out. why We viii stxTve TO-
Zether, THAI 5 all
And so it came about that the urprcft-
able mine was worked with redouhle
Eigor, and as industry usually brings
reward the finances Of the
firm SLOWLY improved. and gradually ittls