Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-08-21
THE LAST STRIKE At OPHIR
By Charles Howard shinn.

Ophlr was the most prosperous min
ing camp on the western slope of the
Sierra, and Wash Bonner was the most
prosperous miner 1t contained. His
claim, the "Blue Juanita,n was paying
enormously, and Wash had become
very popular for he gave away his
money as fast as he made It. Wash
was q tall, good humored Missourian,
lean, llght-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 far
and wide as case of fool luck"
1t happened this way: The camp
began as a placer camp, and all the
''claims" along the stream or on the
flat were taken up, when Wash, a tall
greenhorn of a newcomer, drifted in
without dollar tohis name, and stood
watching the sail company of runa-
ways 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 compa-
"Why don't you stake out claim?"
"All taken, p said Wash, slowly.
"Go up on the top of the hill by
them oaks" said the man winking
at his comrades. "More there than
here"
Wash borrowed pick, went to the
place indicated, and In an hour devel-
oped the most famous mine of the dis
trict. 1t was curious pocket mine in
a loose, broken formation; and, though
everyone rushed to the place and stalk
ed out the whole hillside, no other
claim ever paid a tenth part as much
as the "Blue Juniata."
In the course of time, as the region
became settled and men with families
came in, Wash fell in love with the
pretty daughter of farmer in the Sac
ramento valley. He reviewed 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 nev-
er waste another cent. He went to the
claim. worked all day, struck pocket
and took out more than 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 into the valley,
called on the girl, proposed and was ac-
cepted.
''Jennie," said Wash, "you've got to
take me, eff you want me, jest as eff 1
hadn't any mine, and wasn't worth a
picayune."
NJ do,n said Jennie, "It's you rcare
for, WASH"
A month later they were married,
and began housekeeping in a 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 a dollar had come from it
all that time. They lived on what was
left of the thousand dollars after the
wedding expenses were taken out.
Then, one day Wash said: "Jennie,
the boys think the old mine is played
out; but don't. I'll never give it up
while I live. I'll find bigger pocket
In that mountain side than any man
ever vet struck in California"
He climbed the hill and began work
on tunnel which should strike the
broken, gold-bearing ledges at a lower
point than he had yet reached.
Months more passed over the, heads
of the miner and his wife. One after
another 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, II know there is
gold there. We will find 1t soon. l
never before worked o month in the
old mine without taking out something.
This deadlock has lasted more than a
year. It can't last always. / will find
the lead again, and then we will let the
rest go and buy farm in the valley
and forget this fight"
She believed every word; for she was
q loving, loyal woman, and she knew
that this great, awkaid Missourian was
man among thousands The very
boys in town hootA after him and
called him crazy; but she knew better.
Her family had onceurged her to leave
him and come home, but they never
ventured to suggest iiagain. Old min
ers passing by looked at the claim and
said there was no gold left. Men who
had had thousands Of dollars from her
husband, and owed their entire fortunes
to him, at last refused to give him cred
it for sack of fiourOr side of bacon.
ttV,r etiok hy fhn mino Wash. Til