Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-12-01

4 O01It.s tAe stitsJ tAuefe0 jug
| And the Oft repeated echo Of the bella
Chicago Evening Pcss
LAST STRIKE AT OPHIR.
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
"Rlue Juniata," was paying enormously,
and Wash had become very popular, for
he gave away his money as fast - he
made it. Wash was 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 far
| and wide as case Of fool luck"
1t happened this way; The camp be-
gan as placer camp, and all the clair IS"
along the stream or on the fat were
taken up. when Wash. tall greenhorn
of a 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 ''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 claimg'
"All taken" said Wash slowly.
"Go up on the top of the hill by them
oaks" said the man, winking at his COM
rades. More there than here
Wash borrowed - pick, went to the
place indicated, and in an hour developed
| the most famous mine of the district. 1t
was a curious pocket mine in a 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 Blue
| Juniata."
In the course of time, as the region be
came settled and men with families came
n, Wash fell in love with the pretty
laughter of farmer in the Sacramento
valley. Hereviewed the past, 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
;ook 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 down into the valley. called on
the girl, proposed and 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 a
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 tho 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 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
don't. I'll never give it up while live.
III find a bigger pocket i'll that mountain
| side than any man ever yet struck in
! California"
He climbed tho hill, and began work
on tunnel which should strike the
broken, gold bearing lodges at 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, II know there is
gold there. We will find it soon.
never before worked a month in the old
mine without taking out something.
This deadlock has lasted more than
year. 1t can't last always / 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
a loving, loyal woman, and she knew
that this great awkward Missourian was
a man among thousands. The very boys
in town hooted after him and called him
crazy, but she knew better. Her family
had once urped her 10 leave him and
come homo Int tbcv meyer ven,nrod 10
suogest II again 0ld miners nass;ng
Inv looked at the claim and said tbaro
was no gold LEFT. Men vino had tbor.
sands Of dollars from her husband and
owed tbe;r ent;re fort,,nos 10 him a,
last refused n rive him crcd;t for . sacl.
of Aonr or n side of h,con
..yor s,;,l, h,. .ha ,,;,o Wal. mi
stick nv Won was all that rennie s,id
she meyer fold ber husband that sho nod
rome to her brother WIZ w.s y;ch and
asted him fo,. =. Ittla ,no,a, 20 80.
them .brongh the winter MT for that
snendtbrift M;ssonr;ap 70 waste y ma
H .,,,s,,.or ~ 10y, a,a.,.
If be will rive q, b;s fool;shnnss y
Waab,s hair greyy orav and th;r IT,
stooned lower and lower Daon 1;nos
,vora e,..ran /, he eoca ana h;s - ~
came f;orce aud ,orr;hla NJ ~. III,
in Tho o,,lcbes tra,,,,;,,., ,,,,na ~ -,
in the streams with bis fisb NETS and
nasSad him Inv v,ithop, n WI D..
-
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 Dor
ing right into the granite Crazy az a
loon, and his wife as bad. Her relations
have done everything IN holm tbe,r