The Press., 1891-06-18
Eees in the. early days were great

Eggs in the early days were great luxuries. Eggs then filled the place of oysters. A dish of ham and eggs was one of the brilliant anticipations of the miner resident in some lonesome gulch when footing it to the nearest large camp. A few enterprising and luxuri- ous miners kept hens and raised chick ems. The coons, coyotes and foxes were inclined to 'sraise" those chickens too. There was one character on Hawkins Bar whose coop was large and well stocked. Eggs were regularly on his breakfast table, and he was the envied of many. Generous in disposition, oft he made holiday presents of eggs to his friends. Such gift was equivalent to that of 8 turkey in older communities. One foe to this gentleman's peace and the security of his chickens alone exist ed That foe was whisky. For when ever elevated and cheered by the cup which does inebriate he would, in the excess of his royal nature, call his friends about him, even after midnight, and slay and eat his tenderest chickens
 Almost so certain as Kip got on spree there came feast and consequent mid night depletion of his chicken coop-a depletion that was mourned over in vain when soberer and wiser counsels prevailed. The pioneer beefsteaks of California were in most cases cut from bulls which had fought bull fights all the way up from Mexico. Firm in fiber as they were, they were generally lrtf cfS 1cxyh hosu So6 1o, ,s1
 The meat was brought to the table in a dish covered with the dripping in which it had been hardened. To certain ex- tent the ferocity and combativeness of human nature peculiar to the days of '49 were owing to obstacles thrown in the way of easy digestion by bull beef fried to leather in lard Bad bread and bull beef did it. The powers of the hu- man system were taxed to the uttermost to assimilate these articles. The assimi- lation of the raw material into bone, blood, nerve, muscle, sinew and brain was necessarily imperfect. Bad whisky was then called upon for relief. This completed the ruin. Of course men would murder each other with such war ring clements inside of them.
 The ideas of ouS pioneer cooks and housekeepers regarding quantities, kinds and qualities of provisions necessary to be procured for longer or shorter periods were at first vague. There was an Ar gonaut who resided at Truetts' Bar, and. in the fall of 1850, warned by the dollar a-pound-for-four experience of the past winter, he resolved to lay in a few months provisions. He was lucky miner. Were there now existing on that Bar any pioneers who lived there in '4a they would tell you how he kept barrel of whisky in his tent on free tap. Such men are scarce and win name and fame. Said he to the Bar trader when the No vember clouds began to signal the com ing rains, "I want to lay in three months provisions" "Well, make out your order," said the storekeeper. This troubled G.. At length he gave il verbally thus: ''I guess I'll have two sacks of four, a side of bacon, ten pounds of sugar, two pounds of coffee, pound of tea and-and-a barrel of whisky"
 My own experience taught me some things unconsidered before Once, while housekeeping, bought an entire sack of rice. had no idea then of the elastic and durable properties of rice. A sack looked small. The rice surprised me by it's elasticity when put on to boil. Rice swells amazingly. My first pot swelled up, forced off the lid and oozed over. Then I shoveled rice by the big spoonful into everything empty which could find in the cabin. Still it swe1led and oozed Even the washbasin was full of hal1 boiled rice. Still it kept on. saw then that had put in too much-far toe much. The next time tried half ths quantity. That swelled, boiled up. boiled over and also eozed. never saw such remarkable grain. The third time put far less to cook. Even then it arose and filled the pot. The seeds looked minute and harmless enough be- fore being soaked. -.-~@@
 At last became disgusted with rice. looked at the sack. There was the merest excavation made in it by thE quantity taken out. This alarmed me
 With my gradually decreasing appetite for rice, reflected and calculated thai it would take seven years on that Bal ere l could eat all the rice in that sack I saw it in imagination all boiled al once and filling the entire cabin. This determined my resolution. shouldered the sack, carried it back to the store, and said: "See here! I want you to exchange this cereal for something that won't swell so in the cooking. want to ex change t,for something which l can eat up in reasonable length of time"
 The storekeeper was kind and oblig ing man. He took it back. But the reputation, the sting of buying an entire sack of rice remained. The ''boys" had spotted" the transaction. The mer- chant had told them of it. l was re. minded of that sack of rice years after ward. PRENTICE MULFoRD