Arizona republican., 1891-05-03

 Eastern shareholders really got their moneys worth in gilded hopes, which with them lasted for years. But people never put such brilliant anticipatioNs on the credit side of the account, and merely because that at the last they are not real ized.
 As the winter of "4S" waned tho com. panies, one after another, set sail for the land of gold. The Sunday preceding they listened to farewell sermons at church. recollect seeing score or two of the young Argonauts thus preached to. They were admonished from the pulpit to behave temperately, virtuously, wisely and piously. How seriously they listened. How soberly were their mar row brimmed, straight-up-and-down lit tie plug hats of that period piled one atop the other in front of them. How glistened their hair with the village bar ber's hair oil. How pronounced the creak of their tight boots as they marched up the aisle. How brilliant the hue of their neckties. How patiently and resignedly they listened to the sad discourse of the minister, knowing it would be the last they would hear for many months. How eager the glances they cast up to the church choir, where sat the girls they were to marry on their return. How few returned. How few married the girl of that periods choice. How little weighed the words of the minister year after. ward in the hurry scurry Of the San Francisco life of 49-50.
 What an innocent, unsophisticated, in experienced lot were those forty odd young ArgonautS who sat in those pews! Not one of them then could bake his own bread, turn fapjack, re-seat his trousers or wash his shirt. Not one of them had dug even a posthole. All had vague sort of impression that California was a nutshell of country and that they would see each other there frequently and event ually all return home at or about the same time. How little they realized that one was to go to the northern and one to the southern mines and one 10 re- main in San Francisco, and the three never to meet again! What glittering gold mines existed in their brains even during the preaching of that sermonl Holes where the gold was put out by the shovelful, from which an occasional powder or pebble was picked out and flung away.
 The young Argonaut, church being dismissed, took his little stiff. shiny plug and went home to the last Sunday tea. And that Sunday night, on seeing her home from church for the last time, he was allowed to sit up with her almost as long as he pleased. The light glimmered long from the old homestead front parlor window. The cold north wind without roared among the leaAess sycamores and crashed the branches together. It was a sad, sad pleasure. The old sofa they sat upon would be sat upon by them nc more for years. For years? Forever in many cases Today, old and gray, gaunt and bent, somewhere in the gulches, "up north" somewhere, hidden away in an obscure mining camp of the Tuolumne, Stanislaus or Mokelumne, up in Cariboc or down in Arizona, still he recollects that night as a dream. And she? Oh, she dried her eyes and married the stay, at-home five years after. A girl cant wait forever. And besides, bad reports after time reached home about him. He drank. He gambled. He found fair friends among the senoritas. And, worse than all, he made no fortune.
 By spring most of the Argonauts had departed With them went the flower of the village Their absence made a big social gap, and that for many day The girls they left behind tried for a time to live on hope, and afterward "took up" and made the most of the younger generation of boys
 After many months came the first let. ters from San Francisco, and then speci. mems of gold dust and gold pieces. The gold dust came in quills or in vials, mixed with black sand.
 In the course of two years few of the boys" came struggling back. The firsi of these arrivals, 1 remember, walked uI our main street, wearing on his shoul ders brilliant hued Mexican serape. Il created sensation. All the small boys of the village tagged on behind him." 6 sort of impromptu guard of honor. The serape was about all he did bring home He talked a great deal of gold and brought specimens, but not in sufficient quantity to pay all outstanding bills The next of the returned was Q long gaunt, yellow case of Charges fever He brought only gloom. Along in 1S53t came few of the more fortunate who had made a "raise." Two returned ant paid up their creditors in full who hat been by creditors given over. But few came to remain. They "staid around home few weeks, turned up their noses at the small prices asked for drinks cigars and stews, treated everybody grew restless and were off again.
 Sometimes on visiting my native vii lage l stanS before one of those olt fashioned houses, from whose front dool thirty-four years ago there went fortl for the last time the young Argonaut or his way to the ship. There is more than one such house in the village. Th, door is double, the knocker is still upor it, the window panes are small, thu front gate is the same and up to tht door the same stones lie upon the walk But within all are strangers,
 The father and mother are past anxiou! inquiry of their son. The sisters are married and live, or have died, elsewhere l. nl never heard of him. The great event o