The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-03-27
miscellaneous.
LAST STRIKE AT OPHIR.

Ophlr was the most prosperous mining
camp on the western slope of the Sierra, and
Wash Bonner was the most prosperous miner
it contained. His claim the Blue Juniats,
was paying enormously, and Wash had be-
come very popular, for he gave away his
money rs fast rs he made il. Wash was IL
tall, good humored Missourian, lean, light,
haired and sleepy. No one gave him much
credit for energy or ambition, and the ACCT
dent by which he had stumbled upon his
Claim when the camp was first settled was
told far and wide rs case of fool luck"
1t happened this way: The camp began
as placer camp, and all the Claims along
the stream or on the fiat were taken up,
| when Wash, a tall greenhorn ofa new conner,
| dritted in without dollar to his name and
stood watching the sailor company of rum
| Always 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 fellow ?"
said the captain of the company.
why don't you stake out claim 2"
Gall taken" said Wash slowly
Go up on the top of the hin 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
ious pocket mine in loose, broken formation,
and though every one rushed to the place
and staked out the whole hill side, no other
claim ever paid 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 a
farmer in the Sacramento valley. He review
ed the past, hundred thousand dollars had
come out of his mine, and had nothing left 10
show for it. He resolved that if the girl
would have him he would never waste an
other cent He went 10 the claim, worked all
day, struck pocket" and took out more
than a thousand dollars, the largest ield 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, call
ed on the girl, proposed and was accepted.
Jennie" said WASH you've got TO take
me, efye want me, jest as if hadn't any mine
and wasn't worth picayune."
II do" said Jennie; tits you l care for,
Wash"
A month later they were married, and be
gan housekeeping in 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 in all that time. They
wedding expenses were taken out. Then one
day Wash said: Jennie, the boys think the
old mine is played out, but l don't. I'll
never give it up while l live. I'll find big
ger pocket in that mountain side than any
man ever yet struck in California"
He climbed the hills, and began work on a
tunnel which should strike the broken, gold
bearing Lodges 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, 81 know there is gold
there. We will find it soon. never be-
fore worked mouth in the old mine with
out taking out something. This dead
lock has lasted more than year. 1t can't
last always. l will find the lead again, and
then we will let the rest 60, and buy farm
in the valley, where we can forget about this
fight"
She believed every word, for she was a low
ing, loyal woman, and she knew that this
great awkward Missourian was man among
thousands. The very boys in town hooted
after him and called him crazy, but she
knew better. Her family had once urged her
to leave him and come home, but they never
ventured to suggest it again. Old miners
passing by looked at the claim, and said there
was no gold lett. Men who had thousands
of dollars from her husband, and owed their
entire fortunes to him, at last refused to give
him credit for sack of flour or a side of
bacon.
"You stick by the mine, Wash; I'll stick
by you," was all that Jennie said. She never
told her husband that she had gone to her
brother, who was rich, and asked him for a
little money to carry them through the win
ter. Not for that spendthrift Missourian to
waste" was his answer. He can clerk in
my store if he will give up his foolishness.'
Wash's hair grew grey and thin. He
stopped lower and lower. Deep lines were
craven In his face, and his eyes became fierce
and terrible. Men met him in the gulches
trapping game, or down in the streams with
his fish nets, and passed him by without a
word. Prospectors, climbing over the hills,
heard the sound of his pick as he toiled in his
tunnel, and laughed him to scorn. Because
he found few pockets he his boring right
into the granite. Crazy as loon, and his
wife as bad. Her relations have done every
thing 10 help them-offered them a farm and
u
1t was an afternoon in October The
saloonkeeper sat on the bench by his door
reading q newspaper. He heard a noise at
the head of the street the village boys were
shouting, Here comes the crazy Missouran
miner !" Wash, ragged and miserable, came
into sight, and after moments hesitation
spoke to him.
Evening, Mr.. Riley"
81 can't do anything for you"
"Mr Riley, listen to me. hain't cent in
the world. We've sold all our goods and
worked in the mine together this month
Jennie's held the drill while l druv it.
can't get pound of powder, but the holes are
all set in the face, ready. Something tells me |
this time it will touch gold. l can feel it |
just ahead. Eve felt it all along, but now it's
right thar, within reach of one more blast.
tell you, Riley, know it's thar"
you're crazy, Wash"
Riley, you've got money. Give me one
keg of powder an l make you rich man.
III give you half we take out. You don't
know how I've worked this year. I've ham,
mered from daylight to dark, gone hungry
and slept cold, an fell down in dead faint
time and time over. Put your hand tharr'
He seized the saloonkeeper's hand and held it
on his breast. The man felt Wash's heart
sway several inches, as it had torn loose
from its place, and its wild, loud throbbing
was like the beating of a mighty engine
"Thar," said Wash, "you see l amt for long.
That mines for my wife. She's stayed with
it and with me. ought to have drop
ped it and put my pride down long ago, but
now it's too late. Riley, will you let me have
the powdeE?"
mo"
Wash looked at his old enemy and turned
away.
No one in all that camp understood the
proud, unyielding soul that had set itself to