The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-08

E#G 'VVlMB5 to keep awake in my
WNNLNAH seminary on the hill, and
~ 10y wrestling with the mer-
M4sw curry at 100 dogs. and my
sixty polyglot pupils foI
teaching school was among my nu-
merous occupations in California;, the
grown ND "boys" would be tilted back
in their chairs under the portico and
against the cool brick wall Of the Bella
Union. They did not work, but they
spun yarns. How half the boys lived was
a mystery-as much mystery, do be-
lieve, to themselves as any one else.
Some owned quartz claims, some horses,
and all ran regularly for Office They
belonged to the stamp of men who work
ed and mined in earlier times, but, come
what might, they had resolved to work
in that way no longer.
And when such resolves accompanied
by determination and an active, plan
ming, inventive brain, the man gets along
somehow. 1t is speculation that makes
fortunes, and plan, calculation and fore
thought for speculation require leisure
of body. A hard working, ten-hour-per-
day digging, delving miner works all his
brains out through his fingers ends
He has none left to speculate with.
When / was mining at SWEETS Bar there
came one day to my cabin long, lean,
lank man looking for lost COW. The
COW and the man belonged near Jackson
vile, twelve miles up the Tuolumne.
dined that man principally off some
bread of my own making, and had the
name then of making the best bread of
any one in the house, where lived alone.
After dinner the man sat himself
and asked him if he had a good claim.
That reused him to wrath. He had, it
seems, just reached the last point of his
| disgust for hard work and mining. Said
he: Don't talk to me of good claim;
don't. 1t sounds like speaking of good
guillotine, or beautiful halter, or an
elegant rack you're about to be stretched
on" He had gone through his proba-
ton of hard work with his hands, and
had just resolved to let them rest and
give his head a chance to speculate. So
he did. l don't know that he ever met
the COW again, but eight or nine years
after | met him in the legislature of
California. He sat in the biggest chair
there, and was lieutenant governor of
the state.
In 1860 the certain class Of men Of
whom | speak were in a transition state.
They had left off working with their
hands, and they were waiting for some
thing to turn up on which to commence
working with their heads. While thus
waiting they became boys and played
The climate and surroundings were en-
inently favorable to this languid, loafing
condition Of existence, no long, sharp
winters forcing people to bestir them
selves and provide against its seventies;
little style to keep up; few families to
maintain; no disgrace for man to cook
his own victuals; houses dropping to
pieces; little new paint anywhere to
make ones eyes smart; gates dropping
from their hinges; few municipal i'm
provements, with accompanying heavy
taxes, and that bright summer sun for
tempting everybody TO be permanently
tired and seek the shade. The boys
forgot their years; they dreamed away
their days; they gossiped all the cool
night; they shook off dignity; they
played; they built waterwheels in the
ditch running by the Bella Union door;
they instituted ridiculous fctions and
converted them into realities; they in
stituted company for the importation
of smoke in pound packages into James
town: Muldoon was president and the
doctor" secretary.
1t was brought by steamer up Woods
creek: the steamer was wrecked on dam
a mile below town; the company met
day after day in old Nelson's saloon to
consult; the smoke was finally taken to
jamestown and sold; the proceeds were
stored in sacks at the express Office;
there was an embezzlement consequent
on the settlement; the money, all in 10
cent pieces. was finally deposited in the
big wooden mortar over Bakers drug
store; this the doctor was accused of
embezzling, having time after time
climbed up the mortar and distracted
the funds dime after dime and spent
them for whisky. Then came lawsuit.
Two mule teams freighted with LAWYERS
for the plaintiff and defendant We're COM
ing from Stockton, and the Pound Pack
age Smoke company met day after day
in preparation for the great trial
This fiction lasted about four months,
and amused everybody except Captain
James s, an ex-sheriff of the county,
who, being a little deaf. and catching
from time TO time words of great finan-
claI import regarding the Pound Pack
age Jamestown Smoke company as they
dropped from Muldoon's and the DOC
tors mouths. and being thereby time
after time miSled into temporary be-
lief that this fiction was a reality. and
so often becoming irritated at finding
himself ridiculously mistaken. burst out
non these two worthless one day with
all the wrath becoming the dignity or .
Virginia gentleman. and denounced them
profanely and otherwise for their friyol-
ity and pueriity.
Another specimen thinker and specu-
lator of that era was Carroll. He. TOO.
had forever thrown aside pick and
shovel. aud when | met him he was a
confirmed "tilter-back" under the Bella
Union portico. Carroll was the theorist
of Jamestown He preached new ones
daily; he talked them TO everybody in
jamestown, and after making clean
work of that hamlet would so up TO
Sonora and talk there. and lastly publish