The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-09-23
OUR JACK,
The Rough Men Of strawberry Hill Lovot
the Orphan.


! The Rough Men Of strawberry Hill Losod
the Orphan.
just at the break of day one summer
morning some hunters camped on the
headwaters of the Jefferson river heard
firing and yelling at a crossing below.
They turned out to a man and made all
haste 1t was as they expected. 4 lone
family. driving up the valley in search
of spot to call home had been at
tackled by the Indians The father lay
dead, dead were three or four half
grown children. while the wife and
mother had put her back to a rock and
with AK in hand was defending her
youngest offspring, bit OF boy about
three years old whom she had snatched
from the wagon. She was dying woman
as the hunters came up. Those red
devils had fired a dozen arrows into
her as she stood like a tigress at bay.
but the boy hiding at her feet was I'M
touched.
1t was two days later when the hunt
ers came into our camp at Straw berry
Hill and one of them had little Jack on
his shoulder They had buried The
bodies: the Indians had secured all else
They were bound to the north. and
were ready to hand the little chap over
to the first camp which would take
him. And yet not quite ready. There
were more than hundred of Us, ragged
and unkempt, digging. delving and hop
ing; rude. rough miners who hadn't seen
"a child for years. but each of us wanted
the boy as our individual property. 1t
was finally decided to cast lots for him
One hundred and seventeen white beans
and one single black one were placed
in a camp kettle, the kettle elevated to
the top of post, and we formed into
line and each man drew bean.
In after days we said that providence
had hand in il. Every white bean
was drawn out aud the black one left
to Old Comfort, as we used to call him
lie was a man nearly fifty years old,
soft spoken, and always acting as
peacemaller, and there must have been
something in his face to remind the
child of his father back there in the
valley. Little Jack smiled and called
him papa as the old man took him in
his arms. and though we were envious
and disappointed, we were also glad
1t will seem silly and childish to YOU to
read of our actions The boy ha 1 been
snatched from the wagon in his night
dress, and the hunters had wrapped
him in n blanket. The first thing was
to make him a suit of clothes. and every
man in that camp had garment to
offer. While Old Comfort was making
the first suit two or three others were
secretly under way. Ten of us knocked
off work for half a day to enlarge the
old mans shantv and make it weather.
proof, and it was unanimously agreed
that the camp should make up to him
the weekly allowance of his claim, and
let him do nothing but care for the boy.
Every morning before we went down
into the claims little Jack was seated
on the head of "a barrel in the center of
the camp and every man had a look at
him. If we didn't see him al noon we
heard from him, and after supper he
was brought out to be looked at and
talked to for an hour. The little chap
could master papa, mamma. dog, cat
and so on, and Old Comfort did little
else but teach him. When he brought
ont n new word we were us enthusiastic
as If some one had madea rich find. and
sometimes the cheers and hand-clap-
ping frightened him until he put up a
lip. AS a rule he would shake hands
with all and smile at every one. but he
chung to Old Comfort in way to touch
4
him occasionally and carry him about
on heads or shoulders, but he was not
content to be long out of the old mans
arms. If we were childish. what
would you say of the gang down at
Albany Flat? Two weeks after the
boy came to US about u dozen of them
came up one afternoon to see if il was a
real live boy with a regular face and
two arms and legs. They found it was.
They saw him laugh and heard him
talk and they retired to consult The
result was an offer of ore, provisions
and cash amounting to five hundred
dollars, bat we laughed them to scorn.
Sell our boy? Why, there wasn't money
enough in the world to tempt us.
i>lNbiN Ndlilt w US III july. we
got him through the fall and winter in
good shape and he kept growing and
endearing himself to everybody. We
could have found better claims further
down, but no one would go unless all
would move. as it would be leaving the
boy behind. When spring came we all
noticed that little Jack was out of sorts
suppose it was our coarse fare As much
as anything else although he got two
or three heavy colds in spite of Old
Comforts notherly care We weren't
alarmed, however, and nobody was pre-
pared for it when the whisper came
that our boy was sick. Three DAYS
later he was dead. On the last dav no
work was done. After dinner we
formed in line and passed in and ont of
the old mans shanty to look upon that
pale face before death came. At sun
set ne died, and during that long night
no man spoke above whisper. We
made him "A coffin out of boxes. dug a
grave in the Sunshine on the hillside.
and when we laid him away no man
kept back his tears. II was Old Com
fort who read a chapter from his pocket
Bible at the grave, and it was he who