The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-10-08
HOW WE STRUCK 1T.

L luSu llilit5 Jnbus you Dtl, anu Dlg
strikes; but / only got here in the seven.
ties-got here without a cent and have
held my own right alongr'
First let me once for all disabuse the
popular mind about the flush times and
big strikes Of the early fifties. Yes,
there were big strikes, but they were,
like the big generals of our great war,
not the rule. You hear of the big strikes
and you hear of the big generals. The
thousands and hundreds of thousands
that perished in the ranks you never
hear about
For the benefit of the dreamy man
who sits waiting and lamenting, let me
say that the openings and opportunities
are better today than they were in the
seventies, and they were better in the
seventies than they were in the fifties
The wear and tear of life was so terri
BILE then too. Every dollar cost about
two dollars and II half to get in those
days.
1t has been estimated, and l think
about correctly, that if each miner had
received twenty-five cents day and
board for his labor-and such labori
sixteen hours a day generally--we
would have had more golddust than we
got in those famous "early fifties"
So cease this deploring that you came
so late to California, my dreamful
friend. OF course we would all like TO
live over the impetuous old days again;
but doubt if you who don't get on to-
day would have got on then. Better,
far better for you, for all, to settle
down content by some sweet village in
this fair land, where you can have clean
clothes, good food, books, papers, the
presence of women and all the healthful
re6nements that attend her, than sit
signing for the days Of old. You can at
least get your board and twenty-five
cents n day, and that, be assured, is
more than we got on an average to the
man, Notwithstanding all our priva-
tions.
An old forty-niner from New Bed
ford, Mass, Mr.. Haskins, who has writ
ten very readable book about his fel-
low argonauts-and a very important
book it is, as it contains the names of
more than 3j, 900 of them-told me that
of the 1900 who came from his town
first and last, it was hard to find more
than a very few who were much ahead
in the world. He told me that on re-
| turning home after forty years he and
/ his old friends took 800 of their select
| young men who came and compared
| their fortunes with 300 similar young
men who remained at home, and they
| found that the proportion Of those who
! had prospered at home was as ten to
| four against those who had come in
! forty-nine. On the other hand, they
/ found that notwithstanding the perils
and hardships the proportion Of argo-
nauts still living was ten to three against
those who remained in New Bedford.
Some day, my dreamful friends who
lament your late coming and are con
tinually taking the free local trains Of
Oakland in order to fly from toll as from
a contagion, will sit down and tell you
how to make fortunes right here by the
Bay of San Francisco far easier thar
they were made in the "early ffties.
But for the present the contract is to tel
you how we struck it in the middle forl
of Humbug creek.
had "pardnern for about week
winter of 1855. He was not yet twenty
small for his age, and l was not ye
thirteen. "A fool for luck" and so Pa
Flanagan, the banker at Coos Bay
staked him-sO he said-and Franl
Campbell, of the Howlin' WILDERNESS
saloon, started me. Neither Of US, le
it be frankly told, had enough practica
sense to comein when it rained. Surel.
we would strike it, if there was a bit 0
truth in the old adage,
His name was Hi Williams Miller, 81
he said, and he CLAIMED to be kin o
mine, but / 8fterward learned that hi
name was Miller Williams. He was
fearful liar, and had about rs much con
science rs II rubber band.
Boots and pick and pan and shovel
bacon, flour, frying pan beans ant
blankets, and so, half hidden under on
huge loads, we crept out Of camp a
/ midnight mp the narrow trail of tn
! middle fork between high walls of snow
For he had pointer he lisped, frou
old Alya Boles, killed two years later il
the Pitt river massacre.
How in the world Hi Miller William
managed to keep all this name l don
see, Names were rare luxuries in thOs
days, especially long ones like this, an
many a good old man may be found i
those mountains TO this day with nam
and date and nationality all worn ava
and gone as from an old quarter. Bu
the true silver, trust God, is still there.
Three miles up the creek, a mile aboy
the very last cabin; the last mile or tw
solid snow, soft and iInpassable by
because of the sun, but hard as steel
night, and here we laid down our loaI
j. at daylight and took shelter in brui
shed built by Alva Dolcs. We fried oI
bacon and iiapjacks aud ate like wOlyt
+ On the third day. discouraged al
1 disguised, for not a color as yet had '
found we took the tools and climbed
7 out of the canyon 20 a warm mounta
, side that lay to the sun. It was pleasa
% here Some tail, wild flowers had sh
. through the brown carpet Of pine qui
4 by the edge of a foaming, tumbhl
n stream, made muddy from slide on /
e steep hill above. My "pard' did n
2. like work, but he was always making
IS appear that he was moving mountain
= After hasklug m the sun ult ne TO
y the pick and pushed on mp, and soon h
u the powders tumbling and ruinbli
down the angry stream, while | !
,e there and pulled some Of the prettil
% flowers ever seen. II was like picki
y the patterns ont Of brown Brussels C.
Is pet; they Were so soft and fine and 81
& ituaL They had such delicate, frC
tinted little stems, and the new ID
blossoms We're as blue as the eyes Of
r baby. But they went to sleep, clos
y their eyes forever, almost as soon a
Y pulled them mp out Of the warm bro
n carpet-they were so new and tender
1 heard a wild shout, and spring.
d. up j saw two arms tossed in the air a
re a little bare, black head thrown ba
lt till the face looked straight up to
lr center Of the blue tent os heaven.
y big little mau walked toward me u
y jeatically down the mountain side,
tOeing, On eggsl All, but he was tall