Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-09-06
HOW WE STRUCK IT.

man - lie a. 49, waited sOr TIE train at
Fruitvaie last week. And another non
clipped ia and sighed also ~ be- said.
'.Flush times then, y0u bet, and big
strike; bat I only GOT here ia the seven
ties-got here without a cent and have
held my own right along"
First let me once for al lisabuse the
popular mind about the flush times and
biz strikes Of tho esrly hfties. Yes.
there were big strikes, but they were.
like the big generals OF our great war.
not the rule. You hear II the big strikes
and You hear Of the BIG generals. The
thousands and hundreds % thousands
that persisted IA 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
bic then too. Every dollar cost about
two dollars and half 10 get in those
days.
IL has been estimated, and | think
about correctly, that If each miner had
received twenty-five cents day and
board for his lsbor-and such lsborf
sixteen hours day generaly-we
would have had moro golddust than we
got IN those famous early ffties."
SO cease this deploring that you came
90 late 70 California, my dreamful
friend OF course We would all like to
live over the impetuous old days again;
but doubt IL you who don't get on to-
day would have got on then. Better,
far better for you. for all, 10 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
refnements that attend her. than sit
signing for the days OF old. You can ut
least get your board and twenty-five
cents day. and that, be assured, is
more than we got on an average 10 the
man, Notwithstanding all our priva-
tions.
An old forty-niner from New Bed
ford. Mass. Mr.. Haskins. who has writ
ten a very readable book about his fell
low argonauts-and a very important
book il Is, as IL contains the names OF
more than $4,000 of them-told me that
Of the 5000 who came from his town.
first and last. il was hard 10 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 600 Of their select
young men whs came and compared
their fortunes with 800 similar young
men who remained at home, and they
found that the proportion of those who
had prospered at home was az ten to
four against those who had come in
forty-nine. On the other hand, they
found thas notwithstanding the perils
and hsrdships the proportion Of argo-
nauts still living WAS ten TO three against
those who remained in New Bedford.
Some day, my drsamful 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 contagi-n, I will sit down and tell you
how 20 make fortunes night here by tho
Bay Of san Francisco far easier than
thew were made in the "early fifties.-
But for The present the contract is 20 tell
you how We struck it In tho middle fork
Of Humbng creek.
had 'pardner" for about week.
winter Of 1855. He was not yet twenty,
small for his age, and | was not yet
thirteen. ~ fool for luck" and 50 Pat
Flanniggn. the banker at Coos Bay.
staked him-so he said-snd Frank
Campbell. If the Howlin' Wilderness
saloon. started me. Neither of rs. let
it be frankly told. had enough practical
sense % come in when IL rained. Surely
we would strike it. IL there was a bit Of
truth In the old adsge.
His name was Hi Williams Miller. so
he said. and he claimed 70 be kin Of
mine. bat aftsrwsrd learned that his
name was MILLER Williams. He was a
fearfnl sr sui bad about as much con
science se eboer band.
Be- 8 pack nd pan and shovel.
baeon Gasr irving pan, beans and
bian -ni SD. hsf hidden under our
hrgs losd we pt ont Of camp at
nu6ftzr rp ss harrow trail OF the
nliddlefrk high walls e snow.
For hs haf pointer" he lisped. from
old slv. Estes hii 4 two years later in
tn titt river wassacre.
IIsw r. the worId Hi Miller Williams
rnana1al so keep 8r this name I don't
SEE Masses were rare Injuries IN those
davs. esfel iaiiv lans ones like this. and
many -oc3 oli man may BE- found IN
thoss urtaius to tnis dav with name
an ds-e and nationality ail worn away
snd E1ne as from ara Old quarter But
tha trae silver. trust God IS still there.
Tll-sa ni.es IT'D the rveek a mile above
20 esrr Isst ,hin tha last mile or two
solfl snow. soft and impossible hy day
tecause ~ the san. hut hard As steel by
ri-ht AMI here We bald down orr loads
e. davii-ht ana trek shelter in brush
sbed built bv Alva Boles We fried our
beacon ami aspiaes SIS ami sse ike wolves.
On The third dav discouraged and
6isgusted fr nor q color ~ yer had We
found W. took che tools and climbed up
ems ~ the canyon 70 a warm mountain
sfle that hy 1o rbs snn twas pleasant
hsra ~t,rle tall. Wild flowers nad saef
tafe1rh ehe brown carpet q pine qui
D. fae edge ~ fosmmg fumbiing
stream. made mzddv fzoua a slide ca Toe