The record-union., 1893-05-12
A WOMAN'O SECRET.
An Interesting Story Of Early Mining
Days in California.
The Terrors of the Mining Camps
We're Braved Until She Was
Forced to Take Life.

There might have been 200 of US at
Tribulation Gulch when Johnny Glenn
arrived. Every miner was free to come
and go as he liked, but at the gulch we
kept written record of the claims staked
out says writer in the New York SIM
The record was a miners warranty
deed as long as be chose TO remain, and
new arrival who would attempt to
Jump him would have the whole camp
on his back. 1 was keeping record, and
the record in the case of Johnny Glenn
read:
July IA, lS5S-Johnny Glenn first thirty
feet front west of Jack Davis"
The new arrival was young man about
20 years old, he was short and light, and
his hands were small, though sun-burnt
and calloused. There wasn't anything
unusual in the sight of a boy among the
diggers, but this young chap was a bit
different from the common run. lie was
quiet spoken, had no cuss words to throw
around, and did not seem to want to mix
up much. l took a sort of liking to him
from the very start, and it was at my sug-
geStion that he entered the claim he did.
| There was room on the high ground for
another tent, and L had him pitch his
tent next TO mine. Indeed, | asked him
to share my shelter, but the offer was de-
clined.
Every man in mining camp has
partner unless he happens TO be a mighty
mean man. l had lost mine by death,
and it came about that Johnny and l
were soon known as ''pards." That
means more than appears on the surface.
1t means a fair divide of work and in
come; confidence in each other: strict
/ loyalty. II you inlure miner you also
injure his "pard." If you kill one the
other is bound TO hunt you down. In the
old days, when every camp was law
unto itself and civilization was Thousand
miles away, the ties were stronger than
now.
Johnny Glenn was an enigma TO me
from the very outset. His quiet ways
and his gentleness struck me as pecu-
! liarly strange. He had handy ways
about cooking, and a knack about ar
ranging his tent and repairing his cloth
ing which We're new TO me. He wasn't
given TO story telling nor joking, and
now and then when | coaXed him TO sing
his songs were all sad ones, and there was
something IN his voice that made me
homesich and brought a craving to throw
away pick and shovel and head for the
States. l often wanted to ask him to tell
me of his past but that was license
out encouragement. SO much as you
wished to tell was listened to and Kept
sacred. Beyond that no questions were
asked of you unless you wanted to tell.
Some OF the miners were rough and
rude fellows, and there were live or six
in camp who were always chafiug john
ny on account OF his stature and weight.
and because he was bit awkward with
his working tools.
The boy never seemed much put out at
the sarcastic filings, but on two or three
occasions l picked up the challenges and
battered the heads of the challengers.
Tney We're my enemies after that. OF
course, though hiding their real feelings
behind a mask of coinpanionship.
one day along in Novem Der l went up
to a store at Pawnee Bend to buy flour.
When l got back, about o'clock in the
afternoon, found all the men in camp in
circle, and inside the circle We're Johnny
i.Clem and a burly big fellow called
BOSS" Skinner. Each had knife in
his hand, and it was to be fight until one
or the other was down. I'd have broken
into the ring like Il buffalo. for my boy
partner was no match for that burly
ruifian, but they held me back. / real
lied almost at once, too, that if Johnny
had any earthly show should spoil it by