The record-union., 1894-12-29
IN THE EARLY DAYS.
Some Remarkable Stories Told by
the Forty-Niner.
Entirely Credible Narratives of Ger
tain of His Wonderful Experi-
ences at Hangtown.

a scalp coat. / hunted Injuns in all the
ridges anywhere near, and by and by /
had near 10 a hundred scalps. / sewed
'em together and made my coat. but there
waa big place in the back that needed a
scalp to fill it. Injuns was gettin' mighty
scarce all around, 'cause l had hunted
'em so close, and l was afeard WANT
goin' to get no scalp to fill that hole in
the back.
"Well, one day 1 walked up to the
ridge and right at the top l met mon
strous big Injun. The top of the ridge
was that sharp that when me and him
was right at the top we was so close to-
gether we hadn't no chance to use our
guns, though both of US was carryin
rifles. We just threw away our guns
and clinched. [ reached for my knife
and scaIped him, but he wasn't dead, so
he just skipped away from me. But
had his scalp, and twas mighty big
one. and just lifted the place in the bacL-
OF my coat Well, sir, i wore that Goa J
for five years every winter, and one day y
saw that bald-headed Injun when L had
time to draw at him, and III just seconCl
there was one 1nJun less, but he hadn' 7
no scalp to pick.
p IN dead sorry that coat was stolen.l
1t was taken only 'bout ten years ago."
In the early days at Hangtown," SAID.
Lne old miner OF forty-nlne, Il was
walking along the ridge and heard men
hollerin' Hang him. hang hlmv and i
went over TO see what was up, and l see a
good-lookin' feller on mule and all the
other fellers had hold of rope, and one
end was round the teller's neck what was
on the mule.
"'What are you hangin' this chap for?'
says |, and they all say that he stole the
mule, but he says that he never stole
nothin' and could prove where he bough
the mule; but they was bound TO hang
some one that day, and they told him
they knew he must "a stole the mule.
Then he told them he'd give 81. 900 for five
hours time; that's 81, 900 an hour; pretty
good pay, even for them days. Then
they consulted together and tell him no,
but they give him choice.
"'Wnat choice?' says he.
TO decide whether you be hanged or
shot says they, and he answered back,
That amt much of a choice, but ia
rather be shot, though the rope was still
around his neck. Then says he, L got
this 5000, and l can't take it with me, so
give me time to play seven up for it,
They thought this was reasonable, SO /
stepped up and says, 'Pll play you,' bein'
a good hand at cards, and had just So, 900
IN my pocket.
''We sat down, him with the rope still
around his neck, and began to play. We
made two apiece each hand until we was
SIX, and then it was my deal and | was
pretty scary. L dealt out the cards and he
begged. L ran the cards out again, and
then turned jack and won. He stood
up TO be shot, but just as they had their
guns drawn on him he says to me, on
bury that money; 1t will bring you good
luck Them was his last words.
Il thought about what he said and
h nIDht a inh
his money III cgar-boX and buried it
on the hillside near my cabin. Then [
went to San Francisco, and | STAYED there
couple OF months and then went back
to get my money. Just at midnight |
went TO the spot, and | dug only about a
foot when l struck box. My box was
buried two feet deep, so l took up the
box that L struck and | found it had lust
$1,000. Then l dug deeper and took out
the box | had buried with the So 900 had
Won from the man who was shot. You
see, somebody else had buried money.
too, and had struck just the same place
where had made my cache. That's the
most singular thing that ever happened
TO me, yet L suppose that whole hillside
was full OF boxes with money what fellers
had buried"
when | was campin' at Hangtown,"
SAID the old miner OF forty-nine, Il took
my pan to the river to wash out gold, and
see fellow there washing out his gold,
and he asked me, What luck p and i
told him about $40. We gassed a little
and then he says, Are you minin' here?'
And l says L was, SO he suggests that as
our claims were alongside we'd better be
pardners. | agreed and moved my trans
into his cabin. Then we went down TO
the camp for some grub, and one man
says, is that your pardner?'
Il told him yes, and he shook his head
and said he was dangerous man. When
we got back to our cabin my pardner SAYS
When Pm bilious can't eat, and moth
ing cures me but to kill somebody So
l asked him very gentle how often he
was bilious, and lie told me about once in
three day. Pm bilious as h now,' he
roared suddenly, and L can't eat
Il Kept my eye on him and he took
down his gun and loaded it, and saws
'Pll be back IN ten minutes and started
out for the camp. In about five minutes
/ heard a shot, and 1 run down to the
camp and went into a saloon, and there
was lot OF men Sittin' round, so quiet
you could hear a fly light on the wall.
On the floor was a felIer givin' his last
kick, and my pardner he says his bilious
ness was cured; so we went back to our
cabin, and he ct and then went to sleep.
/ wanted TO get out, but the claim was
rich. We took out 5000 the first dav.
5000 the second day and $4,000 the third
day in coarse gold Jumps as big as my
list. so decided to stay while.
The third day l went down to the
camp TO get drink. L went into a saloon
and there wasn't a soul there. | went to
another. and there wa'n't nobody there.
neither. / went through the whole camp.
where about three hundred people had
been livin', and not one was there.
Every man, woman and child had
skipped, knowin' it was my pardner's
bilious day. l went back to the cabin,
and pretty soon my pardner he says:
Pm terrible bilious to-day. l can't eat
anything So he took his gun and started
for the camp. While he was gone | got
my pepper-box ready, and as he was
comm back / heard him a-talkin' to him.
self, and sayin': 1 like my pardner first
rate, and l hate to Kill him, but got to
eat.' So he called out loud for me to come
out so he could get pop at me. L ran out,
and just as he shot [ poked the ramrod
into his gun and stopped the bullet before
it got out, but it was pretty close to the
muzzle. Then | let go with my pepper
box, and / flied his body so full of lead
there want no room for bile. Then |
hunted up the people that had skipped
the camp, and had to go forty miles to
find some of them. l got 'em all to come
back to the camp, and then we celebrated
with party that lasted two weeks."-
New York Sun.
A GIFT with baking powder means in
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