People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1894-10-04
A MINERS LUCK-PENNY.
The Romance Of a Daughter Of
the Australian Mines.
1872.


Diggers" is crowded.
News has gone abroad that Dog"
Kellarey has broken out again, and as
he always takes care to have his. little
bouts remembered q crowd soon col
lects.
On this particular Saturday he has
set himself to try conclusions with
kangaroo Jack" Of the Midas claim.
1t is q gorgeous struggle-even old
"Wall-Eyed Bill" who is exacting in
such matters, is compelled TO admit
that They fight anyhow and every
where, under tables and under chairs
while the lamps fare, the dogs bark
and the crowd expresses its admirs.
ton In language full Of picturesque
detail.
Kangaroo Jack" tires after the
twenty-sixth round, and his friends
carry him to his tent minus one eye
and plus conclusion Of the brain.
Then, when Dog" Kellarey counts
his broken fingers, every one suddenly
remembers the unguarded state Of his
tent and vanishes into the darkness,
not to reappear until the sound Of the
coach horn is heard on Portugee hill.
The arrival of the weekly coach,
bearing her majesty's mails, is an oc-
casion OF great Importance, and ranks
even before new finds or Warden's de-
cisions.
About eleven o'clock the coach
creaks and groans up the street, to
pull up before the flaming lights of
the Jolly Diggers." 1t is a curious,
numbering old construction, riding on
leather springs and drawn by FIVE
strong horses-a sort of badly brought
up cross between an antique mourn
ing coach and dilapidated Indian
ghari.
The driver, TO whom is intrusted
the lives and hereafters of the half
dozen passengers, travels the two hun
dred and forty miles between the gold
fields and civilization twice weekly,
and is always preternaturally thirsty.
Custom, however, forbids his leaving
the box before he has seen his horses
embarrassed and led away and ex-
changed the usual pleasantries with
his own particular admirers. When in
due time he does descend, passengers,
diggers, loafers and dogs escort him
into the hotel and in half an hour the
excitement is over.
On this occasion, however, it is des-
tined to last longer: Dog" Kellarey,
advancing, invites the driver to take
refreshment.
After complying with the request,
that individual gets out to the vehicle,
toreturn with bundle. Then, unwrap-
ping the shawls, he places on the table
q baby girl. She cannot be more than
two years old, and is fast asleep, her
little head and its pretty curls pillowed
on one tiny arm.
Every one presses round to look,
with the exception of Dog" Kellarey,
who has no curiosity in the matter of
babies. Then questions pour in thick
and fast: Whose is it?" "Where,d
ye get the kiddy, mateyP" Whose
youngster Is it, Bill?" etc.
Any other man would be bewildered
not so Bill Burns. He says slowly
and solemnly, as If aware of his unique
Importance: For Dog Kellareyv
What" shouts that gentleman,
that's lie, you Bill! Who says the
kids for me?"
II dol" replies the driver POLL
Waites of Wild Dog showed 1t aboard,
aloud with its buds, for yer. The little
'un's father pegged out on Saturday
Flash Dick of Wild Dog creek. Is
last words was: SEN the kid to nv
old mate Dog" Kellarey;' an so |
fetched it along, and the passengers
made up the fare among 'em, so there's
nothin' to pay-there"
"Old Dick pegged outr' the Dog"
mumbles slowly-"old Dick pegged out
an sent is kid to me!'
The crowd is so tickled with the idea
that 1t ventures upon laugh.
The laugh decides him. and. stepping
up alongside the. sleeping child, he
sings out: 1.-THE kids mine, an the
man as laughs agin' 'er laughs agin'
me. Now let's see i'm as is game to
grinr"
He has evidently gone home, for no
one answers
Sunday morning, and Dog" Kell.
arey's claim is the center Of attraction.
The little arrival of the previous
night plays about his tent door. The
Dog" fearing harm to her from his
crowd OF visitors, carefully defines his
boundary, and threatens dire penal
ties on the head OF any man who
crosses it.
News, news! - great and glorious
news!
News which runs like wildfre
through the Field, which flies from
tent to tent-from the police cell on
the hill to Dutch Joe's across the fat,
past the Eureka, down to the Day
dawn-never stopping until everyone
has heard it.
Dog Kellarey's proverbial bad
luck has turned at last-he has bot
toned on the Lead, the new claim has
turned up trumps with a vengeance"
| 1t is full of gold-specks, specimens
and nuggets. Not nuggets as small as
peas, but large as teacups. Not here
and there, but in big deep lead, a for
tune at every drive of the pick.
The Luck-pennv. who has been slaen-