The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-01
POKER FLAT TODAY.
Its Census Numbers : Persons Above
Ground and so Beneath 1t.
ZION the San Franeisco Cam

Ground and so Beneath Ii.
From the San Francisco Call.
Half an hour Of slow descent and we
reach the head Of the canon by a sharp
turn in the trail. At last we are in Poker
Flat, the wild mining camp of 1852, that
turned out 100000 in gold bullion in a
single month and then celebrated the
event with a triple hanging 1t was
Poker Flat too, that experienced a spasm
of virtue soon after the tragic affair, and
under its regenerating influence sent
forth the outcast wanderers of Bret
Harte's story to die of cold and starva-
ton on the snowbound road of Sandy Bar.
There are no Oakhursts at Poker Flat
now, and Uncle Billy" has no counter
part IN the present population, for the
very simple reason that here are no sluice
bOXeS TO rob and no money to win over
the gambling table. OF "Mother Ship
tons" however there are several.
our greeting was not cordial. Mr.. Rugg
laid IL all TO the snow plants which we
nad gathered, and, going into mountain
lore, told OF families that had been sepa-
rated by taking this bulb of evil omen
INTO the sacred precincts of the home
To carry a snow plant is TO have bad luck
Conceal it as you will, those with whom
you come in contact will somehow divine
your secret and shun your accordingly.
Your pay streak win peter out, you will
never hold more than one small pair, the
slickens men from Marysville will catch
you mapping over a monitor, and most
tin-horn gambler who will turn out later
as a confirmed sluice robber-all this II
you carry snow plant. So runs the folk
lore of the hills.
On the porch of one of the six houses
that now constitute the town of Poker
Flat a large, red-faced woman sat in a
rocking chair smoking a clay pipe. She
wore a short green dress that fell an inch
or so below the tops OF a pair of strong
cowhide boots Ito which were attached
heavy brass spurs), paper collar, era
vat and faded straw hat.
Thickly covered with chaparral, with
here and there patches of Wild sunflow-
ers and lupine interspersed with pros
pect holes, the slope presented a scene of
utter ruin. Some of the graves have
wooden headbOards, others are marked
by stakes, while many have nothing at all
There are eight people in the town and
eighty sleeping in this ruined ground.
Nearly all of them were laid to rest with
out religious rites of any kind other than
the reading of chapter from the Bible
by Charles Pond.
Pond was a professional gambler, but
was always selected for this service on
account Of his fine voice and oratorical
effect.
The boys always liked Pond" said
Henry Waggoner, one Of the old settlers
of Poker Flat He cold read better than
any one else, and so he did the burying,
and at times business in this line was ex
ceedingly lively. Twice a year a priest
we could not always wait for an ordained
clergyman. Things went with rush in
those days, and the climate of Poker Flat
seemed to be conducive to sudden death"
Gold was discovered IN Poker Flat in
1882 and two years later 1000 people had
gathered in this rich canon. There were
fifteen stores, five hotels, three dance
halls and seven gambling houses. In 1856
a circus came to town, and sold 800 tick
cts at so each. The following year a man
named Joslyn picked UP a nugget worth
$4,000. To celebrate his good luck he got
full and offered the whole piece to his
partner in exchange for the latters wife.
The man accepted, and. without the for
mality of divorce proceedings, Joslyn and
the woman were married and left town.
Two days after he committed suicide at
Gibsonvile. His former partner also left
town and bought some land near San Jose.
Two years ago, on Aug. % he died wealthy
and respected, at a good age, but it is
doubtful If more than half a dozen people
in the world knew how the foundation
of his fortune was laid
Henderson's big iron safe, over which
the noted faro dealer shed his hearts
blood in defending his money in Septem-
Der, 1867 stands ruin by the trail, half
buried in the sand, just above the Bit
finger house.
Poker Flat will not last long and when
the pioneers have all been gathered to
their fathers this lively and romantic
camp of early days will be forgotten, and
given over again to be safe and sheltered
feeding spot for wild deer.