The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-01
ARouND rHE CORRIDORS.

One of the Preside officers told good story
at the California yesterday about an incident
which happened at Monterey during the en-
eampment of the regulars there a couple of
months ago. On one particularly delightful
evening, some time between retreat ana tat
too, two of Colonel Young's troopers happened
into the old town and proceeded to see it.
Among other things. they saw the numerous
taverns and the exhilaratiDg appurtenances
thereof until long after taps had sounded.
They were hardly in condition to completely
realize the error or the crookedness OF their
ways, SO they wandered to the beach instead
of returning to the eneampment.
After proper communion with the sea
waves, the droWsy troopers stretched them
selves on the sands, and one soon followed the
other to sleep. They were rather close to the
water and their position was dangerous, to say
nothing of the unhealthfuiness of it. However,
all might have been well had not one of the
cava!rymen tired of his damp couch and, half
oblivious of his surroundings, proceeded to
pitch his camp elsewhere. He looked for the
comrade whom he remembered having accom-
panied to the beach, but 1t was dark and he
saw no one. Naturally, he satisfied himself
with the conclusion that his felloW-trooper had
been carried out to sea, and without more ado
he FASTENED to the encampment with the sad
story. His melancholy tale threw gloom over
things, and the passing OF the unfortunate
trooper was duly regretted.
About reveille time there struggled into the
encampment sad looking specimen of soldier
who was none other than the trooper whose
untimely drowning was at that moment the
talk of the camp. Between his grief and the
aftermath of his hilarity, he told a dismal
story about the night before. He had been to
town, he said, with another trooper and they
had wandered to the beach and slept on the
sand. When he awoke his companion was
missing and, as the tide had risen during the
interval, there could only be one explanation
of his disappearance. The surf had washed
him into its mighty depths.
Harrowing as the second story certainly was,
1t came as glad relief to the officers and the
men at the Monterey camp. The bibulous
troopers began to realize things when they
found themselves face to face in the guard
house on that memorable morning.
w. H. Taylor of Glendale Oregon, ca rries
with him a pocketful of great gold nuggets
that are worth a great deal OF money. He is
the owner of the Victory mine which lies thirty
miles above the California border and won re-
nown by opening up the first stratum of blue
gravel in Oregon.
1I had reached hardpan at my mine," he said
yesterday in the rotunda of the Palace Hotel,
sand the entire neighborhood began to make
sport of me when 1 continued going down.
They said had reached bedrock. 1 thought
the true bedrock was further down. 1t was
too After going through ten feet of hardpan,
l struck the blue gravel, the famous blue
lode of California, and found it as rich as it
is farther south. The gravel varies from sixty
to ninety feet in depth.
'Auother peculiar thing about my mine is
that it is the only placer worked successfully
by water supplied by high pressure pumps.
have spent $63,000 in one pumping plant since
February. This enables me TO mine in sum-
mer. The water is pumped into reservoir
397 feet above the mine and we have that
pressure intend to put in five more pump
ing plants, and this trip was made to effect
the purchase OF about 1000 feet of eighteen
inch hydraulic pipes. In winter nature sup
plies enough water to keep four 4-inch giants
at work. Each new pump will mean one more
'giant," and each 'giant" means 300 day
net profits, for the gravel is very rich
Sleeping is all matter of habit" said
Sylvan Well last night. 'Now, when l am
well 1 always wake up at o'clock, no matter
what might have been the hour of my retiring.
Sometimes / go to sleep again, but If l do
usually pay for it with q headache Another
queer thing is that have so grown into the
habit of reading in bed that now have to
read, it only for few minutes, before can go
to sleep, even if it is d o'clock when get to
bed"
Mr.. WE'LL and his wife start for New York
this evening, where they intend spending
vacation of three months.