The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-06

"Here we have itp' cried the man who
was welding the shovel.
Sure enough, there it was slowed away
IN several tin cans and glass pickle jars of
various sizes, as was seen on lifting the
Slab
rock which lay foot beneath the soil, and
in this had been deposited the gold.
mo mistake about this, John Dale"
said one of the men, as he began opening
and handing out the cans and jars. Its
all good, clean, Bartons Bar dust"
cit is, indeed ~ said John Dale, looking
not at the dust, but gazing with glistening
eyes upon the bright face of his little
daughter. at is indeed!''
Chow did you know the place, childP'
asked one of the men.
at was there the first time / ever spoke
to Uncle Ben. 1 was sitting right on top
OF lt-just as you saw ME biz ago-weav-
ing some flowers, when Uncle Ben came
round the corner of the rock. When he
saw me he was so astonished that he
almost dropped, so / looked up at him and
said, Hello, sirp When he got hurt he
told me the gold was there"
Last spring revisited Bartons Bar.
found many changes that saddened me,
but l was glad to see that Uncle Ben's
grave was beautifully kept. About it were
fine evergreens and other trees, with rose
bushes and great variety OF Towering
plants and shrubs. Surrounding the grave
and taking in almost quarter OF an acre
OF ground was an iron fence, and there
was fountain, supplied with water from
a big spring above. with apparatus for
irrigating the garden-like plat.
As l stood by the iron fence old Zeke
Bundy came up. He had bad limp and
looked much older than when 1 left the
bar. AS soon as / had made myself
known to him he was at ease and his
tongue was looSened.
''Want to know about little 'Tum Tum,'
ehP She's little 'Tum Tum' no more.
She's a grand lady now. For nigh onto
ten years she visited and tended this grave
almost every day IN summer. Then a
Gov ment survey come along and stopped
at the bar--a whole pacel of these we're
fellers what triangerlates with trioglodites,
triggernometers, jiggernometers, and SIGH
like three-legged instruments.
"Well, 1T Wur case O. love at fust sight
If ever there was one-no doubt ont.
Less'n year the young engineer Teller
came back to the bar. Their was q stavln'
big weddin', then away they went to the
triggernometer feller's town back East to
set up Housekeeping.
'Tum Tum' comes back. Almost every
year they come to California, and alters
comes here to stay "a while with Father
Dale. Her triggernometer husband amt a
bad teller. When he's here he's alters out
hammerin' rocks. He found quartz
mine a piece above here that's turrible
rich-jist turrible! He's got nephew up
thare now runnin' his mine.
Father Dale? Well, think he's kinder
peterin'-gittin' little sorter ricketty.
Amt keepin' up like me. He don't pur-
tend to work no more. That claim he got
of old Ben was awful, awful rich. l do
acterly believe Dale got bout million out
on't-and he hain't got it hid in no hole in
the ground; it's all in some San Francisco
bank.
Grave neatly kept2 Bet yer lifel I
keep it myself-and it keeps me. Not
blessed thing else do I do but tend it.
'Tum Tum' puts up for my whole Twin
and keepin' just to have me tend her I'm
Gle Ben's grave. Even now, when she's
got half dozen beautiful young uns of
her own, she's just the same bout the
grave.
whats her husbands name? Why, it
| is Professor -" and old Zeke gave the
name of a geologist and scientist who is
known throughout America and Europe.
! DAN DE GUILE.