St. Paul daily globe., 1895-02-17
THE OLD FORTY MINER.
His Queer Coat Patch and n Pal
Who Had Spells.

Z
Who Had Spells.
New York Sun.
lone winter in Hangtown, said
the Old Miner of 40, the weather was
mighty cold, and I didn't have none
too many clos. So I decided to
maxi a scalp coat. 1 hunted In
dams in all the ridges anywhere
near, and by and by had near to
hundred scalps I sewed 'em to-
gether and made my coat, but there
was a big place in the back that
needed a scalp to fill 1t. lnJuns
was gettin' mighty scarce all around,
cause had hunted EN- so close, and
I was afeard 1 want goin' to get no
scalp to fill that hole in the back.
'Well, one day I walked over to the
ridge and right at the top l met
mons'rous big Injun. The top of
the ridge was that sharp that when
me and him was right at the top we
ws so close together we hadn't no
chance to use our guns, though both
of us was carryin' rifles. We just
threw away our guns and cInched.
I reached for my knife and scalped
him, but he wasn't dead, so he just
skipped away from me. But 1 had
his scalp, and twas mighty big
one, and just fitted the place in the
back of my coat. Well, Sir, L wore
that coat for five years every winter,
and one day / saw that bald-headed
Injun when l had time to draw at
him, and in just a second there was
one Injun less, but he hadn't no
+ scalp to pick.
I'm dead sorry that coat was
stolen. =. It was taken only bout ten
years ago.
I'm the early days at Hangtown,' >,
said the Old Miner of 40, I was walk
ing along the ridge, and heard men
hollerin' Hang him, hang him.! and
1 went over to see what was up, and
l see a good-lookin' young feller on a
mule, and all the other fellers had
hold of a rope, and one end was
round the feller's neck what was on
the mule.
What are you hangin' this chap
for?' says 1, and they all says that
he stole the mule, but he says hf
never stole nothin' and could prove
where he bought the mule; but they
day and they told him that they
knew he must a stole the mule.
Then he told them he'd give $1,000
for five hours time: that's 81 900 an
hour-pretty good pay, even for
them days. Then they consulted
together, and tells him no, but they
will give him a choice. tj.-
What choice?" says he.
ITO decide whether you be hanged
or shot, says they; and he answered
back, That amt much of a choice,
but I'd rather be shot though the
rope was still around his neck.
Then, says he, 7 got this $5,OOO and
[ can't take it with me, SO give me
time to play seven UP for it. They
thought this was reasonable, so I
stepped up and says, I'll play you,'
bein a good hand at cards, and I
had just $4,000 in my pocket
1--WE sat down, him with the rope
still around his neck, and began to
play, We made two apiece each
hand until it was six, and then it
was my deal and I was pretty
scary dealt out the cards and he
begged. l ran the cards out again
and then | turned a jack and won.
He stood up to be shot, but just as
they had their guns drawn on him
he says to me, You bury that
money; it will bring you good luck
Them was his last words.
Il thought about what he said, and
sure enough one night at midnight
I put his money in a cigar box and
buried it on the hillside near my
cabin. Then l went to San Fran
cisco, and I stayed there a couple of
months and then went back to get
my money. Just at midnight I
went to the spot, and I dug only
Ny box was buried two feet deep, so
I took up the box that l struck and
found it had just $4,000. Then l
dug deeper and took out the box l
had buried with the $4,000 l had won
from the man who was shot. You
see. somebody else had buried money, |
too, and had struck just the same !
place where 1 had my cache. That's |
the most singular thing ever hap |
pened to me, yet I suppose that |
whole hillside was full of boxes with |
money what fe1lers had buried
when 1 was campin' at Hang
town. said the Old Miner of '49, Il
took nv pan to the river to wash out
cold. and 1 see a fellow there wash
ing out his gold, and he asked me
what luck?' and I told him about
s1O We gassed little, and then he
saws: Are you minin' here? and 1
saws I was, so he suggests that as
our claims were alongside Wed pet
ter be pardners. L agreed ana
my traps in his cabin. Then
we went down to the camp for some
grub, and one man says: is that
your pardner"
"I 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 I'm
bilious I can't eat, and nothin' cures
me but to kill somebody SO L
asked him very gentle how often ne |
was bilious, and he told me about |
once in three days. I'm bilious as
. now he roared suddenly and |
1 can't eat
kept my eyes on him, and he !
took down his gun and loaded it, and |
saws. I'll be back in ten minutes,
and started out for the camp. In |
about five minutes I heard a shot, |
and I 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 feller givin' his |
last kick, and my pardner he says
his biliousness was cured; so we
went back to our cabin, and he ct |
and then went to sleep. I wanted |
to get out, but the claim was rich. |
We took out 5000 the first day, $4,000 |
the second day and $4,000 the third |
day, in coarse gold humps as big as
my fist. So I decided to stay awhile. |
'"The third day went down to the |
camp to get drink. I went into a
saloon, and there want nobody there |
neither. 1 went through that whole |
camp, where about 300 people had |
been livin', and not one was there. |
Every man, woman and child had |
KNOWN it was my partners
bilious day, I went back to the
cabin, and pretty soon my pardner
he says: I'm terrible bilious today. |
cant eat q thing So he took mis- |
-, o,d e+o,}od paS. ffTh rHYSn