Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-12-04
LAST OF POKER FLAT
BUT SIX CABINS REMAIN OF THE FA-
NOUS MINING TOWN.

NOUS MINING IOWN.
Doesn't Look Much Like the Booming
Camp of 1s52-The Man Who Sold His
Wife and Laid the Foundations of Large
Fortune-Evn Omen of the Snow Plant.
Half an hour of slow descent, and we
reach the head Of the canyon by q sharp
turn in the trail At last we are in
Poker Flat, the wild mining camp Of
1859, that turned out 100000 in gold
bullion in single month, and then cele-
brated 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 infiu-
ence sent forth the outcast wanderers Of
Bret Harte's story to die of cold and
starvation on the snowbound road to
Sandy Bar. There are no Oakhursts at
Poker Flat now, and Uncle Billy has no
counterpart in the present population,
for the very simple reason that there are
no sluice boxes to rob and no money to
win over the gaming table. Of 'sMother
Shiptons, - however, there are several
Our greeting was not cordial Mr.
Rugg laid it all to the snowy plants
which we had gathered, and going into
mountain lore told of families that had
been separated by taking this bulb of
evil omen into the sacred precincts OF
the home To carry 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 you accordingly. Your pay streak
will 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 likely your
wife will run away with tin horn gam
bier, who will turn out later as Q con-
firmed sluice robber-all this IL you
carry a snow plant. So runs the folklore
of the hills.
On the porch Of one Of the six houses
that now constitute the town Of Poker
Flat large, red faced woman sat in a
rocking chair, smoking clay pipe. She
wore a short green dress that fell an
inch or so below the tops of pair of
strong cowhide boots, to which were at
tached heavy brass spurs, paper collar,
cravat and faded straw hat.
Thickly covered with chaparral, with
here and there patches of wild sunfow-
ers and lupine, interspersed with pros
pect holes, the slope presented 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 80 sleeping in this ruined ground.
Nearly all Of them were laid to rest
without religious rites Of any kind other
than the reading of chapter from the
Bible by Charles Pond. Pond was pro-
fessional gambler, but was always Sc
lected 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 could read better
than any one else, and SO he did the
burying, and at times business in this
line was exceedingly lively. Twice a
year priest used to come over from
Downieville, but 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 con-
ducive to sudden death. :"
Gold was discovered in Poker Flat in
1859, and two years later 2,000 people
had gathered in this rich canyon. There
were Is stores, five hotels, three dance
halls and seven gambling houses. In
1856 a circus came to town and sold
1900 tickets at $40 each. The follow
ing year man named Joslyn picked up
a nugget worth 81, 900. To celebrate his
good luck he got full and offered the
whole piece to his partner in exchange
for the latter s wife, The man accepted,
and without the formality of divorce
proceedings Joslyn and the woman
were married and left town. Two days
later he committed suicide at Gibson
vile. His former partner also left town
and bought some land near San Jose.
Two years ago on Aug. 20 he died
wealthy and respected at a good old 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 heart s
blood in defending his money in Sep
tember, 1867, stands ruin by the trail,
half buried in the sand, just above the
Bittinger house.
Poker Flat will not last long, and
when the pioneers have all been gather
ed to their fathers this lively and ro-
mantle camp of early days will be for
gotten and given over again to be safe
and sheltered feeding spot for wild deer.
San Francisco Call