Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-26
HIS LAST BLAST.

HIS LAST BLAST.
 Slug canyon. Sierra county, has al- ways been famous for tho number and size of its golden nuggets. The canyon heads among the hugo Skyward tower ing mountains that rise on the south sido of tho North Yuba. into which riv CT it empties its waters just before the lower end of the famous old mining town of Downicvillo. In 1852 a son of Erin named Miko Maronoy had placer claim on this canyon of nests of golden CESS, which in his opinion was nothing less than the secret storehouse of the "Gublins of tho Golden Mountains.
 Mikes claim was not in the present or modern channel of the canyon, but upon a bench above it, where was Q channel that had been formed by the stream in ancient times. In this old up per channel stood q powder of enor- nous size. a granite rock as big as a cathedral. Miko was undoubtedly at
 
 ground on which he stakcd out his claim by the immense size of tho bowl der lodged upon it, a rock so large it seemed tO be a pinnacle broken from the top of ono of the ovcrhanging noun tainS. Ho in sOmO way got it into his head that i'll tho old channel, at the pcint where hc had Stakod out his claim, was gold pro?ortionato to tho size of the rock and in keeping with tho difficulties tO bc overcome.
 Tho b0wlGvr S;OOd ill the lower end of the old channel. which it blocked com rlrtvlv from wall to wall. To blast it ont and get into and work the channel seemed a horculean task. Many a miner had locked the ground ever and depart ed with sigh, after careful survey of the rock, before Mike Maroney set his stakes Cu the ancient channel All thought well of the ground, but feared to attack tho giant that stood in the way.
 Mikc hIiit small cabin on a bench of thu canyon above high water mark and settled down in full sight of the enemy he had determined to conquer. Alone and single handed ho mounted the great granite rock and began drill ing and blasting 1t. Tho rock was hard, and tho work went on slowly, but he was always to bo seen hammering and banging away at the task he had under taken. All tine miners passing mp and down the canyon halted for q word with Mike. They admired his pluck and Checrcd him on by telling him that un- der the bowldGr and behind 1t he would find enough gold to load a train of half dozen mules.
 Mike WAS a small man as to height. standing less than feet in his boots, but he was immensely broad across the | shoulders, and ill strength was a little | Samson. Altogether he was a Curiously l constructed creature. He had head big | enough for a six fOoter. His mouth seem- | Cd the result of q slash of n Cleaver, and | he wore 1t with ono COrECr drawn up l toward his left ear in very knowing g l way. On his broad flat face was stuck a short stump of nose with vast cav crnous nustrils. Add to these features a l pair of enormous ears, little black eyes that twinkle beneath an overhanging craS of rrow, then top out the whole with a thAtch of coal black hair the size 1 of a havCOck. and you see Mike Maroney as he appeared mounted upon his big 1 rock with drill and hammer in hand. seen thus he might well have passed for | tho king of the gnomes, just popped ur from the chambers of his golden caverns for a mouthful of sunshine and peer at the upper world.
 Mike was nearly two years in blast ing ont his great bowlder. When he first began, such was his enthusiasm that he thought he would make short work ot it, but after he bad been engaged upor it about tLr,o months ho began to un derstand moro clearly the nature of the task he had undertaken. His stock o provisions was exhausted. and he lacked money wirh which to procure a now sup ply; also he could no longer obtain pow der, fuse and other supplies on credit It became evident that he must hay, monvv, or ho would be obliged to stoI work on the powder.
 In this strait he went up into tn
 town of Dowuioville and explained tn situation to n number of friends. Al
 knew Mikes claim, and all had faith il it, for the old channel with the big rocl
 in its mouth had been the talk of al tho Sing canyon miners long befor
 Miko set hi~ stakes there Therefore b found it a less difficult business than h
 had anticipated to raise money wit . which to proceed. Half a dozen friend
 became lis packers, telling him to g ] ahead and call upon them as often as h needed money. They would take tn
 chances of h:s finding enough gold | make them all right once the big bow
 der had been conquered.
 Again Mike set to work in high spil
 its He told his packers that i'll two (
 three months more he would have utter |. ly demolished the big rock, but whe
 that time had passed the work seeme
 only fairly begun. After Mike had bee
 at work for about a year and half tf men who were putting up for hil
 began to grow tired of the whole bus , ness and did not come out with the ,- coin SO checrfully as at first, and the asked rather anxiously in regard to tl
 progress being mado.
 I5 In order to cheer them up Mike wou
 say: "Byes. l do be knockin the ou q. rock to smithereens! I've got her
 wakened now that she shakes wid ivel t bIasht!"
 Finally the men tired of hearing tn
 story when Mike came round to colle
 money, and he then began to say. 70 n. more blasht, byes, and I've got her n. This went on so long that it became
 byword in Downieville. Everywhere
 was, "One more blasht, byes, and I