The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-08-21

the gulches with but little success.
They finally pulled up stakes and
moved into Nevada County, where
they mined with good luck. Early in
the fall of 1853 Gilbert fell i'll of fever.
Hendricks had studied medicine, but
before completing his medical educa-
tion he had got the gold craze and
came to California. He nursed Gill
bert as best he could, but the man
grew worse steadily. Hendricks knew
an herb that he had noticed growing
a couple of miles up the ravine that,
If stepped, would perhaps help the
sick man. One morning he left the
cabin to get some of this herb. While
away a terrific thunder storm came up
and the little stream that ran through
the gulch began to rise. Knowing
how rapidly these mountain streams
rise in a storm, and fearing for
the safety of Gilbert, as the cabin
stood on the bank of the creek,
Hendricks hurried back. The
water rose very rapidly, and,
though Hendricks ran as fast as the
nature of the ground would permit,
the food outstripped him. When he
came within sight of the cabin it was
half under water, and the torrent
threatened every instant to carry it
away. One end of the building stood
against an immense oak tree with
spreading limbs. By climbing an
other tree Hendricks got into the oak.
About two feet above the roof of the
cabin a strong limb grew out From
this limb Hendricks descended to the
roof, and as it was composed of brush
and dirt, he quickly stamped q hole
through it. The water had risen in
tho house nearly to the bottom OF the
bunk in which Gilbert lay. Hen
bricks dropped inside, and, with the
water up to his armpits, wrapped Gill
bert in blankets, fastened rope Sc
curely around his body, threw the
other end over the limb, and hauled
him up. He was strong man, and
as Gilbert had been greatly emaciated
by the fever, it was not hard to haul
! him up to the limb and secure him at
a safe height in fork of the tree.
Lashed to the tree, the sick man
faced the storm. The cabin, protected
by the trunk of the oak, stood fast,
but boulder, set loose by the food,
rolled down tho gulch and crashed
through the side of the building.
! When the storm had exhausted its
force, the creek fell to its normal pro-
portions, and Hendricks got Gilbert
to the ground, where he made him as
comfortable as possible.
Contrary to Hendricks expecta-
tions, the sick man soon showed signI
of mending, and in two weeks he wa
once more on his feet. Tue holl
knocked in the side of the cabin by
the boulder had let in sand and gravel
and the building was half full o.
wreckage when the water subsided
Many tools, cooking utensils ant
other things were covered by the sand
nnd when Gilbert was we'll enough tbs
men began the work of digging out
their property. The peculiar appear
ance of the 3irt attracted Gilbert's at
tention, AMI he washed out some ol
it. 1t proved to be rich with gold,
and from the dirt in the cabin several
thousand dollars worth Of dust was
taken, besides nugget of gold quartz
that weighed more than twenty-three
ounces. Gilbert concluded that there
must be a rich spot up the gulch some
where, and he set out prospecting for
it. In three days he uncovered the
placer that became we'll known as the
Big Pay and was sold for 800, 900,
Gilbert and Hendricks dividing the
money equally.
With his share Gilbert went back to
San Francisco at the age of twenty
eight, worth about $50, 900. He grub.
staked four men in a new and unknown
mining region of Placer County, and
invested his wealth in real estate in
San Francisco. One of the men whom
he had grubstaked struck it rich in
about year, aud he and Gilbert sold
out for $40, 900. In less than a month
more further developments on the
mine proved that its wealth had been
exhausted and it was valueless. In
the summer of 1855, when Gilbert was
thirty years old, Gilbert turned his
property into money aud deposited in
d. o. Mills's bank Sl23, 600. He had
decided to go back TO his home in
Brooklyn with that sum aud astonish
his relatives and friends with his
wonderful fortune. AS he was about
to sail from Panama he met a man
from Australia who persuaded him to
go back to Brooklyn by sailing around
the world in order to impress his
family more with his wealth and the
extent of his travels.
Gilbert got as far as Austrlia, where
he remained several months. He be-
came infatuated with the gambling
games of that new country, and did
} not give up playing until he was penni-
less. In few years he got back to
California, but affairs had changed so
much aud business had become so
established that he found he had no
opportunity to pile up another for
, tune. He went out into the mount
J aims of Contra Costa County and lived
there alone for years. Then lie drifted
} down to Southern California. He has
, not mentioned mines or gambling in
thirty years. Occasionally he is
, visited by somebody who knew him
in the fifties, but he never will say a
} word sbout the old times. New York
, Sun.
Polish Way OF Expressing Gratitude.
In Buffalo, n. Y, the otA p day, a
n I T. A /