Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-23
POKER FLAT TODAY.
Its Census Numbers Eight Persons
Above Ground md Eighty Beneath 1t.
Ernn he So Call

Its Census Numbers Eight Persons
Above Ground md Eighty Beneath 1t.
From the San Francisco Call.
Half an hour of slow descent and We
reach the head OF the canon by a sharp
turn in the trail At last We are in Poker
Flat, the wild mining camp of 1882 that
turned out 100000 In gold bullion in q
single month and then celebrated the event
with triple hanging. 1t was Poker Flat,
too. that experienced spasm of virtue soon
after the tragic affair, and under its re-
generating influence sent forth the outcast
wanderers of Bret Hartes 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
sluce boxes to rob and no money to win
over the gambling table. OF Mother Ship
tens however. there are several.
Our greeting was rot cordial Mr.. Rugg
laid it all to the snow plants which we had
gathered, and. going into mountain lore.
tolG of families that had been separated by
taking this bulb Of evil omen into the sacred
precincts of the home. To carry a snow
plant Is to have bad luck. Conceal 1t as
you will, those with whom you come in con-
tact 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 q
monitor, and most likely your wife will run
away with tin-horn gambler, who will
turn out Later as confirmed sluce robber
all this If you carry a snow plant. So
runs the folk lore of the hills.
On the porch Of one of the six houses
that TOW constitute the town of Poker Flat
large, red-faced woman sat in a rocking
chair smoking a clay pipe. She wore q
short green dress that fell an inch or so
below the tops Of pair of strong cowhide
boots Ito which were attached heavy brass
spurs), a paper collar, cravat and faded
straw hat.
and there patches of wild sunflowers and
lupine, interspersed with prospect holes, the
slope presented scene of utter ruin. Some
OF the Graves have wooden h. iboards.
others are marked by stakes, while many
have nothing at all. There are eight people
in the town and eighty 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 professional gambler, but was
always selected for this service on account
OF mis- hne 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
eise. and SO he did the burying, and at
times business in this line was exceedingly
hfely. Twice year priest used to come
over from Downieville, but we could not
always walt for an ordained clergyman.
and the climate of Poker Flat seemed to be
conducive to sudden DEATH"
Gold was discovered in Poker Flat in
1872, and two years later 1000 people had
gathered in this rich canon. There were
fifteen stores, five hotels, three dance halls
and seven gambling houses. In 1856 circus
came to town, and sold 1900 tickets at SO
each. The following year a man named
Jcslya picked up nugget worth $4,000 To
celebrate his coed luck he got full and Of
Tered TIE whole piece to his partner in ex.
cnange for the latter's wife. The man &C.
cepted. and, without the formality of di.
vorce proceedings. Joslyn and the woman
were married and left town. Two DAYS
after he committed suicide at Gibsonville,
His former partner also left town and
bought some land near San Jose Two
years ago, on August %, he died wealthy
and respected. at good old age but 1t 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
roted faro dealer shed his hearts blood in
defending his money in September 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 gathered to their
fathers this lively and romantic camp Of
early days will be forgotten, and given
over again to be a safe and sheltered feed.
ing spot for wild deer.