Daily public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1892-191?, 1896-06-27

a window at one end of the bar. the
| sill of which was on q level with the
burro trail that the miners had spoiled
when at the innocent work of laying
a foundation for our house, and used
TO retire through il to gaze upon the
awc-inspiring scenery outside and med
itate upon the beauties of nature and
the comfort of solitude, whenever the
guests got TO hurting solid arguments
at each other and commenced shooting
| off something besides their mouths.
1t really was a big institution for Gold
! Cross, and the proprietor consumed
considerable time and whisky in try
ing 20 make up his mind what TO call
I il, not being able to decide whether
| palace" or "pqvilion" was the proper
! handle, and eventually compromising
on Golden Oriole." There was a big
table down in the center, which was
sometimes used for an exhibition dance
. and sometimes for laying out a corpse,
and surrounding it were lot of small
tables. where the boys played poker
and pedro for the drinks. The win
ming party in these games was given
| away by the express agent, who used TO
have standing joke about two-thirds
of the bullion output Of Gold Cross
coming through the Golden Oriole on
ITS road to civilization.
One day Pizen Bill Johnson's wait
came to an end. The young fellow that
| got off the stage was so internally
green that couldn'. help looking him
over to see if he didn't have an express
/ tag on, which, in some measure, would
account for his getting so far away
| from home, but the boys were feeling
| pretty blue about then, and he made
a kind of pleasant contrast of colors.
I He hadn't no more thar passed one
meal-time and sampled little of our
st. Patrick's avorsion-snake-pr
till Pizen p. johnson. who was
smooth smiler when he tried to be, had
him in tow and knew all about him and
| all his folks. And pretty soon after
observed that he was showing the
youngster some of the finest specimens
Of frse-milling ore from his Twilight
bonanza that a man ever stole. There
upon some of the old miners who were
hanging around smiled in a self-satis-
fled sort of a way, having no particular
inter est in the young mans prospects.
rather pitied the fellow, but then l
knew that if he had any money some
body would get it mighty quick, and
besides b. johnson had enough to an
swer for without my tombstone cast
ing any reflection on his character. So
the announcement next day that he
had sold twO-thirds interest in the
Twilight for eighteen hundred dollars
to the young chap from Boston was not
altogether a surprise And then, with
calm and satisfied air Bill decreased
the number of his meals cne-half and
doubled the number of his drinks
which was equivalent to n notice that
he was beginning to celebrate.
The next two days il rained, but the
green young cuss from the east seemed
to thrive out in the damp, for he worked
away developing his sailed Twilight
mine, while the patrons of the Golden
Oriole specialized on what kind of
row he would make when he discovered
the jOb-if he ever did. When the wind
got round in the north, the mountains
began to shed water lively, and the lit
tie creek that tumbled through the
camp grew into a torrent and began to
spread itself promiscuously over the
claims along its bed. The clouds went
TO work in dead earnest, and when you
got out from under shelter, it wasn't a
difficult job to imagine that some fire
department was taking you for con-
fagration, and sou were shortly much
put out.
And 50 when Eddie Freeman, drip
ping wet, slid in with a gust of wind
through the door of the Oriole that
night, the racket inside didn't begin to
compare with that which the creek,
now taking on the airs of river, was
making outside. / felt uneasy about
that creek, and wondered if the fellows
who had tackled their cabins up against
the hillside hadn't showed considerable
horse sense after all. But there was a
sparkle in Eddie's eye and such a JOY in
his voice that / forgot all about the
creek for the time being, when he
slammed the door and hove up TO the
bar. Then he skipped over TO where
Pizen Bill was absorbed in reflection
and gin, and held out to him n sack of
ore. Bill smiled after the fashion of
the evil one; but when he went to div
ing into the rock, as big change came
over his face as landslide makes in the
side of a mountain. In another minute
we were all examining some of the
finest specimens of gold-bearing ore
that was ever found in California.
There wasn't any doubt about il. Bill
Johnson's salt was merely spice for a
mighty fine pudding.
Then the venom in William Us ma
ture showed itseh in his face, but his
words were uncommonly pleasant.
That's a mighty fine mine yer have"
he said, and l am mighty proud that
am the man that put yer in the way of
SIGH extraordinary luck. ! knowed /
wuz givin' yer great thing, but bizness
in other places wouldn't allow me to