The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-25

as they went rollicking down the flume
| ceased to enliven an expectant household.
Disheartened and sad the miner sat in
profound contemp lation on an old box
near the doorway of his cabin, alternately
glanoing at his helpless offspring and
faithful wife, then surveying the half
consumed contents of the flour sack, ne xt
measuring with his eyes the daily de-
creasing area OF a side of bacon which
hung upon a nail, seeming to apprehend
impending want in a land teeming with
hidden gold. What could be done? How
many have asked the same question as
they struggled with the asperities of life,
strangers in a strange land, having near
them no sym pathizing soul to whom they
| could unload the hidden sorrows of the
heart ? But he thought he heard voice
OF inspiration, under the influence of
which he bent his knees in fervent prayer
to One who never rejects the approval of a
mellowed heart. nor fails to bathe it with
consultations Of holy love.
When he rose to his feet it was with a
resolve to struggle manfully against inn
pending poverty by seeking new field of
enterprise. He did rot forget to promise
bonus of one share of any new claim
he might locate for the benefit of the new
| church. Next morning he packed his
blankets, threw pick and shovel over his
| shoulders, and bidding adieu to his house
hold, started off on a precarious mission,
facing the east. in which direction vague
rumors had indicated the discovery of new
mining grounds. Night came on, and his
bed was beneath the shadow of pine
/ ID -, - IL,
stars.
Day after day this same experience was
| repeated and he began to feel the further
he got from home the chances of success
in his mission decreased as the square
of the distance increased. His pluck, how
ever, did not abate, and though disheart-
ening emotions would som times intrude
themselves Oh his attention, they would
be driven off in short time by an elastic
Imagination which painted the brightest
of pictures on the darkest of groundwork.
One day, feeling particularly sad and
lonely, he sat down in the cool shadow OF
rock and began to masticate the noon
day meal. At the conclusion of this be
took an inventory of his stock of dry
bread, bottled pork and beans and few
and four days from bomel This dispro-
portion between latent energy and vast
ing power was by no means an agreea BILE
fact, for he had not seen human habita
ton since leaving home. Bracing him.
self up to renewed exertion he went for
ward, true Yankee as he was. During the
afternoon journey he observed some
struggling pieces OF quartz along the way
side, which, increasing in number, he
ultimately laid his pack aside and pro.
ceeded to examine the situation. An
hours prospecting realized the fact that
he was on quartz lode of gold-bearing
character. a systematic inspection fol-
lowed, with a very favorable result, so
that within foIty-eight hours the miner
set his stakes on the claim with four
names and one for the church, and
turned his face backward toward Spring
field. The Joy with which his presence
was received, and the increase of Joy fol-
lowing the announcement of his discovery
may be easily imagined.
The parties interested in this enterprise
were soon equipped for operations, and
headed by the devout miner, who felt like
a small Moses leading the people to a
promised land, they travelled on I'm err his
guiding genius and in time made camp in
proximity TO the golden ledge.
The necessary inspection accomplished,
they constructed an arastra and obtained
blind old plughorse for motor power 10
turn the shaft, one of the company face
tiously remarking that as every body had
to Ego it blind" in mining operations, the