The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1897-01-09

ferials combined-folded their wings
and withdrew bodily. The street be-
came more and more an empty hillside
every day. Saloons, groceries, gam
hling-rooms and dry goods emporiums
were loaded on freighters' wagons
goods, walls, roofs and windows-and
hauled away from Deep Gulch.
Nothing was left but the big double
house that had been hotel and gam
bling-room and hardware store all in
one, and the little pine printing Office,
of all the buildings that Deep Gulch had
boosted six months before. Yet the
Courier never confessed it. Reading
the columns of that veracious sheet, one
was astounded at the bustling, not to
say seething, condition of municipal af-
fairs.
wish had space to copy the items.
There was a quarrel in the city council
over opening new street; letter from
"vox Populi'' condemning the council
men for favoritism in letting the con-
tract for the sewer; the arrival of
Piper's Uncle Toms Cabin company
with four mules and four Markses; half
a column of births and weddings, and
another half of an accident in the Straw
board mine-an industry which had no
earthly existence.
"Good story, that gun fight you de-
scribed," grinned Haggerty, as he rat
tied the untruthful types into his stick.
Wallace thanked him.
"Mght report lawsuit"
'Good thing!" exclaimed the editor,
and wrote half a column about the
crowds at the courtroom and the cheers
when the accused woman was acquitted.
Then he grew boastful in the declara-
ton that the Masonic temple, nov
nearing completion" laid over any
thing in Jimtown, or any other city of
twice the size in Idaho.
Big finds in the Rabbit mine, bigger
still in the Empire, good reports from
the Snowbank diggings, better still
from the Eclipse-these were vagrant
items scattered through the pages.
Wallace made up" and put the forms
on the press; Haggerty "rolled" for
him, and they printed four copies-two
for the secretary of the Empire Mining
company in New York, one for for
eign advertiser, and one for the files.
That was the extent of the issue; and
when they had worked it off," Hag-
gerty washed the type with concen-
trated I've, and threw it in again.
There was no post Office in Deep
Gulch; it had vanished with the van
fishing business. There was not sim
gle resident beside these two men and a
half-breed who slept in the double house
next door and hunted for living. Every
week Wallace walked ten miles to jim
town, mailed the three copies of his
paper, paying full rates to keep the
secret, received his check at the post
Office, cashed it, bought supplies for
him and Haggerty, and then walked
home again. He used to say grimly it
was an excellent time to gather items.
And every week the secretary of that
Empire Mining company opened the
papers in his office at New York, de-
stroyed the wrappers, and showed his
friends how the mine was booming.
Along toward spring Wallace saw
from the letters accompanying his re-
mittances that the secretary had about
"unloaded," and he made arrangements
to pull out as soon as his contract was
ended. Haggerty wanted him to throw
1t up and follow the star of empire; but
the editor was too honest man. Be-
sides, the business was paying
One day they saw man prospecting
up at the mouth of the abandoned Troll
ley mine. Presently he came down, and
entered the Office.
First to come and last to leave, eh?"
he remarked, laughing, as he regarded
the material with an expert eye.
"Well, last to leave, anyway" said
Wallace, not very proudly. 'Been pros
pecting?"
eyes. Irather like the looks of things
up there on the hill"
''Lots of gold been taken out of there"
"Lots more to take out yet" rejoined
the stranger.
1t was not for the Courier to contra
dict that statement. The stranger
toyed with the standing type in that
easy way that proves acquaintance.
Haven't much use for paper here,
have your" he asked.
mo; I would SELL
"What will you take?"
"What'll you give?"
He made an offer, and Wallace traded,
possession to be given the LIST of March.
After the papers had been signed the
stranger went over to Jimtown and got
the money. Wallace and Haggerty both
thought they were in a dream. The
stranger hung around that Trolley
claim, digging, washing, cutting tim
hers. One day he came down with some
specimens, and showed them. Wallace
had been something of an expert. He
knew they held gold. He regretted sell
ing, but he went away with the end of
winter and drifted up to Boise City,
Il