The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-19
Irregular Train of Thought of the
Lonely Prospector.
MUCH HONOR is DUE HIM
Silently Meditating as He Sits in the
Face of His Tunnel Far Away
in the Mountains From the
Merry Throng.

Years midnight Jumper" And that
is why he is not in the city eating
turkey, drinking Tom and Jerry and
smoking .two-fors." But don't think
for minute that because you are
lined up alongside of holiday be-
decked table and devouring the luxur-
les of the occasion, the old grizzled
miner of the hills is altogether out of
it, and that you are the only wishbone
at the feast. Don't float away in that
imagination because there's an objec-
tion to such fancies.
Away out in some lonely gulch or
dismal hillside is a rudely- built log
cabin. Its only occupant is a prospec-
tor, or perchance the owner of a claim,
who is doing his Assessment work.
There are others, of course. but this
one is singled out by way of illustra-
tion. He chooses this time of the year
at which to do his work, because it is
the last month for redemption, and be-
sides, he doesn't believe in doing to-
day what just as well may be done
tomorrow, and then it is more diff
lcult now to get supplies to his camp,
and if he had gone out before he could
not have used his SnowShoes and been
compelled to sleep out all night with
snowdrift for mattress and a blizzard
for a covering. Furthermore, he con-
sidered the fact that if ne had done
the required labor on his claim during
the pleasant autumn days he would
have had nothing to do in the winter
time but sit by the fire, spin yarns,
chew tobacco, accept invitations to
smile and wonder how the whole thing
was going to come out. So you can
understand why it is that the prospec-
tor is not with you on this merry holi-
day occasion.
Turkey, plum pudding celery and
other things of that class will not be
on his table Christmas, but such old
time acquaintance as salt pork, beans,
dried prunes (may be apples) sour
dough bread, onions with added
odor, billed taters' and the rest of 'em
will be there and if that isn't enough
TO remind him that Christmas is here,
the old man may reach around under
the bunk and pull out demijohn with
something in it. Now look at him
smile and tell the cat that this time
next year wen eat the best there is
a-going, eh, 'Tom?" and Tom will point
his tail up toward the ridge pole and
say sure After dinner he will 'go
down" into his jumper pocket and draw
from it his powerful corn-cob, from
another pocket he will take handful
of ore specimens and select from them
a piece of tobacco; then he'll take the
butcher knife, or any other knife that
happens to be within reach, and with
it shave off enough of the plug to fill
his pipe; then he'll cut off splinter
from a stick of wood, stick it in the
stove ard blow the Goals until he be-
comes dizzy in an effort to make a
blaze. Failing in this, he'll throw the
stick away, take up live coal in his
fingers, put it in his pipe and pull
away until the smoke comes and then
ask the cat If he thinks he's lived in the
mountains long enough to do that. But
Tom is so busy cleaning the dinner
dishes that he heeds not his masters
question.
Then follows long spell of blissful
reverie-a day dream that the seeker
of hidden wealth too often has. Only
a few feet more. a couple of shots to
knock out that hard breast and it's
there. And through that and into that
tale ahead and the thing is opened, the
ore is there lots of it and rich be-
cause the extension lead runs right
through there. and. of course, 1t must
he there. Hope, muscle and a standoff
for more powder and grub Will show
up a great body of rich rock. mex
haustible and easy to mine. Oh, it's
there, but. Tom jumps from the
table and breaks the spell. The man
who is now full of happy thoughts and
baked beans opens the door and al
lows the cat to pass out. 'Trot out
into the fresh air, Tom, while / go up
to the tunnel and see how she looks.
With candle in hand, head bowed in
anticipation of dangerously irregular
roof, the old man strolls to the face of
his tunnel, and there, seated on an
empty powder can, he views his work
and silently comments upon it's excel
lence. Look where you may, search
the world over, on land or on sea. in a
ballroom or in bath-tub. the place
that reaches the acme of perfection for
one to commune with oneself Is in the
charming face of ones tunnel far I'M
der ground. Nothing stands between
\, I1,,{ NJa4 "A
she is not so hard. With plenty of
gadding a liberal quantity of powder,
well drilled and picked in time, she'll
yield every time. That's how our old
nrospecter feels about it, and he al
ways feels well.
There he sits in silent bliss looking
straight through that mountain of
porphyry at 10-foot ledge of $500 ore.
He sees it pouring out of that tunnel
by carloads. while immense quantities
of 1t are being reduced to legal tender
at the mill He already has a bank
account of healthy proportions, his
debts are all paid. his relatives have all
been handsomely remembered and are
living in luxury, all of his old-time
..pards' are wearing store clothes and
smoking all the cigars that they want
and telling one another what good
fellow the old man is. He will take
out a few thousands more and then
turn the mine over to his brothers
boys and let them have all they want,
after which he'll give 1t to somebody
else He has enough now and will buy
himself good team of horses. three
inch wagon. take parties out picknick-
ing next summer and have good time
tho rest of his life.
Tt is indeed an enchanting vision.
vivid scene portrayed by a golden-lined
imagination, thrown into panoramic
views by mind that wanders far into
the DEPTHS of improbability. Yet this
hopeful prospector is happy in his con-
science of endeavoring to do what the
majority of men would not do. He en-
d1lres untold hardships. he risks his
life. deprives himself of many things
that others at home enjoy. but he is
welded to his occupation: he loves it.
Men like him made Montana what 1t is,
made it possible for thousands Of fam
lilies to find beautiful homes in the
Rockies. Why should not The old pros