The record-union., 1897-07-21
A MAN, A MINE AND A cow.
(Written for the 'Record-Union' by
A V Hoffman)


her1tance which is the reward of vir-
tue. When he was alive, albeit an old
man, he was a tireless pursuer of
phantom, a mineralized will-o'-the
Wlsp which he called The Knox Bo-
nanzas" and which fed ever from him.
Be 1t known, also, that THE Knox
Bonanza" was wonderfully rich ledge
CT gold bearing ore supposed to have
been discovered away back in the early
COS, at which time Knox and Muller
We're partners. Knox had lost the 10
cation and could never rediscover the
ledge. According to the account given
me by the deceased Joseph Muller, who
claimed to have seen some of the ore,
the vein lies in Yuba County, just
across the Yuba River, opposite Bos-
ton Bar.
Allow me to say right here that L
know Of no better place in which
very rich body of ore could secrete itself
If it did not wish to be discovered. The
hills, which are high, steep and rocky,
with a fairly pleasant sprinkling of rat
tlesnakes are covered with a growth
of shrub so dense and thorny one could
not penetrate to any great depth un-
less he We're loaded into a cannon and
shot in head foremost.
Whether there ever was, or was not,
a rich ledge there, 1 do not know.
Muller believed there was, and brought
me proof of it, but no amount of
searching has revealed its location to
the many who have spent time and
money in the quest Perhaps it was
only the visionary Pickering of the old
miners mind, and the proof he found
only an accidental presence of ore in a
strange place. There are many lost
mines in California. Here and there
all over the State one hears of rich
ore bodies, veritable Peglegs, which
have been lost. But none of them are
rediscoVered.
I listened to Muller's tales, and so
exactly did they fit into each other
could not then believe them the va
porings of an old man grown crooked
in his mind. Muller was the most gen
tie big-hearted, most honorable man
] ever met. He would not harm
worm, nor if starving would have eat
en- the crust which meant a possibility
of life to another as unfortunate as
himself. But-he is dead, and in that
land TO which he has gone there are no
Knox Bonanza phantoms, and the peo-
pie do not eat.
Muller was my friend. When he gave
me his friendship he gave me also
half-interest in the mine which was
to make US millionaires when it was re-
discovered. The friendship alone L
priced, and I accepted the half interest,
not because I believed there was
bonanza over there in that impenetra-
bic mass of rocks and scrub timber. but
because it pleased the old man. When
] had accepted it l straightWay began
to furnish supplies of bacon and beans
and tobacco, and soon afterward TO
scrutinize fragments Of granite, slate,
bastard quartz, cement and f1re-baked
clay. and talked knowingly of oxide OF
iron. sulphurets, galena, blackjack, ser
pentine, lines of segregation, contacts
dikes and ore shoots, and Muller list
ened with the confidence of child
and spat tobacco juice over the scenery
in a perfect frenzy of delight.
I've will find it yit!" he would ex-
claim. Il do think I haf struck the
vein dat leads to the main letch. Won
leedle more of the prospect, and the
Bonanza vas ours. Hooraw!"
Then he would draw his allowance Of
bacon. beans and tobacco, pack them
upon an ancient horse and return 10
his camp in the hills.
One, day he came wearily and de-
iectedly, not riding, but leading ms
horse. He smiled sadly as he greeted
me.
We'll. vell!' he said plaintively, i
haf had some more pad luck!
How so; what has happened?
"Vel. yelli The world vas against
me sure. 1 haf found the Knox Bo-
nanza. and I haf lost it again
san house-fi tmayleatio nss'fG 1?rsc
"Found it, and lost it again."
.sYas. vas. 1 found it ofer dare ware
7 said it vas And now 1 haf lost 1t!
veu. veil. veil: it iss always some more
pad luck!"
But, I don't understand. How could
YOU find it and then lose it??''
..Dat iss vat pussles me too" he said.
..Rut haf prought a small piece of the
rock. In the sack, behind the saddle"
T1oosened the sack, and out of it came
a lump of quartz Rich? I have seen
many specimens of ''rich'' rock. but that
fragment. as big as my fist, was two
thirds gold.
Great heaven, Joe! did you find
ledge or TINS
.Yas. yasi A great pig Itch of it.
Right dare ware I always said it vas.
An den 1 lost it again. Veil, vell!"
But you remember the locality?
''Yas. I rememper dat"
Come into the house and tell me
about it."
Miller sat down by my fire and filled
his pipe. Then he began his story, which
was a strange one.
We'll, velll I had hunted an hunted
till I vas most pedered out, and 1 vas
most plind vid looking at the ground
and under the pushes, and at last l lay
me down on the ground and goes to
sleep. And vile I sleeps dare comes to
me a tream. treams vas a poy again
iii Switzerland, and I walks along the
Rhine. and I see me leedle box on the
Water. 1 swims out and get dat box,
and in it finds a leedle papy.''
"A what?"
"A leedle girl papy. 1t looks up at
me and smile, and put up its leedle hands
and I take it home to my mutter. My
fader tells the bolice dat I found papy
in the Rhine, and the bolice say they will
search for the mutter of dat papy, but
they nefer Wind her. Dey give dat papy
to a rich lady, and she grow to be a
beautiful woman
Hold one, Joe, You say you dreamed
all that?"
sYas. I tream all dat. But Wait. Veil,
a. "a A "a "