The herald., 1897-09-06
MINING LUCK
How Jim Gagan Struck It
at Meadow Lake
AND STARTED A PAPER
SUBSCRIBERS PAID 500 A YEAR
WHILE 1T LASTED
Gagan the Pooh-Bah Of the District,
but He Fooled His Money Away
and Died Penniless

The cerebral stimulation or excitement
which is determined to be insanity is
only matter of degree and there have
been those throughout the worlds his
tory who have maintained that in kind
it does not differ from the modified ex-
element of passion grief, avarice, greed,
etc., which keep the world moving.
So when some thousands of men, the
greater number of whom know abso-
lutely nothing about mining, are stam-
peded by the reports of rich gold finds
in the north and Immediately start off
for the new El Dorado mines, the expe-
rience to make the most of such advan-
tages as may offer, the ply s'que to with
stand the hardships that may assail
them, or an outfit of food and clothing
to suffice in country where these things
are not to be obtained for love or money,
it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that
the crazy streak in their natures is find
ing an outlet in obedience to that law
which ordainS that the lives of the indi-
vidual must ever be sacrificed in order
that the supremacy of the race be main
tained.
An old miner who has grown gray
in the camps extending from Mex
leo ON the south to Alaska ON the north,
was engaged in dilating upon this craze
which seizes upon men when reports of
rich gold find becomes known to CO.
terie of good fellows in a down town ho-
tel the other night. Inasmuch as he Is
now we'll fixed in life he could afford to
view the matter philosophically, and
some of his "reminiscences of the old days
in California were of interest. In his
early manhood he stuck type" for
living, and his narration of what befell
Jim Gagan, jolly Irish printer, in the
Meadow Lake mines forcibly illustrates
the form of craze which affects the sue
cessful miner.
In the days of 40 and 80 the town of
Meadow Lake, Nevada county, had
population of about 5000 inhabitants.
In the immediate vicinity were some Of
the richest placers in the state and there
were those who believed the town was
destined to be the metropolis Of the Pa
cific coast. The mines were, however,
finally exhausted, the gold hunters for
sook the spot. the merchants closed their
stores, the saloons and the hurdy gurdys
and now the broad streets are flanked
by buildings falling into ruins. weeds
grow in the streets and the wooden side
walks have fallen into dust
On the main street, about half way
down, stands a two-story building of
unhewn stone. 1t is in fair condition,
save for the broken windows and por
ton of the roof that has fallen in under
\ I, 4
of the mountain that towers above it.
In 1852 this building was the publication
office of the Meadow Lake Daily -.
a seven column, eight page paper, that
was run to please the fancy of one of
the luckiest and at the same time one of
the most unfortunate men who were
conspicuous during the days Of the Cal
ifornia gold craze.
Jim Gagan was editor and proprietor
of the paper He was a whole-souled
Irishman who claimed a royal ancestry,
and when in funds threw around his
money with reckless good nature that
proved him high liver when circum-
stances afforded him the opportunity.
He had worked his way through the
printing shops of the Gulf to California,
and getting the gold craze, forsook the
printers stick and set out for Meadow
Lake on foot. He had a tough time of
it and when. after four weeks on the
trail. he walked into Meadow Lake he
was a pitiable looking object, weather.
beaten and rugged, but with spirits un-
daunteds and ideas bigger than house.
Gagan had money enough in his pocket
to buy mining outfit at secondhand,
and, friendless and alone, he set off for
the diggings back of the town. In re-
mote canyon through which ran a small
stream of water Gagan staked off
claim and set to work He struck color"
at the first blow Of the pick, and at the
close Of the day had taken out $3500
worth of dust. The canyon had not been
prospected before, and for a month Ga
gan labored alone, visiting the town only
to obtain provisions. At the end of the
month he was an immensely wealthy
man, the yield from his claim having in
creased in value each day. With his gold
he returned to Meadow Lake and made
his find known. He had ample evidence
to prove the truth of his statements, and
he had no difficulty in selling out his
claims for sum that, with what he had,
ran his wealth into the seven figures.
At that time there was population of
about 10000 people in Meadow Lake and
the field was still open to newspaper en-
terprise. There was not a railroad with
in several hundred miles of the town,
and the only mode of access was by
rough trail over the mountains, but Ga
gan had money and a disposition to
spend it, and he determined to start
newspaper. He set about building a
two-story stone structure to be utilized
as a printing office. In few weeks it
was ready for occupancy and Gagan
went east to purchase a newspaper
plant. 1t was nearly three months be-
fore he returned, but he brought with
him a first-class outfit, including CYL
inder press and a small engine. In due
time the paper was issued and typo
graphically It was a perfect newspaper.
Every man in town subscribed for it and
the business men patronized it literally.
Single copies sold for so cents each and
the subscription price for year was
$780, At one time the circulation reached
5000 daily, but Gagan was sinking money
in the venture very rapidly. He had to
pay his printers $40 day, and his other
employees were paid correspondingly
high wages Paper had to be brought
from the east around the Horn and car
ried to Meadow Lake on pack traiUL
Gagan had to keep a train of twenty fDe
mules, with half as many drivers, on the