The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-08-21
An Admiral Of AirShips.
BY ELWYa |. HOFFMAN.


ing this story. Clark. with his pipe
in his mouth and q reminiscent express
sion in his gray eyes. He is lying under
the rough shed of the old blacksmith
shop, which, like big bat, clings 10
the mountain side just where the great
North Yuba makes sharp bend and
roars down the canyon towards Clim-
Minis point. Before him, at his feet.
there are few yards of almost level
ground--a sort OF platform, in fact--
dug out of the steep mountain side, on
which stands the shop. From the outer
edge of this platform IL is a sheer drop
of a hundred feet 20 the bed of the
river below; and above it the mountain
rises SO steeply and so woodedly that
one cannot see its top. From one side
of the platform n narrow, twisting
trail leads down 10 the river; and from
the other side a rutty wagon road winds
up at very steep grade and disappears
| from view among the gray nut pines
and the green poison-oalS bushes that
uSover the hills. Ii was down this mar
bw road that Clark and his outfit came.
1.-Two wagons and four horses, 10 say
nothing Of dog and q rough-looking
boy. comprise Clark's "outfit," and
Clark is peddler who runs fruit and
vegetable wagons between Marysville
and Browns valley.
A mile or so down the river at CHM
minis point, there are Indians at work
I'm the gravel, and once n week Clark
comes down here 10 sell them fruit.
On the little platform in front Of the
old shop he camps, and the Indians,
I'm parties OF two, three, and half
dozens come up the twisting trail
from the river and dclxer with him for
all sorts of fruit. They are not stingy,
these Indians-what 10 them are the
little PARTICLES OF bright stuff they
wash from the river bed, when they
are hungry for watermelons and such
things, and Clark shows them how
much he will give them in exchange
And Clark weighs the dust in the little
scales chat never lie," and they go
back TO their rude windbrealS, or
rough shanty, minus their weeks ear
nings, but enriched by boxes Of plums
and other fruits.
Once in awhile Clark camps over
night az this old shop, and whenever he
does all the Indians near there, some
two or three dozen, come up and camp
with him Wild times they have then;
for Clark always brings n big jug OF
bad whisky when he comes, and some
u ow the Indians get hold Of IL. CLARK
himself has not told rue his-Clarl
- AYERS that the stuff that transform,
"Scar-Faced Dick" from peaceabl,
citizen TO the "Terror Of the Hills" /.
brought 90 the Yuba In bottles anc
drawn from barrel which reposes be
hind the bar OF n saloon In French Cor
raj, five or six miles away. But how
ever this may be, whisky the Indians
get; and the more whisky they get, tn
more trade Clark enjoys. Guileles
Clark
Clark has made his sales, and hi
wagon is almost empty. The boy an,
the dog and one team have gone up tn
valley, and Clark Is only waiting I,
smoke bit before he also pulls out
And so, while he rests, lying on tn
soft, smooth pine needles that hav
sifted i'm under the shed, his pipe II
his mouth and his long legs out
stretched, he is telling story to a ma
who Is devouring some big blue plum
as though he had been tramping Owe
the hills for two long hours. And thi
IS the story he tells:
There's somethin' goin' on dow
here among the Injuns. / don't lno'
exactly what it is, but / think it's some
thin concernin old Potts. Who
Potts? Well. I'll tell you who Pott
IS. Potts Is n squaw-man; but tina
mint all, Potts Is crazy. But before j
became lunatic-who was he? Wei
ne was Potts, that's all-Leyi Potts &
= Ohio. lie came out to California in til
early days and he went into minini
He didn't pan out much at it-didn
get into the savvey OF IL, ] guess; an.
way, he didn't get rich, and so he wer
20 work for people mp here in the hill
You know Charley Coles ranch {
bridgeport? Well, you've noticed thel
stone walls, one on each side o the ron
there by the house? Potts built thcr
lie put all them big rocks in place wit
his hands, one on top the other, Il
he had fence made that reckon WI
last good while longer'n he viii.
was no picnic 10 build them wall
either. for them rocks was pretty heft
/ tell YOU. But Potts was strong u
strongcst man at liftin' TINT ever can
into the hills. Did you ever see hin
No? Well, he's n six-footer, broa
shouldcred, straight, and with arr
long and jist big punches OF muscle
He's not as strong now as he was ono
but in spite of the life he's led and Z
years he's passed, he's strong enoul
10 handle two or three ordinary men,
"Well, after Potts was in the III
here for awhile he got to teamin' on
road. IL was while he was teamin III
he began to git looney. The long hea
grades. the hot summer the sweat a
the dust, seemed 20 break him dow