The San Francisco call., 1897-08-12

forty minute talk is dwarfed by tbe>vislt
OF two honest hsrd-working Trinity
county miners yesterday from the
heretofore considered worked-out dig
glngs near Trinity Center. There is no
lack of interest and romance in the story
OF the Coffee Creek discoveries, as COM
pared with the struggles and success of
Klondike fortune-huuters, unless il be that
the heroes and heroines of Coffee Creek
went in without sealskin coats and with
one or two days grub and worked and
toiled on American soil and in climate
such as Gods country" only can boast or
The ups and downs of the Graves
brothers, resulting in their sudden Monte
Cristo-like Jump from poverty to aff1uence,
demonstrates that truth is stronger than
fiction.
In 1889 the brothers, then residents of
Tehama County, pulled up stakes and
started for Trinity. The only available
assets of the brothers was a small band
of cattle, all but one of which they lost
shortly after reaching Trinity County.
They located on adjoining farms and
found ranching in the hills an uphill
business. R. B. Graves, the elder brother,
married Shasta County girl and few
years thereafter the younger brother led a
Trinity County girl to the altar as poor
mans wife.
Through thick and thin the brothers
stuck together, and they found during the
Us of their adversely, when the wolf OF
hunger stalked ever and anon near their
door, that they had drawn prizes in the
matrim onial lottery.
In 1890, discouraged almost into despair,
the brothers sought TO better their condl-
ton by wooing Dame Fortune via quartz
ledge. This investment cost them but
tritie, location notice being the founda-
ton and $100 annual assessment the
yearly investment
In 1895 they located the Blue Jay" mine
on Coffee Creek and well nigh exhausted
their meager supply in opening up the
claim.
SIX children were added to the house
hold expenses of the elder brother, while
j. B., the handsome but less strong
younger brother, had a vile and one child
to remind him that it cost more to keep
three than it did to live single.
An epoch in their lives occurred few
months alter investing their all in the
Blue Jay. A pocket out of which $500 was
taken lifted the curtain of poverty tenn
porarily from the door of the two families
and then it gave out as quickly as 1t came
in. Despairing of getting any more out oil
the Blue Jay they abandoned it and took
up placer claim lower down Coffee
Creek. After a few months work they
were offered $3.50 for their new claim,
which they accepted more on account OF
their depleted treasury than for their lack
of faith in mining.
With the $3.50 they paid their bills as far
as possible and went back to the ranch
On August 2, 1897, the brothers held
consultation, and after their cabinet had
met and discussed the situation the wives
urged them to go back and try the Blue
Jay once more.
R. B. Graves, the elder, who is typical
matter Of fact husband and father, said to
his younger brother, John, L move that
we take the women's advice for while,
anyhow" John said, "TlI go you" And
back to the Blue Jay they went.
They found evidence of much prospect
ing on their claim. On Saturday, August
Z, they cleaned out the cut and twenty
foot tunnel and found themselves back
where they left off.
John said: bob, Pn take pan out of
this rotten seam and go down to the creek
and wash it OUT"
He had gone but a few moments when
Bob, with two blows of his pick and
within TWO inches of where they had quit
work before, uncovered a pocket that al
most made him think his name was Berry
and that he was in Klondike
What did you do, Bob?" asked his
friend, Lawyer Smith, as he watched his
animated countenance aa he told OF the
find.
"Dol Why I yelled like - and am
hoarse yet. l gathered up ran and
rushed down to the creek. where John
was yelling like an Indian. In fact we
both yelled ourselves out. When 1 came
in sight of John he and Henry Carter
(who was working for us) were bending
over s4O0 pan, and when yelled, John,
l got enough for US ALL he smiled and
said, I've got good color here myself
There was $4,000 in the pan l brought
out"
How did YOU feel when you found you
had struck it for sure?" asked The CALL
correspondent.
Il felt just as I did when the fellow who
tied the knot for me and Mrs. Graves said,
L pronounce you man and wife, so help
me God, sit down. You fellows who
never were married to one of the best
women on earth have no idea how it feels
when you strike it'
Bob said: Il don't know how did feel.
l kind OF felt all over in spots. We took
bucket full of the stuff home that night,
arriving home about O'Clock. Maybe
you hink there wasn't hot time in the
Graves cabins that night" said Bob, and