The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-12-10
ut he him, but they all say that $1,000 is too 81

never asked him any questions, but he
volunteered the information that it
was of good ore, but at that distance
from railroad it could not be handled
at a profit. One day one of the boys
found his certificate blowing about the
camp. 1t contained no figures, only a
statement of what his find consisted,
and that hereafter to insure an answer
he had better iuclose stamp, as the Of
flee could not afford to lose the postage
in replying to the queries of alfalfa
miners. The finder tackled this on to
the postoffice door, but Sam only grin
ned, and said 1--WE all got to learn
He was so persistent and Industrious
in his determination to strike it rich"
that we finally began to have fellow
feeling for him and to appreciate his
pluck; sympathy he did not need. He
was jolly and good-natured, did not
drink to excess and was never known
to turn card for money. In friend
1y game in his tent. the suggestion of
draw at only dollar limit was al
ways met by his quiet statement that
he never played for money, that he was
raised different, and, besides, his mon
ey "eame so hard" that he knew he
would be bad loser. He was always
ready with his sympathy when anoth-
er's ledge '.pinched," ''petered" or
"broke off" and encouraged him all he
could; always had song OF story for
a bad night; and in the event of sick
ness OF injury had some simple remedy
in the way of poultices that his mother
FUSED TO use" In fact, he was one of
those happy -go-lucky, light-hearted fell
lows, handy about camp and friend
to everybody, but one could not get rid
of the impression that he didn't have
any more sense than the law allowed"
Therefore, it was accepted as matter
of course, when a tenderfoot struck
camp one Cay in the first stages of des-
ert fever, that Sam should take entire
charge of him and dose him with wild
sage and ''squaw" tea and concoct ap-
petizing dishes from bacon, beans, rice
and flour. Some of us dropped in &C.
casionally on our way to or from work
to learn the patients condition and to
offer suggestions, but Sam was consid-
cred head nurse.
As q ..stayer," malarial or Chagres
fever is not to be compared to desert
fever. The latter drags along and
hangs on day after day, week after
week, and although the patient may be
able TO crawl about he is weak, debili-
tated and nerveless and don't care a
rattle out of the box" whether he lives
or dies. This was the condition of that
tenderfoot. During the middle of the
day he dragged himself about the camp
in the sun, but the remainder of the
time he spent in his bunk in his tent.
One night, when most of the boys were
assembled in the Bedrock" Sam came
in, and, going up to the bar, drank
alone, contrary to his usual cuStcin.
then turned his back on the crowd.
leaned his elbow on the bar and gazed
out into the darkness, Mt the same time
twisting his mustache 1ercely, as if
worried over something.
WHATS wrong, Sam? Patient dead ~
some o9e asked.
sNo," said Sam, 'but he's a-layin' up |
there wishin' he was. tell you, pard- |
ners," he continued. turning to the |
crowd. 'Isve been In hard luck myself |
-so'ye.all Of us, guess--an' seen 9TH |
ers in hard luck. but that poor cuss up
there's IN the hardest streak of luck
ever see. He's plum down to bedrock
All gary color
That's uoih.n, Sam; we've al been I