Evening journal., 1897-10-01
well pAip FoR swggpINo
Miner Found IL Profitable TO Pan Out
the Snyvduat.

the Snwdust.
ayes" said the old miner who IS
known as a "forty-niner," IL am too
old to go to the Klondike fields, but it
brings back a lively remembrance of
the old days in California, when -four
sold at 500 barrel, and got my FIRST
start on the road TO fortune. Say, pard,
can you lend me a match?"
He could, and did. The old miner
twiddled It in his fingers for spell,
then he asked another question.
"Have you got any 'bacca?"
He was handed supply and told to
help himself.
"ThanlSee," he said, II carry my own
pipe. Now, about this new excitement
OF finding gold. it was just SO in 40 and
'5O-iust so Everybody going to Cali
fornia to make their everlasting for
tune! ] was a young feller then, and
] blew into camp with the rest, and be-
ing a tenderfoot / didn't at first get
the ghost of a show / wrote home TO
my folks in the east, but il took long
time to get mail service, and when the
letter came there was an express re-
ceipt for a small package. You'd never
guess in a dogs age what IL was. ] had
written home that wanted something
to keep body and soul together, and
they sent me bottle OF glue. Mean,
wasn't il? They thought that as ! had
been so brash to go, might get along
the best way could. II nerved me up
to make a spoon or spoil horn. say
YOU fellers weren't any of you born
then, so you can't remember Long
Toms saloon in Sonora"
There was a general disclaimer from
the crowd, and the old miner blew his
pipe alive and resumed his yarn.
Long Toms was the big saloon Of
the place, and drifted in and wntched
the men gambling. hoping that some OK
them would need an errand done and
send me. I was not in it with the
crowd, and I felt miserably lonesome
and homesick in that rough, lawless
community, where every man was
toughened and seasoned TO the life.
"As / said was watching the men,
some at tables gambling, the cards Gov
cred by sacks OF gold dust from which
they paid their bets and for the drinks.
| There would be line OF men at the
bar, aad as every drink cost so cents
the men who served them were contin.
ually weighing out gold dust, and they
didn't always stop to weigh il, but
scooped it out on a guess. Then It was
that an idea occurred to me that wa'
worthy of my down-east origin.
81 waited until II was getting late
and the men who had been assembled
there were dropping off, and wen
to the proprietor of the place-thl
hardest citizen there-and asked hin
if he would let me sweep out the salooi
for my breakfast. He answered m
with an oath and lifted his hand 4
strike me, but something he saw Il
my face made him change his mind
He said: Yes. and be id to YOU an'
with that uncivil permission went I
work. Although it was Sunday morn
ing the saloon was not to be closed
for some were playing who neve
! stopped, and these were watched by
crowd known as 'tin-horn' gamblers
thieves who stole the stakes when tn
men were not looking. and who wer
not meddled with, often on account @
the terror they inspired. The floor O
the place was a foot deep with sawdust
and as / swept one place clear move
the tables, the proprietor helping m
with a show Of authority, so that b.
sun up had the entire place swept an
garnished."
"Well, he gave you your breakfast
didn't he? What has that 20 do wit
your stroke of fortuneY
patience, gentlemen. When ha
swept that saloon / took the sweeping
down to the fume and they panned ou
! $500 of gold dust. kept on in tina
) paying business until l acquired
claim and struck rich ore. / made"
"a 4million?" Interrupted the crow
"No, gentlemen, but my expense
home again. But if had only stage
there Chicago Times-Herald.