Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1898-07-15

got into the little, old dilapidated
town up in the Sierras none Of its in
habitants appeared to know, but most
OF them were extremely anxious to as
certain. Seldom it was that auy one
went to the town. Apparently there
was no particular reason why any one
should. The surrounding scenery
was grand, it is true, but the town
could make no claim to being an es-
sential part of the grandeur. Its one
street struggled up the mountain-side
for short distance and lost its way
in the forest. A long, ramshackle
hotel" several despondent-looking
stores and number of saloons made
up what it was pleased to call the
business portion of the town. On all
sides and as far as the eye could see,
however, were the imperishable eyi-
dences Of what this little town once
had been-the centre Of a natural
wealth almost inconceivable. Vast
areas of white and yellow and reddish
clay, mountains scanned and gashed
and cut in twain, miles Of rusty and
disiointed gigantic iron pipes told
OF The days wheu the miners with ny
draulic guns ''held up" Nature and
forced it to deliver its treasure.
But all that was long ago. and il is
only pleasant memory with the little
.own now, and to the strangers not
unnatural inquiry as to how the peo-
pie supported themselves came the
cheerful aud cannibalistic reply that
shey lived on one another"
The stranger sat on box outside
one of the stores, beside one of the
citizens, and soon found himself listen
ing to monologue offered for his en-
tertainment. 1t would have been a
dialogue between them, but the en-
tertainer would not have it that way.
An old man, with grizzled beard and
weather beaten face, was he. The
stranger noticed, with some surprise,
that, although stained aud rusty, his
long frock coat and the trousers stuck
into his boots were of good broad
cloth. A very conspicuous watch
chain, huge diamond pin in a set
ting of tobasco-stained shirt front,
and the entire absence of collar made
up somewhat incongruous appear
ance.
eyes, you're right" began the en-
tertainer. starting the monologue with
considerable energy. ''this town amt
worth a whoop today, but you o1ghter
seen it onct. Amt forty miner my
self, and you got to make a good deal
of allowance for what some Of these
old has-beens tell you, but they all do
say it was a hummer before they
stopped hydrauleeking. You oughter
get old Nuggets to tell you somethin'
about it. Amt We met Nuggets yet?
Well, you should, for he's about the
only sight we got in town only
thing til town brags about and p'ints
out to strangers. Nuggets was here
---or somers about heretofore they
ever did any hydrauleeking when
everything was placer and sluice-min-
ing. He'll tell you his story III tell
it without bein' asst. I've heard it
40 often that / know it myself. He
likes to hear himself talk. He was
one o. the first to come acrost the
plains--leastways that's what he says
and when he got here he Just mach
orally stayed. He KEN around by the
old emigrant trail back o. Lake Tahoe
and into Hangtown. Hangtown We
know, that's what they called Placer
vile in them days-was a great place
then. Meals was three dollars and so
was beds; whisky was four bits and
two bits a drink, accordin' as how
you wanted it--and -four was ten dol
lars for a small sack. Course, We
know, most all supplies KEN around
the Horn to Frisco, was boated up to
Sacramento and teamed out to the
mines from there. Business was
good in California in them days.
Most everyone had money, and it
twarn't no trick to get it. The ericks
and river bottoms was full o. gold, and
anyone could take a shovel, pick aud
rocker and wash out as much as he
liked. Course, that sort O. thing
spoilt the Argonauts, as they call
'eni, or a good many of 'em anyhow
would "a spoilt most anyone. Kinder
seemed to them that the supply would
last forever, and they didn't worry
much and wasn't perticuler about saw
in it. They was all about alike, aud
after a fellow had worked purity hard
for awhile aud cleanel up little pile
she'd get to thinkin' he needed relax
alton, and down he'd go to Frisco and
blow in his pile. Then he'd strike
the trail for the goldfields for another
stack Of blue chips.
ssCourse everyone had partner in
them days, and this here Nuggets had
one by the name o. wilkins. One
day tn y KEN into this town with a
nugget that was a corker. Was as
big as your hatred cinnabar, with
chunks O. pure gold stickin' out of it
all around. The ieweler offered 'em
$500 for it. but they wouldn't sell it.
Nuggets said there was more OF it where
it KEN from, but no one believed him.
Everybody thought that Nuggets aud
wilkins had found a small pocket, and
that was all there was to it; but some
o. these pockets are good enough for a
pore man, anyhow.
'sThat night there was an awful
windstorm, and two days afterwards
Nuggets was found comm out O. Rat
tlesnake Canon over there plum crazyS
They brought him into town. and all
they could get out of 'em was a string
of the foolishest words ye ever heard
of. He didn't say much else for a
good many years afterwards youster
sit around the town here aud get it of
to himself Went somethin' like this
Changed all the trees in the
Rattlesnake moved 'em and mixed
EN- all up. Might a been dream,
but don't think so. Ask Bill-he
knows. Put a shot in her. Seen