The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-07-27
NUGGETS'S FORTUNE.
A pIoSEE8's SToRY.

nHDltuntS uppeuftu w huoN, ptt hioot
of them were extremely anxious to as
certain. Seldom it was that any 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 mountsin-side
for short distance and lost its way
in the forest. A long, ramshackle
''hotel," several despondent-looking
stores and a number of saloons made
up what it was pleased TO call the
business portion of the town. On all
sides and as far rs the eye could see,
however, were the imperishable evil
dences of what this little town once
had been-the centre of 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
disjointed gigantic. iron pipes-told
of the days when the miners with hy-
draulic guns "held mp" Nature and
forced it to deliver its treasure.
But all that was long ago, and it is
only pleasant memory with the little
town now, and to the strangers not
unnatural inquiry as to how the peo-
pie supported themselves came the
cheerful and cannibalistic reply that
they ''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 and 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 set
ting of tobacco-stained shirt front,
and the entire absence of collar made
mp a somewhat incongruous appear
ance.
"Yes, you're right" began the en-
tertainer, starting the monologue with
considerable energy, "this town amt
worth whoop today, but you oughter
seen it onct. Amt forty-niner my
self, and you got to make good deal
of allowance for what some of these
old has-beens tell you, but they all do
say it was 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 tn 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 Ill tell
it without beir' asst. I've heard il
30 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
|
and into Hangtown. Hangtown-ye
know, that's what they called Placer
vile in them days-was great place
then. Meals was three dollars and Sc
was beds; whisky was four bits ant
two bits n drink, accordin' as how
you wanted it--and -four was ten dol
lars for small sack. Course, y,
Epour ,,,not oil eun,liaa l-an, oraun.
r the Horn to Frisco, was boated up Il
Sacramento and teamed out to tn,
mines from there. Business wa
good in California in them days
Most everyone had money, and i
twarn't no trick to get it. The crick
and river bottoms was full O. gold, ant
anyone could take a shovel, pick an,
rocker and wash out as much as h
liked. Course, that sort o. thin
spoilt the Argonauts, as they cal
'em, or a good many of 'em anyhow
} would "a spoilt most anyone. Kinde
seemed to them that the supply woul
last forever, and they didn't worr
much and wasn't perticuler about say
In it. They was all about alike, an
after fellow had worked purity har
for awhile and cleaned up little pill
, he'd get to thinkin' he needed rela,
alton. and down he'd go to Frisco an
blow in his pile. Then he'd strik
the trail for the goldfelds for anothe
. stack Of blue chips.
+ "Course everyone had partner
3 them days, and this here Nuggets ha
one by the name o. wilkins. On
!. day tn y KEN into this town with
nugget that was corker. Was a
J big as your hatred cinnabar, wit
4 chunks o. pure gold stickin' out Of
, oil around. The ieweler offered 'el
$500 for it, but they wouldn't sell i
? Nuggets said there was more o. II whe,
I II KEN from, but no one believed hin
: Everybody thought that Nuggets an
wilkins had found . small pocket, au
that was all there was to II; but son
o. these pockets are good enough for
9ore man. anyhov.