Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02

go round. ana not nearly enough of the pleas
anter side OF life. At the same time every
man who was there and is still living Will
on the occasion of this jubilee look back
to the old days with many a regret. The
scenes and characters have never. believe,
been duplicated in any mining district in the
world. l have read many descriptions of life
in the old camps but none of them seemed
to have got deep down into the human life
of the thing. There were many facts and in
cdents which have never been recorded and
yet they were essentially typical of the old
days and stood out prominently, and will be
remembered by any "forty-niner."
CURIOUS CHARACTERS.
"Characters met with in no other part of
the world outside of mining fields congre-
gated there-brokendown and dissipated
preachers gamblers, horse thieves, lawyers
doctors clerks men of every nationality and
of good and bad repute But so strictly were
the laws of meum and tuum enforced in i'm
partial trials by miners jury that cabins
and camps were left without lock-, bolt or
bar, often with great value in gold dust or
other property left therein, but few in
stances of theft occurred, murder being FAR
more frequent than robbery. Saloon rows
were of daily or weekly occurrence, and
there were always one or more victims TO
be planted with their boots on. Gambling
was carried on openly at all times. more
especially from Saturday night TO Monday
morning, and the weekly earnings OF the
Miners generally were in the pockets OF tine
gambler on the latter day Every mining
camp boosted of its typical bad man o.
men, and at slight provocation the revolver
| made itself heard and another victim was
| credited 10 the already large score of the
| desperate.
Zone of the typical characters whom j
! recall was a man named Bronson a good
| looking, well-meaning fellow. without edu-
| cation but with intense desire not to let
| the lack of 1t appear Whenever he heard
! a word not in common use he treasured IL
| up, and whenever opportunity to use 1t pre-
sented itself he was sure to bring IL INTO
| the conversation. Thus he heard the word
| auondam' Seated one day on a saloon
! porch when a woman went by, he was
asked who she was, and made answer: Why,
| that is Mrs. Smith quondam Miss Jones.
| AS a special and greatly desired favor he
| was invited to one of the infrequent wed
dngs that took place in the section. The
| bride a girl of IA had attended school in
| San Francisco for several months, and being
also the daughter of the stage driver Ia
high functionary In those diays) 1t was es-
| teemed mark of great favor to receive an
invitation to her wedding. After the cefe-
mony Bronson was seen in conversation with
| the bride, and the following conversation be-
| tween them was overheard
| "'Was you right glad to get hitched up
| Miss Nellie?'
| "'Well no; but dad sort of reckoned ii
was about time seen' as l had finished my
| education
Coin to hang out in the old dig
gins?'
90 Sort O. think will Bilrs got right
smart show to pan out well in the Lottle
| This mining claim).'
| Still Miss Nellie, 1t sorter beats me
| after swingn' round with them high-tone
gallutes in Frisco how you can content
yourself in these nefarious hills, absentary
| from all female sociabilNy.'
|
| Bronson was exceedingly desirous o
rarrying, and, the population having beer
| increased by enc or more of the gentler sex
he Immediately endeavored to secure the
affections of a girl named Lizzie. HIS al
| tentions we're not relished and Lizzie saiC
one day to a friend: If ne comes my way
| much more | will scald him with dish water.
| This was impaired to Bronson. PreVousl!
he had consulted a friend as to the proper
| way of making his desires known to Lizzie
The friend advised him to dress himselt II
his best clothes, call upon her and when sh'
| cCened the door to him t4s presumably she
| would) and say: Good evening, Mr.. Bronson
| walk in and take a seat-to act promptly
| on the invitation and If possible get sea
| beside Lizzie on the sofa, where his owl
| good judgment and sense would tell MN
| what TO do next
.1Some days after this lessen Bronson wa!
discovered in a retired place in what seemed
| to be the act of rehearsing his prospective
Dart. First he knocked at an imaginar!
door; then removed his hat from his mead
made low bow, and, speaking Slowly AM
distinctly, said: Good evening, Miss Lizzie.
| Then followed a short pause, when, presum
ably, Miss Lizzie said: Good evening, Mr.
Bronson. '~0n't you walk in and take seat?
Finally with the utmost distain and scorl
upon his face, and with the profanity usua
in such cases Bronson turned upon hi
heel saying: Not much; only tell me whel
you're going to scald your hogSg
zone can realize how great was the eX
ctement occasioned by the advent OF womei
of any character into camp OF that de
scripti0n. A peculiar incident in the earl
history of the mining sections was the hir
ing of girls in Germany for the edifcatio
of the miners Contracts We're made VIII
them in the old country by which paymen
OF their passage to California was secured
with provision for sufficient remuneratio
while IL pursuit OF their calling. Thes
girls were characterized as hurdy-gurdys
There we're always four in a band, with a
old woman as duenna and young boy VIII
played upon an accordion. Their comm
was heralded for months previous. Inme
diatey upon arrival OF the troupe the bllliar
table was removed from one of the saloo
floors the girls We're seated on a roug
bench or stood in row by the wall. III
accordian struck up set for quadrille wa
formed. or waltz played, the miners leadin
out the girls without the formality of an In
PRODUCTION. After the whirl they were pal
outright 25 or so cents sometimes mo- e
drinks were ordered at the bar to rccompens
} the saloon keeper for the loss OF billiar
, table profits, and night after night the seen
was re-enacted until the funds of the cam
! were at as low an ebb as in the Ordlnar
small town after the departure of a circus
Yet. to the credit of the girls, be II sal
they were not only temperate, drinkin
l nothing but soda water or sarsaparilla, bu
free from other vices and afterward Marie
we'll and became valued and respected men
: bers OF a not too exclusive society. Natu
rally. in a community whore women wer
scarce they received the adulation of IN
2 entire male population, and offers OF MAJ
! riage were showered upon them by th
miners, to whom a smile from a woma
/ meant happlness beyond comprehensive