The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-03-09
Diyed for Gold in Mountain Stream

Dlved for Gold Ill MOUNTAIN SsIehhi
Mr.. Jay McMonnies, who for th'
. past eight months has been in nortl
Georgia prospecting for gold, came
down yesterday for short stay il
Atlanta.
Mr.. McMonnies has been Il golt
seeker all his life, and as such ha'
figured in Australia, in Africa, and II
our golden west. And, he says, al
ways in hard luck.
But if Mr.. McMonnies cam hnc
nuggets, he can find incidents. Some
thing is always happening to him, OF
to somebody else in his presence. Ht
has mixed up with Indians, Hotten
tots, Australian Bushmen and Georgia
moonshiners, until he's stored with al
inexhaustible supply Of stories, jokes
and thrilling tales anent them. Be
tween drinks, yesterday, he told
enough Of such to supply Archibald
Clavering Gunter with theme and plot
and motif for an even dozen novels.
Mr. McMon1ies would spin story OF
crack Joke and when he had finished
somebody would "set EN- up Then
he'd tell another, and somebody would
"sct EN- up again. And 80 on and
on it went. Finally, after long
pause in which nobody offered move
toward the bar. Mr.. McMennies began
to fill his old briarwood pipe with sn
English brand Of tobacco, and after
lighting il and taking three or four
puffs, he reared back in his chair, and
as final effort, said
'But the doggoncdest thing of all
happened in north Georgia day before
yesterday and his keen blue cetic
began to fill with tears Of mirth.
After moment he managed to con-
troll himself enough to continue. 'lt
was up on some creek with bloody
Indian name. | had met up with a
fellow in Dahlonega who teld me that
he knew Of deep hole in that creek
into which he suspected q great deal
of gold had been washed. So he had
gotten himself diving suit. and was
on the lockout for partner to help
him in. the search. l volunteered to
be the partner, and forthwith we
started
I'VE got there all right and rigged
up the apparatus and prepared to get
the wealth. Ny partner got into the
suit screwed the helmet on, and
down he went. We had felled log
across the pool, and seated myself
on it holding the signal rope and
awaited the jerk that would notify me
he was ready to ascend.
'"Thc ripplcs on the surface had
scarcely died away when whole fami-
ly of mountaineers came down the
mountain side to where I was. They
had fishing lines and bait with them.
and had evidently come down to the
pool as their favoritc place for try at
mountain trout.
"Hello, Mister! What ye doin'?"
greeted the head Of the family.
"Fishing, says |.
Must 'spect to kctch er whale,
jcdging from thcr size of yer line.
cat this the entire family laughed,
and began to dispose themselves
around the edge Of the water. Soon
they were all absorbed in their ang-
ling-all except the old man. Pres
emily my partner jerked the rope to
come up.
"You got bite, sure enough, Mis-
ter, lie said, in astonishment, as he
saw the signal.
81 arose and commenced hauling in.
The evident weight that was on the
end of the rope almost petriicd them.
They couldn't understand it, and not
being able to understand it, began to
get uneasy asked the old man to
help me. Hc came timidly cut to
where [ was. and laid hold of the line.
His wonder and fear increased with
every pull. Just before my partner
got to the top he turned aloose and
started back to the bank. With one
mighty effort | lifted my partner high
enough for him to throw his arms
around the log The old man blarted
out an oath as he caught sight of the
hsrrid looking diving bell with it's
cyclopean eye, the old woman scream
ell and the children yelled and the
whelc business were off and away up
the mountain side in less time than
it'll take me to kill another drink.
aud che lrishman led in the laughter
that followed his wonderful vivid sc-
~. L.