The Washington bee., 1899-04-29

sible for sep rating Them From Th.tx
Wealth-Failed to see the Boxes Which
Were Put Aboard at Omaha.
ut was an even ton of gold" Baid
Bob HarWOOd that Long Williams,
b. Dingee and Clute Mullen took out
Of Confederate Gulch in ,64. And when
| recall their experiences in getting 1T
East, where they expected to live hap
PLY ever afterward. I'm reminded of
the sprinter who ran hard, but Stum-
bled at the tape. and thereby lost his
money and the race.
''Of course, they knowed they had q
job before 'em, for the Sioux was bad,
md so was the Blackfeet. Moreover,
there was the ride down the Missouri,
and in boat of their own making
And. besides. that. their ton of gold
weighed over 1000 poundS-for they
wasn't cheating themselves-and a
ton of most anything honest weight is
a pretty big handicap for one to make
speed with in goin' through a hostile
country. However. Il party similarly
burdened had got through all right,
and KNOWN this fact they didn't heSi-
tate minute about fOllowin' Long
Williams seen to gettin' the grub; b.
Dingee hired the escort and Clute Null
len made his chief worry to rent the
teams and weapons. And thus
equipped they started out for Boston,
at the head of the Missouri, in the late
fall of "a.
''At Benton the escort turned back.
Long Williams hated to see 'em go.
Now, says Clute, we can say
without lyin' that our troubles is
about to begin TO which Long Will
ans and b. Dingee agreed.
After numerous hardships and
lairbreadth escapes from Indians, the
voyagers reached Sioux City, where
they found the steamer Deer Lodge,
Oelated on it's -the-river journey,
because of disabled machinery. and
was there tied up; but with everything
fixed again, it was on the point of re-
sumin' its trip to ST. Louee. SO the
oOys were just in time The luck of
.he thing made 'em feel so good that
after seeing that their gold was
slowed away in their big stateroOm,
hey started in to quench everybOdy's s
thirst. including their own.
AT Omaha neither Clute nor Long
could see the town for the haze. AS
fOr Il. Dingee. he was out and out
blind. So none of 'em took particular
notice of another passenger gettin'
aboard at this point, nor appeared to
see the half a dozen boxes, similar to
heir own, that he had the deckhands
.arry up to his state room. Nor did
he boys know when the Deer Lodge
NnI, c,I-
IF the passengers and box or two
eft the boat: and at st. Joe all three
we're a-snOrin' in their berths. Yet, at
It. Joe. all the other remainin' jolly
'ellOws and all the other boxes parted
company with the steamboat. and
neither Chute. nor Long nor B. Dingee
vas present to say gOod-by. But i'm
passing LeavenwOrth the boys walked
I'D. The first thing they seen was
heir boxes, looking just as natural as
ife, and standin' right there where
hey'd slowed 'em.
"Thpn they caught glimpse of a
lig sign stretched along the river
1ank. saying that tcamSters for Den
fer was wanted. And Seein' it. and
leSpite their feeln' ut the time-fOr
heir heads ached terribly-they
glanced ut each other and grinned.
'or all had skinned r.uleS or whacked
mules ut one time or another. and
seeing the sign brought the recOllec-
ion back.
II reckon sa"s Long Williams.
.lancin' sideways at the boxes, that
With ton o gold at our fists we'll
lot apply But what was the name O.
hat camp. and. moreover, when are
We To get to st. LOuee? And they went
)ut to look up the steward. get a few
,ye-Openers, and incidentally to find
,ut
Now. as the steamboat was ap-
| )roachin' st. LOUee the boys went in
o one OF the box. to get some dust
| hey owed the steward B. Dingee
)ried off the lid and stared, while
4ong and Clute stepped out to see the
| taterOOm number. thinkin' they'd got
| nto the wrong place by mistake. But.
10, it was theirs all right. Then they
| Ill went to prying off lids. and the rae
let they made brought a dozen people
| o their door Then Long Williams
| ;eein' that the last lid was off, says in
| terrible voice:
Hang me, if they hain't stole our
] gold and give us scrap irOnt' and he
| .lared about him. ready to kill the
| irSt one that denied it, For il was the
)lain truth. and everybody could see it
well. the upshOt of it was that.
| here. with the spires o st. Louee in
| sight, they put back in their yawl up
: stream for St Joe and Nebraska City.
! where they wanted to find the Jolly
| 'ellows who, the captain said, had got
/ ,ff at them points with boxes similar
! theirs Bat they never found 'em.
| Yet they put in the winter huntin'
! ,ound like moles. And then. spring
.omin'. they remembered the big sign
1t LeavenwOrth. Then B. Dingee
| avs:
We'll, boys. it's bulls again
| land Confederate says Clute.
where I've still got claim to divide
amen says Long Williams, and
| heir caravan pulled out.
Now. | seen 'em all over at Con-
| iederate that same fall. They was
ninin'. but they wasn't gettin' no ton
! ! gold. They had had their shy at a
| reap o. money. and fortune seldom
/ BATS the same men on the back twice.
| Yet they had done mighty well con-
| idering the chances they'd took. And
| % I told 'em. addin' too, what | said