Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-01-03
NUMBER 1.


Didn't pan out quite 20 rich this
week, eb?" said the clerk engagingly.
"No. " returned See Yup impassive.
ly. Next time be payee more"
When the third Saturday came with
the appearance Of See Yup and $3.50
worth Of gold dust, the clerk felt he
was no longer bound to keep the secret.
He communicated it 10 others, and
in "a hours the whole settlement knew
that See Yup's cody company were
taking out an average Of s+0O per week
from the refuse and tailings Of the old
abandoned Palmetto claim!
The astonisbment Of the settlement
was profound. Ia earlier days jealousy
and indignation at the success Uf these
degraded heathens might have taken a
more active and aggressive shape. and
il would have Jared i'll with See Yup
aud his companions. But the settlement
had become more prosperous and law
abiding. Thore were one or two eastern
families and some foreign capital al
ready there, and its jealousy and indig.
patton were restricted 10 severe inyesti-
gaticD aud legal criticism. Fortunately
for See iup, il was an old established
mining law that an abandoned claim
and IT. taIliDgs became the property ct
whoever ch, .c 10 work il. But il was
alleged that the See Yup company had
in reality struck lead
"a hitherto Unknown vein or original de.
posit Of golG not worked by the previous
company ID. having failed legally TO
declare 1t y pre-emption and public
registry, in heir foolish desire for Sc
crecy. had thus forfeited their right TO
the property. A surveillance Of their
working, however, did not establish
this theory. The gold that See Yup had
sent away was Of the kind that might
have been found in the tailings ovs
looked by the late Palmetto owners
Yet it was a very large yield for mere
refuse.
Them Palmetto boys were mighty
keerless aft they'd made their big
tlllht rDb w WI sttbf anu
reckon they threw lot Of gold away"
said Cy Parker, who remembered their
large handed recklessness in the flush
days" "On'y that we didn't think ID
was white mans W )rk 10 rake over an
other man leayin'. We might bev had
what them derned Cinnamon hey drop
ped into. Tell you what, boya we've
been u little too high and mighty. and
we'll hev 10 climb down."
At last the excitement reached its
climax, and diplomacy was employed to
effect what neither intimidation nor
espionage could secure. Under the pre-
tense Of desiring to buy out See Yup's
company n select committee Of the min
ers were permitted TO examine the prop
erty and it, workings They found the
great bank Of stones and gravel. repre-
senting the cast out debris OF the old
claim, occupied by See Yup and four or
five plodding automatic coolies. AT the
end of two hours the committee returned
10 the saloon bursting with excitement.
They spoke under their breath, but
enough was gathered to satisfy the Curl
ous crowd that See Ypp's pile Of tail
ings was rich beyond their expectations.
The committee had seen with their own
eyes gold taken out of the sand and
gravel 20 the amcunt Of $40 in the two
short hours Of their examination. And
the work had been performed IN the
stupidest, clumsiest yet patient Chinese
way. What might not white men do
with better appointed machinery A
syndicate was at once formed See Yup
was offered s20. 600 if he would sell ont
and put the syndicate IN possession OF
the claim in % hours. The Chinaman
received the offer stolidly. As he seemed
inclined 10 hesitate am grieved TO say
that il was lntimated 10 him that II he
declined he might be subject 10 embar-
RAISING and expensive legal prosecutions
to prove bis property, and that com.
panies would be formed 70 prospect
the ground on either side Of his heap OF
tailings. See Yup at last consented,
with the proviso that the money should
Ue paid in gold into the hands OF Chi
nese agent in San Francisco on the day
of the delivery Of the claim. The syndi-
cate made no opposition to this charac-
teristic precaution Of the Chinaman. IL
was like them not TO travel with money,
and the implied uncomplimentary sus-
piciOn ot danger from the community
was overlooked. See Yup departed the
day that the syndicate took possession.
he came To see me before he went. |
congratulated him upon his good for
tune. AZ ths same time / was embar-
raised by the conviction that he was un-
fairly forced into sale Of his property
at figure far below its real value.
think differently now.
AT the end uf the week IL was snid
that the new company cleared up about
$500 This was not a. much a. the
community had expected but the syn
dicate was apparently satisfied, and the
new machinery was put up. AZ the end
Of the next week the syndicate was
tlltlll ds tt lLtil Dai' va Nh''s
made q hurried visit to san Francisco.
Ii was said that he was unable TO see
either See Yup or the agent TO whom
the money was paid. Ii was also mo-
ticed that there was no Cbinaman re-
naming in the settlement. Then the
fatal secret was out.
The heap If taiIings had probably
never yielded the See fup company
more than $50 week, the ordinary
wage of such company. See fup had
conceived the brilliant idea OF boom.
ing" it on borrowed capital OF $500
in gold dust. which he openly transmit
ted by express TO his confederate and
creditor in San Francisco, who in turn
secretly sent il back to See fup by
cody messengers, to be again openly
transmitted to San Francisco. The
package Of gold dust was thus passed
backward and forward between debtor
and creditor to the grave editcatiop OF
the express company and the fatal Curl
osity Of the settlement When the syn
dicate had gorged the bait thus thrown
out, See Yup, ON the day the self in.
vited committee inspected the claim,
promptly ":alted" the tailings by con-
scientioasly distributing the gold dust
over it so'deftly that it appeared to be
its natural composition and yield.
l have only to bid farewell to See
Yup and close this "reminiscences Of
misunderstood man by adding the opin-
ion Of an eminent jurist in San Fran
cisco, TO whom the facts were submit
ted $50 clever was this alleged fraud
that it il extremely doubtful il al ac-
ton would lie against See Yup in the