The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-10-25
The Peoples Journal.
PICkENS =. 9.
THE LAST CHANCE.

kitchen where she was busy Ill the
prcparation of the evening meal.
dyes, and have bad news. The
mill broke down this afternoon, and
the proprietor says they won't run any
more this season he says the sale OF
lumber is dull and he won't start up
again until fall"
"I am 80 sorry ~ said Mrs. Long,
supprcssing an exclamation OF dismay.
uI don't know what we will do,'
said he, gazing dcicctcdly out of the
window. "I suppose" he continued,
"thc mill would have shut down before
long had the accident not happened,
but expected the run TO last several
weeks longcr.'
Mr.. Long had moved from Kansas
60 Oregon three years before. Two
wears successive drought in Western
Kansas, where he had moved his lalh-
ily and taken a homestead, had re-
duccd him TO such straightcncd clr-
cumstanccs, that he was compelled TO
sell his claim for 4 small sum anu
move away. Having heard Of the op-
portuntics in Oregon Tor home-Scck-
crs, he concluded to make his way
thithcr.
The character Of the country WAS
new to him instead Of the smooth,
arabic prairie stretching away INTO the
distance as far as the eye could follow,
he found narrow valleys hcmmcd in
between lofty, preci cipitous mountains.
The land III The valleys and along the
the creeks had long ago been settled :;
and the available land left for settle
mcnt was hilly, the soil poor, and COW
cred with timber which would take
time and much hard labor to clear
However, he concluded to settle down,
helped to this conclusion by the fact
that his money was nearly gone. AnN'
OlS to secure !, home, and rs he had
used his homestead right in Kansas, he
concluded TO avail himself of the lib
eral offer Of railroad land--thc railroad
company requiring onc-tcnth down.
lie selected eighty acres on Bear Creek.
"It will never be much OF ! place, v
he told his wife, "but 1t will at least
be Il homc.'
eyes, Henry" she chccriully re-
spondcd, "it won't be what we looked
forward to when We were married, but
in some ways think we will like ii
here the climate is delightful and
| believe we will get along all right
The first year he got work IN "A saw
mill three miles up the clcck. In less
than year the mill was destroyed by
fire. The loss fell 50 heavily upon the
owner, that nearly two years elapsed
before the mill was rebuilt. In the
meantime he worked around at what
ever he could find TO do ; and when
he failed to get work, he busted him.
aclf clearing the "ranchn and imprOv,
ing rs much as his limited means
would permit. Now he felt uttcrl,
discouraged. How could he provide
for his family between now and fall {
Work would be scarce, and he wei
knew that several Of Tie mill hands
were situated very much like himself
"IIenry, don't worry about it nc
doubt we can manage some way," SAID
ais wife encouraglngly.
"What cheerful way you have OF
looking at everything. If the house
were burning down no doubt you
would find something pleasant to occu-
py your mind"
"Wcll have yet to hear of worry
helping anybody" was. the smiling re-
spOnse.
eyes, but in this case don't see
how you can expect a fellow to help
it," lac returned disconsolatcly. "I
have a wife and four children TO pro,
vide for, and no way Of earning a dol
lar that | can see now"
elf you can't Get work, why moi
try prospccting2 The Bailey mine
over across the mountain, is paying
well and Mrs. Bailey told me, tho
last time | met her in town, that Mr.
Bailey said that there is Just as hkcl,
to be good mines on Bear Creek as
anywhere"
"l have never thought of prospect
!ng, and | don't suppose ! would be
lucky enough to find anything but, .
he added after few moments rcilcc.
ton, 81 might try it few days. .Jcn.
Glns, who worked at the mill, is an old
prospcctor, and have often heard him
tell how prospecting is done, and OF
the lucky strikes he mas made but as
nc is as poor as any Of us, | never hat
much confidence in his storics.'
The next morning Mr.. Long staltc(
out in search of gold. Though lie ha,
but little hopes of success yet tha
hope that has dominated the lives O.
many Il sturdy prospcctOr, and Whlcl
many have taken to the grave unreal
lied, seemed to grow upon him, so tt
speak. lie climbed the steep noun
tain side, picking up pieces of noa
quartz, and carefully examining then
to see if he could see any gold. III
toilcd up the mountain until about hal
way to the top ; then he took his wa
along the side of the slope, watchin!
the ground closely, in hopes that h
might pick up piece Of "noat" il
which the gold could be seen. To
ward noon he turned his steps home
ward. When about half way home, h,
came to a place where considerable
float lay scattered over the ground
lie saw no gold III what he picked up
and concluding it was barn en- like all h,
had found, ho was about to continue
hia tyaV down tho hill wbnn fb,