Iron County register., 1900-03-01

he said. But while Mr.. Blackman is
old, he does not look it. He is hale
and hearty; and when a Sunday Re
public maj called to ask him about his
proposed trip he found him in the coal
shed vigorously saving wood. The
old man is hale and hearty. His arms
are the arms of a strong man in his
prime. His step is firm, and what lit
tie stoop there is to his shoulders has
come to him as much from the nature
Of his occupation as from age. He is
not poverty-stricken by any means.
He owns the home that he lives ip, at
No. 1926 Baldwin street, and he also
owns some 800 acres of land in Iron
county, Missouri. He has had some
experience in mining, but that was
thirty years ago, in Southwest Missou-
ri, when he dug for lead, and did not
know, any more than anybody else
knew at the time, that there were huge
fortunes in zinc within reach of his
shovel and pick. oh. yes, l have
been West, he said, in answer to a
question. Il nave been as far west as
Newton county, Missouri, and l have
done some mining there When it
was explained that it was intended to
ask if he had been engaged in gold
mining in the Western States, MIR.
Blackman answered that he had never
been in the gold fields. Il want to
learn something more about this Cape
Nome fnd,' he said, but it appears to
be a good thing. If it does not cost
too much | expect to go there in the
spring. l have been considering the
matter, and have been figuring on it
An agency here wants me to get up a
party of twenty to make the trip, but
/ have not done anything in the matter
yet | think | am strong enough, and
there is enough life left in me to dig
out fortune. | know am pretty old.
and the folks think | am too old to un-
dertake such trip. If l go I'll have
to slip off. Have you said anything to
her yet| Her was young woman.
who. at this point in the conversation.
came out on the back porck. The |
Sunday Republic man said he had not
spoken to her. We'll, don't. You
see, she doesn't want me to go. She |
is my dead wife's niece, and she thinks |
am too old to try any snch thing. |
But haven't anybody to take care OF
or to depend on me, and guess I can
go if make up my mind to do so. I've
got a son. but he is old enough to take
care of himself. Joe-he's my son
won't go with me. He is an iron !
worker, too; he is employed at the
Standard Pattern Company's works, |
and be is big and strong; but Joe don't |
want to go so far North. and l guess if |
go | will go alone. You see, it is |
this way with me: / have never been !
idle in my life. and it is bad time to
begin now. When | quit working for
the Niedringhaus people, nobody else
wanted me; was too old [ guess. So
| haven't been doing anything much |
since then. / did little work during |
the summer, but it was only a little, |
and find that it is pretty hard work
loafng. Thirty years ago went down
to the southwestern part of the State
and mined there for year or so. but
did not get rich, and came back. |
Then, at another time, | did some
mining in Iron county, but l did not
get rich there, either. | don't know
how | will get along in Cape Nome if
go there; but guess | will stand as
good show as the young fellows. Il
have been told that it is great-that
gold is found right on the beach, and |
that some big nuggets are found even
on top of the sand. But / don't know;
we always hear wonderful stories about
new gold fields. guess there must be
something In this, though, for | hear
that lots of people have already gone
there, and that thousands more are
going this spring as soon as navigation
opens up. Gets pretty cold up there.
| guess; but maybe l will not have to
stay very long; maybe l can come ,
back next fall-if / 60. / don't know
whether will go; but would like to,
And as the newspaper man left the
yard the old man was bending low over
his sawbuck again apd saving away in
manner which indicated anything
but that he had passed the three-score
and-ten point of life nearly a decade !!
ago"
We have sayed many doctor bills
ElnRR harop (Nhom hQrlainfa