The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-03-03

old formation. It's outer edge seemed
to have passed into a state Of decay,
owing to the action of the elements.
and was quite soft, though farther in
1t was very hard. Small minute par
ticles were discernible to the naked eve.
and frequently small pieces as large as
a shot were found and pried out with
our knives. At last the Mexican
brought us back to our senses by say
ing that night was fast coming on and
would we have him unload the burros
or advance farther on and pick out q
more desirable place We desisted from
our scramble for gold, advanced little
farther on and went into camp.
The next morning we set up our in
strument in a number Of places in the
valley and were agreeably surprised at
the large amount of gold that the earth
contained. After consulting together.
we decided to spend the winter in this
locality, and the first thing to do was
TO select site for a camp, where we
could make ourselves the most COM
Portable during the inclemency of the
winter, which was fast coming on, as
well as protect ourselves and animals
in case We should be attacked by some
stray band of Indians. With this OBJ
for some distance but finally returned
and proceeded down stream about
eighty rods. where we had on the pre-
vious day noticed a valley comprising
about a thousand acres, that was
bounded on all sides by towering rocks,
while the entrance to 1t was not more
than two hundred yards across.
Having selected the site of our camp,
We moved our outfit down and, unload
ing the animals, turned them loose in
the park, which afforded an abundance
Of feed in the nutritious grasses that
covered its surface. All hands then set
to work with axes and cut down trees
foot in diameter and Of the desired
length, to build log cabin. The VAL
ley afforded an abundance Of trees
straight as an arrow, and at the end
of three days we had 1t up the desired
height and covered with bark to keep
the storms out. We then divided one
end into two parts; one for ZOheka and
his wife and the other for Karina as
sleeping apartments. On one side of
our rude house we built a fireplace ana
chimney. The door wa~ made of riven
logs, also our hunks, one placed over
the other, so as to take up little room.
Our house being completed,we moved
in and then set to work and built a
fence from each end of the house to
each side of the park. so that our stock
could not stray away at night Every
thing being arranged to our own salts
faction for the time being. ave turned
our attention to mining. We first ex-
amined the soil on each side of the
stream for some distance and at last
selected spot about sixty rods up the
stream from the house as a desirable
place to commence operations, as tho
stream from that point descended very
rapidly. Cutting down some mountain
pine. we rived them into boards, out Of
which we constructed a sluceway, on
the bottom of which was nailed little
elects to catch and retain the gold as it
was separated from the earth by the
running water 1t being completed, we
turned the water in the sluice-way and
shoveled the dirt into the water. At
night we shut the water off and took
out quantity of gold. which we esti-
mated to be worth not far from 81, 800.
We We're very much pleased with the
result of our days labor and skill in
mining and sat up late at night dis
cussing the matter. Each day brought
some gold. some days more and some
days less, but the average was not far
from 81, 900 per day.
Wahkena and Karina had made great
strides in learning our language and
before We knew it we found ourselves
conversing with them on the topics
that most concerned us. Little by little
had they succeeded in ingratiatine
themselves in our hearts by their
thoughtfulness in doing little things
for our comfort. while in addition
Wahkena assisted us more or less in
our mining operations. We would hava
fought to protect them from harm, had
1t been necessary, as we would to de.
fend ourselves. Karina seemed to take
more interest In the professor than any
OF the rest of our party Whether it
was from the fact that he had been the
first to discover them in the cavern.
which led to their being restored to life
and liberty. We could not tell.
Her graceful and 1.-THE form, attired
in the best garments that we could
provide, fitted from the house to our
mining industry or rambled in the
groves near by.
The contrast between father and
mother and the son and daughter was
remarkable. Zoheka and his wife wero
indolent. and they had not mastered
half a dozen words of English during
all of the time that they had been with
us. Whether II was from a lack OF In
terest or pining for the old life that
they had led, and their friends that
had been so ruthlessly removed from
their life, no one could tell. Zoheka
and his wife We're left at the house to
guard our property and to give us the
alarm In case a stranger should ap-
proach. They could just catch glimpse
of us through the trees where we were
at work.