The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-10
Copyrigh. go by W. I. Alden.


Undoubtedly there was gold few feet
below the surface, but it was not found
IN quantities sufficient to compensate for
The labor. privation and danger which Ine
miners were compelled 10 undergo.
IL is true that the first discoverer of gold,
who had given his name to the Flat, had
found a pocket" which had made him a
rich man; but his luck remained unique
and as Big Simpson sarcastically re-
marked: "a man. might as well try to find
a pocket IN a woman's dress. as TO search
for a second pocket in Thompson's Flat"
For eight months of the year the ground
was frozen deep and hard. and during the
brief summer the heat was intense. There
were hostile Indians in the vicinity of the
camp. and although little danger was to
be apprehended from them while the camp
swarmed with armed miners, there was
every probability that they would sooner
or later attack the handful of men who
had remained. after the great majority of
the miners had abandoned their claims and
gone in search of more promising fields
In the early part Of the summer following
Thompson's discovery of gold there were
but thirty men left in the camp, with only
a single combined grocery and saloon to
minister TO their wants. Partly because
Of obstinacy and partly because of a want
of energy to repeat the experiment OF
searching for gold in some other unprofit-
able place, these thirty men remained, and
daily prosecuted their nearly hopeless
search for fortune Their evenings were
suent in the saloon, but there was q con-
The men were too poor to gamble with
any zest, and the whisky of the saloon
keeper was bad and dear.
The one gleam of good fortune which had
come to the camp was the fact that the In
dams had disappeared, having. as it was
believed, gone hundreds of miles south to
attack another tribe. Gradually the miners
relaxed the precautions which had at first
been maintained against attack. and al
though every man went armed to his work,
sentinels were no longer posted either by
day or night, and the Calling gun that had
been brought by public subscription in the
PROSPEROUS days OF the camp remained in
the storeroom of the saloon without am
munition, and with its mechanism rusty
and immovable-
Only one miner had arrived at Thomp-
sons Flat that summer. He was middle
aged man who said that his name was
Montgomery Carleton-a name which in
stantIy awoke the resentment of the camp
and was speedily converted into Monte
Carlo by the resentful miners, who init
mated very plainly that no man could carry
a ffteen-inch name in that camp and live
Monte Carlo. or Monty, as he was usually
r%f k><afv,
the ugliest man in the entire Noxhwest.
He had at some unspecifed time been
kicked in the face by a mule, with the re-
suit that his features were converted into
hdeous mask. He seemed to be Of social
disposition and would have joined freely
in the conversation which went on at the
saloon, but his advances were coldly re-
ceived
Instead of plying the mans misfortune
and avoiding all allasion TO 1t the miners
bluntly informed him that he was too ugly
TO associate with gentlemen, and that
modest and retiring attitude was what pub
lie sentiment required of him. Monty took
the rebuff quietly, and thereafter rarely
spoke unless he was spoken to. He con-
tinued TO frequent the saloon, sitting in the
darkest corner, where he smoked his pipe
drank his solitary whisky and answered
with pathetic pleasure any remark that
might be flung at him, even when it par
took Of the nature of a coarse jest at his
expense.
One gloomy evening Monty entered the
saloon half an hour later than usual. 1t
had been raining all day. and the spirits of
the camp had gone down with the barom-
scious Of their bad luck, and having only
themselves 10 blame for persistently re-
naming at Thompson's Flat, were ready
10 cast the guilt Of the folly on the near
est available scapegoat. Monty was accus-
toned to entering the room unnoticed, but
on the present occasion he saw that in
stead OF contemptuously ignoring his pres
ence. the other occupants OF the saloon
were Enthusiastically scowling at him.
Scarcely had he made his timid way to
his accustomed seat when Big Simpson
said in a loud voice:
Gentlemen, have you noticed that our
luck has been more particularly low down
ever since that there beauty in the cor
ner had the cheek to sneak in among us?'
That's sor' exclaimed Slippery Jim.
MONTY Is ugly cHON5h ~ sym @N~@>
OF a blind niger"
You see." continued Simpson, this hyer
beauty is like the Apostle Jonah. While he
was aboard ship there wasn't any sort of
luck, and at last the crew took and hove
him overheard, and served him right
There's a mighty lot OF wisdom in the
Scriptures If you only take hold of 'em in
the right way. My dad was a preacher,
and 1 know what I'm talking about"
That's more than the rest OF US does
retorted Slippery Jim. I'VE amt no ships
crew. and Monty amt no apostle If you
mean We ought to heave him into the
creek, why don't you say SOP
ut wouldn't do him any HARM replied
Simpson. He's a dirty beast, and this
camp hasn't no call to associate with men
that's afraid of water. except, Of course,
when IL comes TO drinking it,
I'm as clean as any man here, said
Monty stirred for the moment to indigna-
ton. Mining amt the cleanest sort OF
work. and don't find no fault with Simp-
son nor any other man If he happens to
carry a little of his claim around with
him"
ssT.batsu A. safS C;vnneou SEVERELY sexVe