Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-03-14
AN OVERLAND TRIP "
" TO CALIFORNIA.
(CONTINtED.)

Before beginning my story
want to remind my readers that
have been writing entirely from
memory and the long lapse of time
since the trip, covering Il distance
of two thousand miles and five
months time on the road, it would
be next to impossible TO remember
accurately all locations or dates.
But in the main | am right, as
many old CalifOrnianS will agree.
| shall continue my story, not
outstanding some of the locations
have been disputed, where, in the
absence of Il diary, he is Just as
apt to be mistaken as | am. But
we will not have n controversy ov-
er it. | shall finish my story and
perhaps Mr.. w. w. G. can gather
up enough with locations and dates
to be interesting reading without
referring to my story at all.
Well, now, | will go back to our
mining camp. 1t was now about
the LIST of April, 1888, and the
rainy season was over and water
for mining operations was scarce.
There was general stampede of
the miners TO the rivers and val
leyS and some for their homes back
i'll the States. There was man
III camp farther up in the noun
tains who was to start for home on
Monday morning, and during the
day before, it being Sunday, he
was restless and concluded that he
would take stroll up the side of
the mountain above their cabin,
and for the last time look down ON
the cabin and the diggingS below
So he slowly picked his way around
the low shapercl bushes until he
was several hundred yards up the
mountain from the cabin, where
he found two young grizzly bear
cubs about the size of II small dog
He ut once picked them up, one
under each arm, and started for
the cabin, thinking what fine pets
he would have to take home with
him. He had not gone far when
they began to Squall, and looking
back, he saw to his dismay the old
bear coming at full speed. He
thought to drop one of the cubs he
could make better time and that
the old bear would stop when she
came to it, but. no, she didn t
want it that way. She did not
stop. On she came, and now in
his fright he dropped the other
cub and thought that the race was
over; but, no, she was after him,
and was so close that he saw she
would ovcrtakc him before he could
reach the cabin. The only way
out of it was to run to II big pine
tree that stood in the way and
place the tree between him and
the bear and play hide and seek
until he could gain his breath suf-
ticient for a race to the cabin, and
here they had it.. The bear was
SO large and clumsy that he could
dodge from her, and after so long
Il time he made rush for the cab
in and the bear after him. He had
on his running harness and gained
the door with the bear at his heels.
He got inside, and some others
who were there ran to the door
and shot the bear. After the cX-
element of the chase was over he
went back after his cubs, but only
found one, which he took home
with him. While running around
the tree he stumbled several times
over a tin can, but just then he
had no time to investigate, but
when he went back to the tree
when everything was quiet he pick
ed up the can and found it full of
gold dust. 1t had evidently been
hidden there by some miner who
had died some time before with
smallpox. As there were no banks
or places to deposit money at that
time much of it was lost in this
way, as men would hide it and go
away intending to return, but
would not live to do SO.
Old Dad and concluded that
we would go down to the valley of
Santa Cruz. So we rolled up our
blankets, as all travellers had to
carry their own bedding, and
started on foot to Sacramento City
which WINS forty miles away Aft