Holbrook argus., 1901-08-24
A CASE OF BLIND LUCK.
German Cook Whose Feet Gave Ont
Struck 1t Rich.

German Cook Whose Feet Gave Ont
Struck 1t Rich.
Blind luck is the most remarkable
thing" said an old mechanic to Wash
ington Star reporter. In 1854, with a
party of other young men belonging in
Washington, started out to California
to find gold. On our arrival there we
learned of the great finds on the Frazer
River in British Columbia, which ere
ated as much excitement as the gold
fever in California, and our party de-
cided to go there. There were seven
of us in the party, all of Us cookbook
ing, but it turned out that was the
only thing in our favor and it did not
help US much. While in San Francisco
a young German, dishwasher in res
taurant, who knew of our intention to
go up into British Columbia, asked to
join the party. His only recommends
ton was that he could cook and was
willing to do so. He was about the
ugliest-looking young man that any of
us had ever seen. His face resembled
that of a sheep, and was entirely devoid
of intelligence. We needed cook and
consented to take him along. The trip
was made during the winter and much
of it was on the snow. Finally arrived
at the gold fields and began prospect
ing under the most difficult circum-
stances. Our cook became footsore and
it was impossible for him to walk a
| step farther and we decided that we
would have to drop him ON the road to
| do the best he could for himself 1t
! was rOught to have to desert him, but
| there was no way out of it. We built
him log hut, cut a great quantity of
wood and left him as much provisions
as we could spare out of our store and
| then babe him good-by. He thanked us
for our kindness in providing for him
as well as we did and said he would
be willing to take his chances of get
ting out of the country. His feet had
swollen SO that he could not wear shoes,
and for over a week before we left him
he had worn moccasins made out of
gunny sacks. He spent the rest of the
winter there, but we went on. AS the
fire in his hut melted off the snow he
found that it was located on a pile of
rock. Needing some of the rock to re-
construct his chimney, he by accident
or luck discovered that the rock was
particularly heavy, but he had sense
enough to keep the discovery to him
self. Several times during the winter
parties passed by and provisioned him.
In the spring he located a claim imme-
diately under his hut and set out his
stakes. A few weeks afterward a party
Of EngliShmen came along and very
gladly paid him $4,000 for his claim
and besides gave him a tenth interest
in it. Before he left there he had a
bank account of over $150,00O. He is
living to-day and owns real estate, in
Guiding hotel, in San Francisco,
which is valued at about 100000
What became of the party? Oh, moth
ing. We kept on prospecting until our
supplies and money ran out, and then,
when the cold weather ended, we were
glad enough to reach San Francisco,
where most of the party got work at
our trades and in time managed to get
back to Washington. They are all dead
now except our cook and myself
Though 1 am rs years of age, am still
at work at my trade, house painting
and vanishing. 1 am good-looking yet,
my grandchildren say, but 1 would
have preferred the luck of the sheep
faced man.