The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-03-27

/ ds uy tHt laws OF tno territory ne was
entitled to the perquisites for keeping
the route down the pass in good condi
| tion for travel This old man CT the
mountains had also fenced in all the
available agricultural land, some 35 or
40 acres, and was preparing to raise
hardy garden truck which he intended
to dispose of to the miners at sky-high
prices. In fact he was the leading man
| of the camp.
We hailed the gulch with delight, but
by the time we had travelled its entire
length, some three miles, and found all
the available ground staked off, our
spirits sank until they finally oozed out
of the heels of our boots. We were
compelled to look for work. My friend
and | secured a job clearing claim of
brush for which we were to receive 50
a day and board. We were not used to
manual labor and our hands were soon
one mass of blisters; but as we were
to receive no pay until the claim was
completely cleared we did not dare
to throw up the job. Finally my
lpartner suggested that we set fire
to the brush which was about half dry.
No sooner said than done; but the way
the IRE cleared off that claim as well as
several more, and licked up three or
four cabins that stood in the way, was
a caution. After the miners had sue
ceeded in stopping the blaze they held
a meeting and unanimously banked
blanked myself and partner for a
couple of tenderfoot fools and advised
us to go to a place of perpetual fire
and stake off claim, as then we would
not have to do any side stunts. They
gave us plenty of good fatherly advice
as regards the etiquette of gold camp.
We received no pay for what work we
did, altho we had faithfully per-
formed our part Of the contract and in
fact little more.
Once more we were compelled to go
into committee of the whole on ways
and means, principally means. At this
sIjuncture we received proposition to
join party of five who had discovered
some good prospects in gulch in the
Little Snowy Mountains, about eighty
miles distant. We were taken into
partnership on equal terms; /, being
the youngest and smallest, to do the
Icooking. The cooking was simple:
souraough bread baked in Dutch"
loven, boiled beans, baked beans, cold
beans, warmed over beans, bean soup,
!. and all kinds of wild game in abun-
dance. The hunter of the outfit was a
Virginian and college graduate. He
had drifted into Montana in the early
ZOOS, married Piegan Indian woman
according to savage custom, that is by
giving her father SO many head of
lponies for her, and became an Indian
trader He was noted rife shot and
lcould punish more whisky than any
man [ ever knew.
i The party travelled to its destination
| by OK team, the slowest mode of travel
/ that can lie conceived, especially if the
wagons are heavily laden. On our ar
rival work was Immediately COM
menced digging ditch TO convey the
water necessary to operate the hy-
draulic which we had brought with us.
Sufficient lumber had also been brought
to make slnice boxes, etc. This pre-
Iliminary work consumed four weeks.
/ The hydraulic was then brought into
play and in a weeks time great many
tons of gravel had been washed
through the sluice boxes; cleanup
was then made With what breathless
anxiety did we await the separation of
the gold from the quicksilver which
. was used to collect i'll We all sat in dead