The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1902-03-04

Deen squanderin', them Him lashin'
money round like IL growed on bushes.
an me slavin an slavln' to save
penny. Its Il outrage. it."
Here the poor woman burst into
tears; all the children. as usual. Joined
I'm the doleful chorus, and Caspar. al-
ways cvasive OF trouble. took his hat
and strolled over to the Gem to watch
a game of stud poker. IL was mid
night when he got into his room and
found that Jake wasn't I'm bed
Nanny he bawlcd. "Jakc's
gone"
Let him 60" pipcd the wife from
Che next room; he'll git hongry fore
hc goes FUR"
The boy didn't come home to break
fast. however. Noon passed without
word of him. and 10y dark the fretful
but afTectionatc Mrs Niche was wor.
ried. Caspar started out TO look for
his son, and ne did make a few inouir.
les en- route to the Gem. but there he
| fingered till the game got warm" and
so forgot poor Jake. Meanwhile the
| boys mother had secured the town for
| him. She had found out about the ru.
bies, and rcmOrse for the unmerited
trOuncinS she had given him intensi.
he'd her grief over his departure. She
could hardly wait for the sleepless
night TO pass, the second of his ab.
sence, and then she went to the mar
shall and enlisted his services. On Sat.
urday the Clarion had in il "a piece"
about the disappearance of Jake
Miehle and half the townsfolk spent
Sunday in the hills looking for him.
On Monday the Mayor offered n re-
ward of $50 for information leading
to the safe return" etc. and Tuesday
morning n party of searchers. headed
by the carpenter and equipped with
provisions for a week. set forth into
mountains to look for Jake.
Seven miles as the crow flies from
Old Town and twenty by the trail that
scars the mountain sides, they saw
Jake perched high above the beetlinC
canon on narrow shelf Of red and
yellow rock. From their station be.
low the searchers roared his name. but
the chorus OF their voices did not move
him.
Come down here tyor daddy. YOU
young imp" shricllcd Caspar. but the
little brown head did not move. and
the men with CaSpar held him back
rs he started to scale the rock.
Let the marshal Git him." they sug-
cested. and the looks they east upon
the father were all pity.
The marshal clambered alone to
Jake's dizzy aerie. The little fellow
was sitting in crevice I'm the rocks
with his back against the trunk OF a
scrub oak tree. The greasy cap was
pulled over his face, blackberry stains
| We're on his sunken cheeks, and his
ragged shirt and overallS hung in rib
bons to his emaciated body. His
skinny, brown fists were clinched and
crossed on his lap and his body was as
motionless as the rock upon which he
sat.
The marshal tenderly lifted away the
cap and gently shook the bony shout
der.
Come, Jakey, are you alive?"
The sunken eyes slowly opened. and
the boy stared weakly round. Then he
looked down at his hands and I'M
clinched them. In each lay a nugget
rs big as n walnut, and when he looked
back at the marshal he smiled feebly
and said:
Free gold. amt it?'
ia delirium of joy the big officer
howlcd like Comanche at his com
radcs. They literally fell up" the face
OF the rock
why didn't you come homer" roared
Caspar. laughing and crying by turns.
Tried it, daddy but was skeered
I'd lose the mine" said the lad. 'I
found them nuggets in this hole. and
thought I'd better set here till YOU
| come"
He was sitting in a true fssure that
! proved the opening of the best mine in
/ Routt County. and the Michles have
! never done days hard work since
John II. Raftery, in the Chicago Rec
! ord Herald.