The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-07-25
aTENNEssEE,s PARTNER. .
Sickness and Want Have OvertakeI
the Hero OF Bret Harte's Novel.
(San Francisco Chronicle.)
I'TPnnRSSea & Partner'' iS living ill in Il

(san Francisco Chronicle.)
Tennessee Partner is lying ill in tn
East Bay hospital, Oakland.
In real life ''TenneSsee's Partner is ]
A. Chatfee, and for over fiftyfour year
he dwelt with his partner in Second Gar
rotte.' the mining camp is called. anC
where the pair have lived and loved ana
worked the same claim during all tina
time
In the story told by Bret Harte, Chat
Zee is the gentle old miner, who loved
Tennessee almost TO death; A:shougf
| Tennessee stole his welded wife. the
partner, who always bore the relative
name, forgave him, and sought to ran
som the culprit at the cost of his all
times. and the law" took its course
When all was over the silent little part
ner cut down Tennessee's body, and in
| The presence of jimmy. his mule, buried II
in the garden. In the spring the loyal
! partner went to meet the man he had
| loved so Loyalty.
But ''Tennessees Partner did not de
| in the spring, as Bret Harte would have
/ tc dwell in TuOlumne county with his
! friend, Chamberlain. The foundation OF
| Bret Harte's story was in the eloquent
| plea Chaffee once made for a mars life.
| 1t saved neck from the vigilance com
mittee. and turned the Culprit over to
i the regular authorities but the little
miners sloquence had won boon never
granted before nor since in Tuolumne
county
The friendship between Chaffee and
Chamberlain began on Jan. 10. 1919. Al
though this was more than fifty-fOur
years ago. the date is still fresh in Chat
fees memory. During all that time they
have lived pea 94n!ly under one cabin
roof mined the same claim, dipped from
a common purse, without so much as a
question one to the other, AM never
quarrel.
Recently. however. that. common purse
has become extremely slim. and, in fact
all run out. There has not been SO much
as a grain of gold dust in it. much less
a nugget. In their distress they have
been assisted by Professor w. A. Ma
gee of the state university. Neither Chat
fee nor Chamberlain are able to work
long: both being very feeble Finally
gee was obliged to separate hi n from
"Tenncssce'' AMI take him to Oakland
Were he has placed him in a hospital.
While the partners Were co immunity
Sc en- to have fallen in hard lines of
late. and but for Professor MaEee's aid
would have been IN actual want.
Parner has a T afas san bu
three times. Fhe last was in 1895 but
he was restless and refused to remain
away from Chamberlain more thn1 four
days. He was d slender little old man.
with Il face that shone with benignity
and berevolence, While miner by
profession, and engaged on the same
claim for decades in Tuolumne county,
he was a carpenter way back in New
England
When asked as to his mine during his
visit of ten years ago. Does it pay?''
"Well. yes" he said. ''jt makes liv-
ing for us. 1 haven't made my pile yet.
but I am expecting to every day. That's
the beauty of it. His blue eyes
twinkled in expectancy. and he rubbed
his hands brisSly. My claims uneven.
Sometimes I wash out $500 in one pan.
and then for ! long time ] won't get
even the color of gold. But is the most
independent life a man can livc-nc run
ming after men and du1ning them. When
you make dollar it's yours.
It's a long time since 'Tennassee's
Partner got color of gold from their
mine. and the ancient pair has contin-
l ed to lwell as best they might at the
home they are pleased 20 call 1.-THE
Place" by the aid of friends. for many
q long Jay.