The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-10-01
LLOYD'S LUCK.

00n HDN Lloyd's father told him
w that he had sold the farm, and
that they were going to spend
the summer camping out Lloyd was
very much delighted. His father and
two other men had formed a partner
ship and were going to spend the SUM
mer in mining. They bought their pro-
visions and mining outfit, and loading
them in two wagons, they started.
Lloyd'S father and mother, with Lloyd
and the provisions, were In one waS-
on; in the other were the two partners,
with the picks, Shovels, gold pans and
the lumber for Slutce boxes and rock
ers.
When, after several days travelling,
they arrived at the place where they
intended to mine, the men cut down
some trees, and in the course Of a week
built a log cabin. They had planned
to work placer claim" It had been
mined long ago, when gold was first
discovered in California, but not very
thoroughly. Lloyd liked to watch the
men shovel the dirt into the Sluice box.
es and see the swift muddy water wash
the rocks and coarse gravel out at the
other end. They found the dirt waa
not very rich, and some days when
they made a cleanup" they would
and very small quantity Of gold dust
In their rifHes, less than half an ounce
for a whole days run.
Lloyd soon grew tired Of watching
the men work; he wished to do some
mining all by himself; 80 his father
one evening after his own work, made
him q little rocker out Of the thin Nghs
boards Of a dry goods box, ana every
day Lloyd would play he was miner
Finally he carried his rocker up the
stream nearly q quarter Of q MALE
above where his father was working.
One Of the men had called to him
"HeMO, rocker, where are you goins
with that boyT'
Lloyd looked back and said, "We're
going up the creek to find a claim Of
our own"
you" they called after him.
Lloyd did not find much color
along the creek, 80 he carried his rock
er up a dry gulch that led Into tina
stream.
Next day Lloyd dug TILL his hands
were blistered and his back ached. HI
had been digging @ hole where thu
ground was wet and soggy, 50 that h
could get water to rock with. WheI
he went back next morning he fount
that the hole was nearly full Of muddy
water that had seeped In from th'
spring. There was enough water t.
run the rocker for some Tina
In one place at the lowest part o
the gulch, near where his rocker wa
set, q rock cropped out few inches
he did not know it at the time, Blu
ne had gone to the best place possible
A few inches below the surface h
struck bedrock. 1t was quite irregular
He took his shovel and scraped tn
rock, piling the gravel beside his rock
er. He threw a shovelful OF dirt int
the hopper. dipped up some water ant
started to rock. When the dirt ant
gravel had washed through the hopper
he lifted 1t OF to throw away tn
coarser gravel and rocks that woul'
not pass through the holes In the shee
iron bottom Of the hopper. As he di'
80 he noticed a pretty rock he ha'
thrown out It was white, with yellow
Streaks in 1t. He found several NOR
pieces, and put them in his pocket t
ask his father what they were 81
did not know that he had found som
very rich gold quartz, but when h
lifted up the hopper and saw a line
yellow along both of the RIFLES on tn
upper apron, he was enough Of a mine
to know that he had found rich pa
dirt. The gold dust was coarse, som
Of it being as large as grains OF rick
He went to the camp and got gol
pan 30 that he could clean up tn
rocker.
That night, when the men came
supper, Lloyd's mother said to her hui
band:
well, how did you do to-day3 Di
you have a good clean-upT
Lloyds father sighed and said: me
little woman; am sorry to say ths
our pay dirt is running out. l al
afraid we made q mistake in not st4ci
ing to the farm"
well, Lloyd, how did your clean-u
turn outT his father asked?
Lloyd brought out the gold pan an
the pretty rocks, and handed them
his father. When the men caught sigf
Of the coarse gold dust and nuggets