The Grit-advocate., 1905-09-22

*xxGxSlx of California has produced
its quota. One of the best
known of these men was Jasper Har-
rel, who had his home in Tulare Coun-
ty, but whose business transactions
carried him all over the State ard into.
other States as well.
No one had wider acquaintance
than Mr.. Harrell. for he was one of the
very early settlers in that region, and
he literally grew up with the valley.
He was an exceedingly popular man,
and this was probably one reason why
he aourshed as rancher and stock
man and amassed Il goodly fortune
before the close of the nineteenth cen
turY. He handled large herds of cat.
tie and was dealer in and grower of
hay and barley to such an extent that
he came to be familiarly nicknamed
Barley Harrcll.
One bright spring day. long before
the Southern Pacific Railroad wound
its crooked, dOuble-line, track up and
over the Tehachapi Mountains from the
great valley into the Mojave Desert,
n DHarrel and his father-in-law start
ed from their home in Tulare County
to eide on horseback to Los Angeles,
distance of $50 miles at least. But
such lengthy journeys We're not infrc
quently undertaken by stockmen and
merchants in those anterailroad days
in California. The two men stopped
over night wherever twilight caught
them, for the country was almost unin-
habited and there was no hotel this
side of Los Angeles.
One night, in crossing the Tehachapi
range, they made their camp in a grove
of scrubby oak and brush. Their
horses We're staked out to Craze, and,
after a meagre meal around the camp
fire, the two men arranged their bed
for the night. Mr.. Harrell had around
him n strong, wide. buckskin belt in
which he carried $1,000 in gold coin.
With this he intended purchasing a
| number of cattle rated as feeders, and
these would then be driven back into
the valley and prepared for the mar
kets. Unbuckling his heavy money
belt, he threw it on the ground under
his saddle, which he always used as a
pillow in camping out.
Sweetly and soundly the two men
slept out there under the silently pass
ing stars, with no thought of harm
or hint of danger.
When morning came they arose early,
built fire. cooked and ate their break
fast with relish, and then brought
up their horses to be saddled and
bridled. When Mr.. Harrell picked up
his saddle he stared at the bare ground
ian2lWhistled sharply.
*here in Lucifer is that belt and
my money!
Sure enough, it had disappeared.
The camping ground and every article
on it were carefully searched, and then
every foot of ground within wide
circuit was minutely gone over; but not
a sign of any belt or money was found.
Neither could any tracks of either man
or animal be seen. 1t was mystery
what had become Of that money belt,
for they were many many miles from
amy human habitation. and no one had
passed them on the trail for days.
Giving up the search with reluctance
the two men went on south to the end
of their journey, but they did not buy
any cattle.
About thirteen months later Mr.. Har-
rell and another Of his livestock friends
made the same horseback trip again.
They camped not far from the place
where the buckskin belt had been lost
on the previous journey.
Right over yonder," said Mr.. Har
rell, showing his friend. sis where
lost sixteen hundred dollars in gold
when l went through here about 4
year ago. I'd like to know what be-
came of that pile"
u Lets go over and look around there
iagain, just for fun,' suggested his
,frend.
They did so, and strange to relate,
they accidentally stumbled right over
the very spot where the money had
been dropped. For over twelve months
that leap of twenty dollar gold pieces
had been kissed by the grass and flow
.ers. wept upon by the rain and dew
winked at by the stars, smiled at by
the moon, intlamed by the sun and
famed by the breezes; vet there they
were apparently unchanged in the
least. 1HouSH tle lHouey niu lily steIl-
5ously disappeared, it was almost as
strangely recovered. All of it was
found but two twenty dollar pieces.
Here is the explanation: A hungry
coyote had passed by the sleeping
travellers and had shifted around till
it found the buckskin belt This was
seized and carried off to a safe dis
! tance before the animal stopped to
; chew up the buckslin. On the way
, two of the coins had dropped from the
belt, but the rest of the gold held in
, place till it was torn from its recesses
. Jas the sharp toothed hungry coyote de-
| voured his stolen tid-bit.-San Fran