Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1905-11-23
HOW CY
EATON MADE
HIS PILE
By ARTHUR L. MESERVE

A PARTY of friends were sitting
II around the hospitable board Of our
mutual friend, Cy. Eaton, partaking OF
7the generous fare, when one of them ex-
claimed, bringing his hand down with
such force upon the table as to cause the
glasses to jump about:
How was it that you made your Tor
tune 80 quick. Cy.? If thought stood
. ghost of 2 chance, would be on TO-
morrow"
All of us gazed up into the face OF our
host as our friend said this, and almost
held our breath, as we waited for his an
SWer.
We knew that he had gone to Call
fornia q poor man, and that In less than
two years he had returned with an
abundant store of the yellow dust. How
he had obtained so much in so short
time, none of us had ever learned.
Perhaps you would not care to go
through so much as have, even to make
your pile" said our host, quietly.
twill go through anything" was tho
answer. Nothing short of death should
stop me-
but I endured that. In fact, l was
dead and buried!'
Dead and buried?" we all repeated,
In a breath.
Eyes,"
"How could that be-" we said again.
p Our host threw open his shirt front,
and upon his breast we saw the livid
marks Of knife.
The scar was just above his heart, and
It seemed a wonder how he could have
received it, and still be alive to tell US
the story.
We expressed our surprise both by
looks and words.
you want to know how it was that
made my pile SO quick. Well, it isn't
often thai tell the story, but l
will do 60 tonight to please you.
You have seen the scar left by
the wound which sent me to my
grave: for, boys, was buried once, as
surely as we all expect to be.
"You all know that when I went to
California was as poor as church
mouse. had all that could do to pro-
cure my outfit and get the money with
which to pay my passage. But man
aged to get there at last, and for time,
even then, it did seem as though was
doomed to bad luck. Everything tried
failed to prosper with me, and at last
I went to the mines. There, for time,
my luck was little, If any, better. My
claim proved to be worthless, and after
q time l abandoned it, and, in company
with Bill Harris and Seth Grant, set off
on q tour Of exploration. among the
mountains. knew that people had
made grand strike in discovering new
placers, and told the boys that did
not see why it might not be our luck
to do the same They were of the same
mind, and for couple of weeks we
toiled and hunted among the noun
tatns, but all to no purpose. Our provi-
sions by this time were running short,
and in little time knew that we should
be obliged to return to the settlement.
zone day we set out upon our explora-
ton as usual. Toward noon we became
separated, and found myself alone
among the rocks that overhung a deep
canyon, at the bottom of which flowed
q wild mountain stream. It was moth
Ing new for us to separate in this way,
but we had an understanding that we
were to meet at nightfall at a stated
point ahead.
"For q couple of hours toiled onward,
using my pick here and there, wherever
1 thought there might be a chance to
find the yellow dust
"Tired at last with my tramp, threw
myself down in the shadow of q rock
not far from the edge of the canyon.
Stretched out at full length upon the
earth, I lay musing upon the hard luck
that had followed me thither. Like tho
old man of the sea that chung to the
shoulders OF Sinbad, could not throw
it OF.
Lying there full of these thoughts
my eyes wandered about the spot, and !
noticed, little way off, sort of fur.
nel-shaped hole in the rock. It did not
interest me very much, for I had seeu
Dlany such in that section. Why speak
of it here, you will soon know.
Tired with my days tramp, at las,
fell into that drowsy condition which j.
half sleep and half awake. From it
YVES startled by the sound of footstap:
close beside me. Opening my eyes,
saw, standing beside me, three as vii
lainous-looking Mexicans as I ever be
held.
II k7ew In . minute It wa no Sigh