Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-31
The Rugged
PrOSpectOrS.

This Is "A true story. III happened III
1866.
'sThere's no way. Becker, for US to
keep soul and body together till spring
except to go into the mountains and cut
wood"
"And freeze our fingers and ouf
noses and our feet. We may as well
starve to death"
at won't be long. This Is the early
part OF January. The spring III Ls
along in couple OF months. and we
can go to prospecting again.
prospecting? How many years
have been digging holes In the
ground for nothing. | tell you. Trim
mcr I'm through with prospecting
and as soon as can get regular joh
I'm going TO take II"
"But you can't get job just now,
and we've nothing TO eat. Come, cheer
up. It's always darkest before day.
The two ragged, discouraged men
climbed the mountains OF Calaveras
county, Cal There was chance or
their making some thirty or forty dol
lars n month, on which they could
easily live and buy some clothes, but
Il was sad come-down from the
roseate dreams with which they had
begun to hunt for fortune. They
found an old abandoned miners cabin,
In which they made their home,
dispiriting place In which to live. for
It was perpetual reminder OF an
others failure. But they were not hunt
ing for gold In this region; they were
keeping themselves alive.
Every morning as soon as 1t was
light the sound of their axes rang in
the wood and continued till the early
winter twilight came on. Cord after
cord was stacked up each cord repre-
senting days OF hard labor. Meanwhile
n snowstorm came down on them and
covered the ground TO a depth OF two
feet. The prediction as to frozen
members was not verified, for there
was plenty of wood to keep up a hre.
We've got such pile of brush here
from chopped off branches said Trim
mer to his partner one afternoon. "tha'
we'd better get rid of it,
So they touched flame to 1t, and II
was soon roaring and cracking, send
Ing out pleasant heat. 1t melted tho
snow beneath 1t and left an area OF
hot ground.
Here's a good chance for roast,
said Becker I'm going to make al
oven I'm this hot earth, and Wen cool
our deer meat"
"A good idea" replied Trimmer. "W'
haven't any currant jelly, but thu
haunch will taste pretty good withou
It,"
So Becker began to dig hole for tn
baking. At the depth of two feet b
struck bed of rock.
"Goodw he exclaimed. "lt's hot ston
and will keep its heat. Give me tn
meat"
The venison was brought In a bah
ing pan. and Trimmer was about I
place IL I'm the hole when Becker stoI
ped him.
Hold on till l chip off a piece Of tn
. stone to see what It's like he said.
, 81 thought you were through wit
, prospecting" Trimmer remarked SAT-
ically
! $50 am. This isn't prospecting
[ It's only yielding to a habit. Any ma
: who has been hunting In the earth q
! long as we have Will want to Sc
everything he takes out"
He broke off a bit OF his oven be-
e the venison was placed in the hole an
covered over. and the two men listent
D to the welcome sound OF Its sizzlin
: Becker took the piece of rock into h
r cabin. where he lighted n candle. Il
i IT was now dark and the brush Ia
burned TO cinders. Trimmer was ov'
- the oven basting the venison when
t heard his partner call
Il "Come here. Trim"
] Trimmer went to the cabin whe
Becker was holding the chipping
rock to the candle.
"What do you think OF that?" ask
q Becker. his eyes standing out OF b
h head as big as butter plates.
D. "what do think of 1t! Why, gre
(. Scott. man: it's live rockr'
r. That's what IL is" replied Becke
!. nothing more nor less-that is. IL
"a know live rock when | see II. and
e ! lUluk L ut.
shaker shouted Trimmer. we
If struck II. and struck 1t big"
A. 1t was supper OF another kind fro
II. roasted venison that the partners pa
v took ola probable realization Of th'
10 vanished Wild dreams. The meat W
d. savory, but their minds were not on
lie They were laying plans. Experier
# had taught them what TO do. TIL
"a would keep their secret. They wot
nc pre-empt their claim. They wo'
learn the dip angle and the length q
III breadth OF their newly discover
So ledge.
be Spring came, and the partners W.
nd still ostensibly cutting wood, WI
gh they were really gathering inform
ton. One day Becker went down II
the valley, appeared at an assay Off
handed In the chip Of rock he had b
ed ken from the floor OF his improvi'
es. oven and left Il to have II assayed.
en- went back to the assayers the N
sit day. got his report and started up
aat mountain. Trimmer saw him comi
lie but so cautious were the men In qua
Use ing their secret that he withheld
,cb ouiry TIL both were In the cabin |
\ n the door closed.
mo. "WellT' he asked impatiently.
or .Six hundred dollars TO the ton"
arc "Rich. by thunder,"
ex- Such Is the story Of the discover,
uh. the famous Trojan mine. Within