Gilpin observer., 1910-02-03
THE PROPRIETOR
AND HIS euRRo.
(Salt Lake Mining Review.)


today" said the prospector to his
burro, and l believe it's because
that old lop-eared jack you have been
associating with, has deserted the
camp; cut your acquaintance, as 1t
some. Well, this docs not cut much
ice with me, although | suppose that
you feel as badly at being Tilted, in
way, as some Of the city bellies of
your sex and persuasion. and so !
will have to bear up with you until
you cheer up bit.
II know that you are of the opin
ion that / have no feelings similar
desert prospecting the hills, purely as
matter of choice. But. none what
ever. Once / had a partner whom !
thought as much of as you do of that
disreputable jack of yours; and he
left me as suddenly, and without q
parting word or handshake. But he
left a good thing and didn't know it,
just as your jack flung from him a
large, juicy heart when he deserted
you. was not the good thing in this
instance, however, but my partner
Host out in a small fortune which
found shortly after he left, which
goes to prove that we are within
hailing distance of a bonanza very
often, when We get discouraged and
fly the track. You want to hear the
story, you say? Well, if you listen,
while l am smoking my pipe, l will
give it to you in brief outline, as
talking too much is a bad habit, and
leads to gossiping about your neigh
bors, which is worse still.
About five years ago l had part
ner by the name of Smith. rather
uncommon name, to be sure, but he
was an uncommonly nice fellow, and
l grew to be fond of him, although it
took me long time to find out that
he had a yellow streak in him. You
want to know what a yellow streak
is? Well, If you interrupt me you will
never find out; but | will come to
that shortly. To go on with my story.
Smith and / had heard of an old and
abandoned mine which was supposed
to have been worked by the Span
iards some two hundred years ago.
AS is usually the case in such in
stances. some old convent in Mexico
had been surreptiously raided, and
an ancient parchment found on which
was inscribed map of lost mine.
had come into possession of this
through means in which you would
not be interested, and Smith was
wild to go in search of the old bon
anza, although told him it would
probably be a wild goose chase.
Finally, we set out. however, with
two burros well loaded with provis-
ions and supplies, and as full of hope
and Joy as you were when that old
jack visited you for the first time in
the spring. For days We Travelled in
southeasterly direction, being head
ed for White Rose canon near the
confluence of the San Juan and Colo
RADIO rivers. In due time we arrived
at our destination, made camp. and
began to look for the landmarks
given in the old chart. For a week
we met with no results, as every sign
seemed to have been obliterated and
the contour of the country changed
and altered by erosion. Smith was
somewhat discouraged by this time,
and he became more so when a river
of water, caused by cloudburst.
swept away our camp one day while
we were out in the hills. For several
nights we slept out In the open, and
the way the coyotes yelped and the
mountain lions screamed, was a eau
tion. In the end, believe. Smith be-
came thoroughly alarmed at our posi-
ton. l tried to re-assure him, but he
said he was sure we would die there
of starvation and exposure; and SO,
one day, when l was up in the hills,
he took one Of the burros and left
the "23" sign. OF course. l was sore
ly distressed when l found he had
left me 30 suddenly, SO ,unkindly;
but l would not give in, and decided
to go out in new direction in the
morning. This I did.an had not gone
far when l found what seemed to be
the remains Of an indistinct trail.
about five miles up into the hills. un-
til came to a small mountain stream
near the banks Of which I found por-
tions Of an old arrastra, and also con-
siderable quartz scattered about which