Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-09-22
0LDTIMER SAYS THAT
CR0SSCUTTING IS WRONG
Written for The Courier.

Amid smoke from big and little
forest fires the sun was sinking down
the horizon like picturesque ball of
red fire, and the Oregon hills glinted
as the rare colored shadows played in
kaleidoscope fashion In and out of
gulches and canyons.
Coming down the slope of a hill in
old Josephine county, whose hills are
rich in gold, if you know where to
Dig slowly walked the Oldtimer and
the Youngone, Indian file, each bear
ing pick and pan.
Down in that little open space is
grassy plot and spring." said the
Oldtimer, and | remember it well,
for Tom Kidd of Amarillo, Tex, and
| camped there for week seven years
ago when We were prospecting for
placer gold"
Good place for us to camp" said
the Youngone.
Yes, just what I've been drifting
to since the sun began ON its last lap
today" said the Oldtimer.
Arrived at the camp spot it was not
long before the Oldtimer had built a
fire, the smoke of which assembled in
a straight, slender shaft to long dis
tance, then drifted westward toward
the sea.
Get out those mountain trout"
said the Oldtimer to the Youngone,
"and we will soon have chuck ready;
and I'm as hungry as she bear"
Mountain trout? We've got no
mountain trout or any other kind of
trout said the surprised Youngone,
who. despite his ignorance of the mys-
teries of geology and the mining
game, was somewhat Independent in
speech and manner.
mo mountain trout" haw-hawed
the Oldtimer? "Why we bought four
pounds at Wonder this morning." and
the veteran gold hunter looked into
the chuck sack and yanked out slab
of sowbosom, and with hunting knife,
began to slice off several trout.
"Oh" said the Youngone.
Eyes, OH" sarcastically growled
the Oldtimer.
Then chunk of burning wood fell
from the fire and the smoke drifted
around and caught the Oldtimer in
one eye and he dropped the trout"
and the hunting knife and "cussed"
a verse or two.
He, he" snickered the Youngone.
He, he" sneered the Oldtimer,
why don't you laugh like man and
not sneeze like a chicken?"
Supper was soon cooked and the
coffee was beginning to boil over
when the Oldtimer said to the Young
one, Sit up and go to it.
Looks as II that forest fire over
to the west was headin' this way"
said the Oldtimer, as he placed an
open hand above his eyes as a shield
from the setting sun and looked far
to the westward, but hope It won't
eat its fiery way this far, because we
will need this timber on that quartz
claim we staked today, the one run
ming along the ridge of this hill; and
IL fire gets into these trees we will
later be compelled 10 make couple
of burros drag up mine timber from
down the gulch yonder."
"Do you think we've got a good one
in that ledge" piped the Youngone as
both sat back to enjoy a smoke?
Looks like It. Nobody can see
under the ground but a water witch.
yet like the looks of that ledge so
much that / believe we had better
hang up here and cut into IT,"
"Just as you say" said the Young
one, who, despite the intermittent
sarcasm of the Oldtimer, had much
admiration for his friend as a man
and respect for his ability as a min
ing geologist, as the 0ldtimer was one
Of the brightest stars Of a graduating
class 20 years before, and since then
had had charge OF several Of the big
gest mining properties in the land Of
the setting sun. And the Oldtimer
loved the Youngone, for the Young.
one was gritty II he was green. But
they broke the monotony often with
duel Of sarcasm which would make
figuratiye sparks fly from figuratlye
swords.
81 am glad you believe II Is a good
property" said the Youngone, for
this is steep hill and We can begin
down here and run a crosscut tunnel
! and tan the vein az great depth -