The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-03-22
HIlI1ti2P or "IlHE CHI az IHE MZD
H/z//E <12YG" -H,I27IV EDEN "E|C.

ed that II was too big for him %
handle. and when they gave him an
ultimatum TO that effect he accepted
and bought them out The plan was
his own, but he sent down to tho
States for competent engineers To car.
ry II out. In the Rinkabilly water
shed. eighty miles away. he built hts
reservoir. and for eighty miles tho
huge wooden conduit carried the wa
ter across country 10 Ophir. EST
mated nj three millions, the reservoir
and conduit cost nearer four Nor
did he stop with this. Electric power
plants were Installed. and his work.
ings were lighted as we'll as run hy
electricity. Other sourdoughs. who
had struck It rich In excess o; all
their dreams, shook their heads gloom
lily. warned him that he would go
broke, and declined to invest In so OK.
trayagant a venture. But Daylight
smiled. and sold out the remainder or
his town.site holdings. lie sold at the
right time. at the height OF the placer
boom. When he prophesied TO his old
IAOhlCSs Ia Nut shbOSthOlIi DulOOu, luak
within five years town lots In Dawson
could not be given away. while the
cabins would be chopped up for fire.
wood, he was laughed at roundly, and
assured that the motherhood would
be found ere that time. But he went
ahead. when his need for lumber was
finished, selling out his sawmilis as
we'll. Likewise. he began TO get rid
of his scattered holdings on the vari-
GUS creeks. and without thanks 10 any
one he finished his conduit. built his
drcdges. imported his machinery. and
made the gold Of Ophir Immediately
accessible. And he. who five years
before had crossed over the divide
from Indian River and threaded the
silent wilderness. his dogs packing In.
dian fashion, himself living Indian
fashion on straight moose meat now
heard the hoarse whistles calling his
hundreds OF laborc.s 20 work. and
watched them toll under the white
glare of the arc-lamps
But having done the thing. he was
ready to depart. And when he let the
word go out, the Guggcnhammers
We'd with the English concerns and
With n new French company In bid.
ding for Ophlr and all its plant. The
! Guggenhammers hid highest. and tho
price they paid nettcd Daylight clean
million. II was current runor that he
was worth anywhere from twenty 10
thirty millions. But he alone knew
, just how he stood. and that. with his
last claim sold and the table swept
/ clean OF his winnings, he had ridden
his bunch TO the tune OF just n triile
/ over eleven millions.
His departure was thing that
passed into the history OF the Yukon
along with his other deeds. All the
Yukon was his guest. Dawson tho
seat of the iestivity. on that ono
I last night no mans dust save hts own
was good Drinks were not TO be pur-
chased Every saloon ran open. with
extra relays of exhausted bartendcrs.
and the drinks were given away 4
man who refused this hospitality. and
persisted In paying, found n dozen
Sights on his hands. The veTieet
ChcchaGuos rose up 10 defend the
name OF Daylight from such insult.
And through II all, on moccasined feet.
moved Daylight. hcll-roaring Burning
/ Daylight, overspilling with good ma
! tdrc and camGraderie, bowling his he-
/ wolf howl and claiming the night as
/ his. bending mems arms down on the
bars. performing ioats OF strength, his
hronzed face flushed with drink, his
black eyes flashing. clad in ovcralls
and blanket coat his ear-ilaps dang.
/ ling and his gauntleted mittens swing.
/ ing from Hie cord across the should
! ers. But this time II was neither an
/ ante nor stake that he threw away,
/ but mere marker In the game that
! he who held so many markers would
not miss.