Gilpin observer., 1913-07-31
MEMBER COLORADO Editorial ASSOCIATION
I THE PRoSPECToR
+ AND HIS BURRO
(salt Lake Mining Review
-s..s-t.Fs44*s.s.s... ...s.ss.*...s..s..s

NSalt Lake Mining ReVlSW)
''Since l told you the story of the
tenderfoot who nearly perished from
the heat while trying to cross one
of the Mohave deserts" said THE
prospector to his burro, Il notice
that you are disinclined to leave the
little meadow and sparkling stream
just below our camp, and that you
figure that dead burro is of no
use, whatever, even though it may
have achieved greatness during its
lifetime; and that, as for you, you
Will try and keep on the safe side
so that / will NOT be disappointed
when it comes time to move camp
once again; an attitude on your part
which is very considerate, and one
your low-voltage power; for, if bur-
10 ever really thinks, t must be
when it is fast asleep and dreaming
OF ham wrappings and tomato cans.
listlesness, feeling so common
with the hobo and occasionally felt
by the best of prospectors, while it
is always noticeable among rough
necks, and so l will take little
sleep myself, under this overhang-
ing rock, until later in the afternoon,
when / will go out and try and find
the source of the fine looking float
We discovered this morning further
down the canyon, and if l only had
a dog-fiest along 1T might be that
he would find blind lead for me
while we both take our noon-day sizes
ia, for the heat has no terrors for
the hound pup and, next to a badger,
he is the most active and untiring
of all animals and the most foolish.
You want to know continued the
prospector, "what little measly dog,
and badger, has to do with mining,
and why l talk of burros. dogs and
badgers in the same breath, indicat-
ing your belief that have gone in
sane with the heat. But, none what
ever; for it was on just hot day
like this that / made little stake
because of the existence of a hound
pup and badger. I was over i'm the
Potato Bug range at the time. and
1T was 120' in the shade, with no
shade nearer than Tom Thornton's
canyon. An that / had to do to fry
my sow-belly and bake a potato, was
to place them on the surface of
flat rock near the entrance to a small
cave | had found, and | was so near
qy all in that / was contert to lie
on my back in the shade of the cave
and watch the heat waves eizzle in
the ambient atmosphere. cannot
stop to tell you now what ambient
atmosphere means, for 1t is moth
ing good 20 eat, and does not fit in,
very well with the vocabulary of a
burro, but will tell you Of the little
dog fiest / had along with me at the
time. This was of the rat-terrier
variety, and he was busy all day,
chasing rock squirrels and rabbits.
He never seemed to tire and was
as active as an ivory ball in rou-
lette wheel. No matter what the
weather was, he was always on the
go, and his yelping could be heard
at all hours of the night and day, for
he was natural hunter. WeN, 20
make long story short, this dog
was going Through his usual stunts,
Ike a dealer in faro game, the
day | was sleeping in the cave up
in Potato Pug range. could hear
brush in pursuit of the festive bun
ny and the music OF his vo.ce was
waited to me when he had chased
the squirrel to its hole in the rocks.
/ was somewhat disturbed, however.
when he began to whoop 1t up as II
he had stumbled upon a Wild cat.
This disturbance was kept up So
long that finally decided to inwes-
tigate the cause OF the uproar Rath-
er slowly, because Of 9ne fervi1 con
dition o. the thermometer, / craw,-
ed out OF my retreat and made my
way to i4tt.e saddle in the hillside
where. to my srrprtee, found the
dog was trying 60 drag out a bad
ger, by the hind legs. from n ho,e
thGt Fitted him only too well. The
dog would not let go, and the bad