The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-11-21

Another Case of Good Luck to
the Fellow With
Nerve"
81 ERNEST MeeAFFEY.

sun rising over the fo0tnllls ana DALI
ing with a mellow glow the scrubby
pines and bleak outlines Of the Colo
RADIO canyon. Rocks, timber and lone
illness had been his portion for two
years, and he was beginning to feel
FESTIVE. He had taken the chance OF
coming west as relief from the
drudge of office work in New York.
and now, after two years with the
Midas Gold Mining company. he had
begun to sigh for Broadway and the
'sskyscrapers" again, the whirl Of life
In the streets, the sight Of laughing
faces and well-dressed men and wo-
men, the dash and go of the great
city of his boyhood.
He wondered what Margaret Floyd
was thinking Of that bright Septem-
her morning. He had been mere
clerk in the New York house, but his
irreproachable ancestry, founded on
the exploits Of a thriving fur trader
and trapper, had given him entree
even into the charmed circle where
the FIoyd's moved, and he had danced
and fiirted and sighed with many
damsel whose furthest thought was
beyond and above the idea of taking
seriously any attentions of Bud"
Faraday, as his intimates called him.
But as he was young, good-looking,
something of musician, and gifted
with an abundance of that quality
known as nerve" he made his way
well wherever he went. Ambitious
enough to know that negotiating in s
downtown Office was slow mode OF
& preferment, he had eagerly accepted
the opportunity of striking out for
the mountains and 'sroughing it, with
the high thoughts Of youth to build for
him the Alnaschar visions of hope.
He had gone without word to
Miss Floyd. and without even note
to tell her of his destination. He
would stand pat" he said to himself,
and not bore anyone about his new
venture Sympathy he did not want,
but only chance to RISE
And this morning, with the magnifi-
cent towering vastness of the Rockies
3 piercing the clouds, with the rare air
Of that great elevation filling his
lungs, he had for moment rather
N yearned for what was not to be, for
the old languid life of the streets and
drawing rooms. But the mood passed
as quickly as 1T had come, and Fara-
day stretched his athletic figure and
hurried his preparations for break
fast
The Midas Mining company oper-
ated the gold field by means of water.
Hydraulic mining was the technical
term. Huge hose which sent out a
STREAM Of water with terrific force
washed down the gold-bearing side
hills into sluices, where the gold sepa-
! rated from the earth and rocks by rea-
son of its specific gravity, and was
caught in rifles or partial obstruc-
tions placed in the sluices. The power
OF one Of these engines Of liquid might
was simply tremendous. After the
timber had been cut away and re-
moved from slope or hillside the
great tubes would be turned on to
the earth and rocks, and mountains
would melt away like snow before the
sun.
The Giants" was the name the
miners had for the two most formida-
BILE streams. These would sluice away
the hillsides like woman cutting
bread, and roar like the thunder
which beloved up and down the path
OF such q volume of water. At 20
feet away it would cut a man in two
like q piece Of cheese. At 100 feet
IA a.km ~ ~.n S~.k =
jelly. At 200 feet It would toss him
against the ground, bruised and un-
conscious done to death most likely.
and If escaping death. favored almost
as by q miracle. The entire outfit OF
the Midas Gold Mining company had
a most wholesome respect for the
Giants"
A shout from big Harry greeted
T'araday as he emerged from the cabin
and started for the Office.
when are the bosses coming" was
his cry.
what bosses?" queried Faraday.
why. the eastern bunch" was big
,Harry's" response.
Il hadn't heard Of anything" said
Faraday.
WELL" said Harry. ''the foreman's
got q letter for you" At the ONCE the
letter was handed Faraday. and. open
ing it, he learned that H. B. Floyd. the
president of the company. and some OF
the other officers of the company were
coming to Colorado at once to looh
over the mine. He was glad of it. al
the mine was prospecting, and his own
work was well ahead in every respect
He had superintendent the cutting Of
large quantities of timber for new
sluices. and cleared away much land
for new sluicing. had worked early
and late. and was prepared to show .
good balance sheet 1t was like ole
Floyd to get up and chase out at &
minutes notice.
S,<s.k Iaxr a ~ ,-fxr orr