Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-10-12

wide. A number of the little glitter
ing particles chung to my rough coat,
where they flashed like spangles.
'Plenty more where that came
fromv' cried the man and turned away
with a reckless laugh.
Filled with the wine Of this new ex-
element, we finally succeeded in get
ting ashore in one of the ships boats.
We landed on a fat beach of deep
black sand. It was strewn from one
end to the other by the most extraor-
binary wreckage. There were levers,
cogwheels, cranks, fans, twisted bar
and angle iron in all stages of rust and
disintegration. Some of these machines
were half buried in the sand. Others
were tidily laid up on stones as though
| just landed. They were Of copper,
iron, zinc, brass, tin, wood. We rec
ognized the genus at a glance. They
were, one and all, patent labor saving
gold washing machines, Of which we
had seen so many samples aboard ship.
At this sight vanished the last remains
of the envy l had ever felt for the
| We looked about for some sort of
conveyance into which to dump our
belongings. Apparently none existed.
Therefore we piled most Of our effects
neatly above high tide shouldered our
bundles and started off up the single
street.
The street was, think, the worst |
have ever seen anywhere. 1t was a
morass of mud-sticky, greasy mud
of some consistency, but full of water
holes and rivulets. 1t looked ten feet
deep, and | should certainly have ven
! tured out on it with miSgivings. And
yet, anonymously enough, the surface
ridges Of it had dried and were lifting
into the air in the form Of dust. This
was of course my first experience with
that common California phenomenon,
and | was greatly astonished.
An attempt had been made to supply
footing for pedestrians. Bags Of sand
very few boxes and boards. Then our
feet struck something soft and yield
ing, and we found we were walking
over hundred pound sacks of flour
marked as from Chile. There must
have been many hundred Of them. A
man going in the opposite direction
sided past us.
Cheaper than lumber" said he brief
ly, seeing our establishment.
"I'd hate to ask the price of lumber
remarked one Of our ships cOmpan-
ions, with whom and number Of 9TH
ers we were penetrating the town.
We walked on flour for hundred
! feet or so and then came to cook
stoves I mean it. A battalion Of
heavy iron cook stoves had been laid
side by side to form a causeway.
Their weight combined with the traf-
fic over them had gradually pressed
them down into the mud until their
tops were nearly level with the sur
face. Naturally the first merry and
drunken joker had SHE'D the lids into
space. The pedestrians had now Ell
Their to step in and out Of fire boxes or
Try his skill on narrow lodges. Next
we came to a double row Of boxes Of
so off on to solid ground.
When we had gained the dry ground
near the head Of the street we threw
| down our burdens for a rest.
'I'll give you $40 for those pineap-
ples," offered a passerby, stopping
short.
Our companion quickly closed the
bargain.
"What do you think Of that he de-
handed IF us wide eyed and in the
hearing of the purchaser.
The latter grinned a little and hailed
a man across the street.
"Charley." he yelled, 'come over
here!'
The individual addressed offered
some demur, but finally picked his
way across to us.
How do you like these?" demanded
the pineapple purchaser, showing his
fruit.
"Jerusalemr' cried Charley admir-
ingly. "Where did you get them
Want to sell emp"
81 want some myself, but I'll sell
you three Of Them
GLOW much?'
"Fifteen dollars"
| "Give 'em to me"
The first purchaser grinned openly
at our companion.
The latter followed into the nearest
store to get his share Of the dust
weighed out, His face wore a very
thoughtful expression.
We came shortly to the Plaza, since