Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1916-08-16

were generally bearded tanned witt
working In this binding sun and plas
tered literally with the red earth. W.
saw some queer sights, however. al
when We came across q jolly pail
dressed In what were the remains OF
ultra fashionable garments up to and
including plug hatsi At one side, work
ing some distance from the stream
were small groups Of native Califor.
mans or.Mexicans. They did not trou.
BILE to carry the earth all the way to
the river, but, after screening 1t rough.
~, tossed Il into the air above can.
vas, thus winnowing out the heavier
pay dirt. l thought this must be very
disagreeable.
As We wandered about here and
there among all these men so busily
engaged and with our own eyes saw
pan after pan show gold, actual metal.
lie guaranteed gold, such as rings and
watches and money are made of, q
growing excitement possessed us-the
excitement Of small boy with new
and untried gun. We wanted to get
at It ourselves. Only we did not know
bow.
Finally Yank approached one Of the
busy miners.
Stranger" said he, "we're new to
this Maybe you can tell Us where we
can dig little Of this gold ourselves"
The man Strengthened his back to ex-
hibit q rowing humorous blue eye, with
which he examined Yank from top to
toe.
IT." said he, 1T wasn't for that
eighteen foot cannon you carry over
your left arm and . cold gray pair Of
eyes you carry in your head Id direct
you up the sidehill yonder and watch
you sweat As It ID, you can work
anywhere anybody else isn't working.
Start in!'
Can we dig right next to you,
then?' asked .Yank, nodding at an I'm.
broken piece Of ground just upstream.
The miner clambered carefully out
Of his waist deep trench, searched his
pockets, produced q pipe and tobacco.
After lighting this he made Yank q
low bow.
Thanks for the compliment; but,
warn you. this claim Of mine Is not
very rich. I'm thinking Of trying
somewhere else"
"Don't you get any gold?"
"Oh, a few ounces day"
"That suits me for . beginning" said
fank decidedly. "Come on, boysr'
The miner hoped back into his hole,
only to stick his head out again for
the purpose Of telling us:
''Mind you keep fifteen feet awayw
With eager hands we slipped pick
and shovels from beneath the pack
ropes, undid our iron bucket and with.
out further delay commenced feverish-
~ to dig.
Johnny held the pail. while Yank
and I We'd with each other in being
the first to get our shovelfuls into that
As consequence we near
" swamped the pail first of and had
to pour some Of the earth out again.
linen we all three ran down to the
river and took turns stirring that mud
pie beneath the gently flowing waters
In the manner Of the pot Planners"
we had first watched. After good
deal Of trouble we found ourselves pos
sessed Of q thick layer of rocks and
coarse pebbles.
1--WE forgot to screen It," pointed
but.
1--WE haven't any screen" said
Johnny.
Lets pick 'em out by hand, asug-
gested Yank.
We did so. The process emptied the
pail. Each Of US insisted on examin-
ing closely, but none of us succeeded
In creating out Of our desires any Of
that alluring black sand.
II suppose we can't expect to get
color every time" observed Johnny
Asappointedly. LETS try her again
We tried her again, and yet again
and then some more, but always with
the same result. Our hands became
pulled and wrinkled with constant i'm
mersion in the water and began to feel
sore from the continual stirring of the
rubble.
Something wrong" grunted Johnny
into the abysmal silence in which we
had been carrying on our work.
1--WE can't expect it every time,' I
reminded hm.
aAll the others seem to-
"Well, maybe we've struck blank
place. Let's try somewhere else" sug-
gested Yank.
Johnny went over to speak to our
neighbor, who was engaged In tossing
out shovelfuls of earth from an exca-
walton into which he had nearly dis
appeared. At Johnny's hail he straight
ened his back, so that his head bodied
out of the hole like prairie dog.
mo, 1t doesn't matter where you
Dig" he answered Johnny's question.
1.-THE pay dirt Is everywhere"
So we moved on few hundred feet,
picked another unoccupied patch and
resumed our efforts. No greater sue
cess rewarded us here. 3
Il believe maybe We ought to 60
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