Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1916-11-02


disadvantage Of living way off where
you do. My hangout is just down the
street. Let's have a drink"
We accepted both his invitations
Then, after the supper, pipes aight,
we sauntered down the street, vast
leisure expanding our horizons.
We entered the gambling rooms, Of
which there were two, and had a drink
of what McNally called GAP caliber
whisky at the bar of each. In one
of them we found Johnny, rather flush
ed, bucking a faro bank. Yank sug
gested that he join us, but he shook
his head impatiently, and we moved
ON. In a tremendous tent made by
joining three or four ordinary tents to-
gether a very lively fiddle and con-
and were pounced upon by bolster
Gus group of laughing men and had to
| join in the festivities.
About 10 o'clock we were getting
tired, and probably the reaction from
the "42 caliber whisky" was making
us drowsy. We hunted up Johnny,
| still at his faro game, but he positive
ly and impatiently declined to accom-
pany us. He said he was ahead-Or
| behind, I forget which. | notice both
conditions have the same effect of
| keeping man from quitting. We
| therefore left him and wandered home
through the soft night, wherein were
| 1y1s 14or 10
voices and the silhouettes Of great
trees.
Johnny did not return at all that
night, but showed up next morning at
! the diggings, looking blear eyed and
| sleepy. He told us he had slept with
he was a little behind the game"
| believe myself that he was cleaned
out, but that was none of our business.
| Every night we divided the dust into
| five parts. Don Gaspar and Vasquez
| got two Of these. The remainder we
again divided into four. I took charge
Of Talbot's share. We carried the dust
always with us, for the camp was no
| longer safe from thieves.
About this time the first Of the over
| land wagon trains began to come
through. Hangman's Gulch was not
on the direct route, but some enterpris
ing individual had found our trail fair
| ly practicable for wagons and ten
miles shorter than the regular road
After that many followed, and soon
we had a we'll cleared road. They
showed plainly the hardships of a long
| journey, for the majority of them were
thin, sick looking and discouraged
Few Of them stopped at the diggings,
although most had come west in hopes
of gold, but pushed on down to the
pastures of the Sacramento. They
were about worn out and needed to
recuperate before beginning anything
new. Some were out of provisions and
| practically starved. The Yankee store
keeper sold food at terrible rates. l
| remember that quinine, a drug much
in demand, cost a dollar grain! We
used to look up from our diggings at
the procession of these sad faced, lean
men walking by their emaciated cat
tie and the women peering from the
wagons and be very thankful that we
mad decided against the much touted
overland route.
One day, however, an outfit went
through of quite different character.
We were apprised of its approach by
hunter named Bagsby. He loped
down the trail to the river level very
much in hurry.
Boys" he shouted, quit work!
Come see what's coming down the
trail!' with which he charged back
again up the hill.
His great excitement impressed US.
for Bagsby. like most Of the old time
Rocky mountain men. was not Ordinar
lily what one would call an emotional
individual. Therefore we dropped our
tools and surged up the hin as fast as
we could 90 I think we suspected
Indians
A trail 81 three wagons drawn By
strong n.:.',. was lurc:lin" %'.,WiE GnVTE
the road i differed lite fro:n orc