The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-25

Copyright. 1924., in United States and Grea Britain Cuba Japan and South America. by Nortf American Newspaper Alliance, for The Age Herald All rights reseryed.) s='f
 By TEX RICHARD
 The gold strike at Rampant blew ur with bang-not exactly a bang, al that. It was more like the bursting oi cap on a musket. Tho load didn't go off. We didn't find as much-g gold as have in my teeth right now.
 It was in those trying days, though that the principles of honesty wer. grounded in me. believe now Il was the bigness of things, the natural. ness, the openness. Even though have observed the seamy side of life, people are dishonest by. nature. The principles of square dealing, find apply in the fight game just as they did along the Yukon when every man was his own. There were no courts to adjust disputes. We didn't have disputes. ,
 The question has been asked ~me roughnecks in the fight game keer their word?"
 Truthfully can say that I never have found these roughnecks dishonest If you give an Ignorant man the i'm pression that you are on the square with him he will be on the square with you. The parasite managers may give trouble but never the man who does the fighting.
 the Bella and the Alice. They brought up supplies in the spring. Whether miner was present or not they would have a six months supply of food on the shore, put the mans name on it and nobody ever thought of molesting it. There was no favor itism. A man was a man and he need ed so much food.
 Going out of Dawson City, dead broke and disappointed, three pros pectors and myself headed for Rampant. As I say, that strike was a bfoomer. There we were, further away than ever and more dead broke than ever-if that be possible. My $57,000 had gone rolling along with the little white ball on the roulettee wheel. I am trying to make the point that money, except in so much as 1t would buy food, never concerned us deeply It doesn't bother me to this day. His Name Was Rex Beach We learned that the river boats would pay $15 cord for wood, cut the proper length for the boilers and piled on the banks of the stream. That be. ing the only way out we started cutting wood. Nobody checked up this wood and no workman thought of getting his pay at that time. When the ice broke and the boats got through they would simply pick up the wood, figure out the amount and leave the money for us.' The boat men trusted us bee cause they knew we trusted them. So I set to work as a wood cutter It took muscle, but I had it. W, I worked for several months at this jot in an effort to- restore our lost for tunes.
 One day we noticed another gang cut ting wood on the opposite side of tn, river few miles down. Naturally W, went over to call and gossip. .Mer were scarce those days. To see new face was quite an event.
 One of the other wood cutters found to be a strong, intelligent look ing young fellow. He took us in, gay, us the best he had in the camp an( made us sit down for chuck.
 Whats the name, if you don mind? I asked.
 Rex Beach," he told me.
 i I know this young fellow was edu cated, sort of college man, but thought him just a prospector lik myself. In fact, he was It was a lon, time after that before I eever kney that my friend Rex Beach, cutting cor, wood on the Yukon, was the grea writer. I simply knew him as Beach a darn good fellow.
 l don't remember how much Beacl