Year: 1874

snort tlme ago. Says he's standing
candidate for office on the Squash Pump
kin ticket, subject to few drawbacks.


l have been thinking lately of arrang-
ing If possible for reunion Of tho Mot
ley Mule" Company who crossed the
plains in '52 in the prairie schooner, the
"Self-Sharpener." AS there was only
six to start with, am pretty positive
can account for all of them. Our New
Jersey man died at Fort Kearney. Two
Amite River, La, boys died for JEFF
Davis, and our Hoosier died because he
couldn't help it. That's four out of six.
The Mississippian is at this time study
ing etiquette down at Lieut.. Gov. Pa
checo's capital, and if our Dolly Virgin
Senator Governor will only discriminate
slightly in his favor propose a jolly re-
union say about the first day of April
next. A fellow would pay something to
see the survivors of that craft, wouldn't
he. Poor Mississippi As / am an
avowed Railroad man, fear my intiu-
enee with the Governor would be remark
ably mild.


Now let's talk of the present. The
first thing before the house is, what are
we to do for fresh beef. 1t has been so
long since had steak l hardly know
how it would taste, and from the looks
of the cattle and backwardness of grass,
can't say when we will have any. Where
we have been slucing and failing out on
low bar has formed a quagmire that
catches every hoof that attempts to pass
up or down the river, and is known by
neighboring stock men as Macs cow
catcher. We have caught three cows
already. Caught one of Matt. Lowden's
After pulling her out it was voted that
with care and attention she would live.
Matt. went after feed, and when he re-
turned the COW was defunct. He had
brough. bundle of hay and sack of
carrots and as he had no use for them we
naturally fell heir to the lot. So that
hay and the sack of carrots is the only
fresh beef we have had for many long
day. There is no game near us except
two old white ducks that we're on this
river when Steve Lane was a boy. So
Steving says-don't know Steve's age,
but think he's 100 old to lie. There is
plenty OF game called monte, but the
Diggers seom to have monopoly of that.
They bet horses, arrows, in fact every
thing they possess goes. This infatua-
ton for bucking at monte has extended
to the other sex, and they seem as much
taken with the game as the bucks. l
stood by and saw q mahalah bet deer
skins and baskets and lose as fast as she
could put them up, and dress after dress
was staked and lost; but when sho
bet the dress she had on two modest,
nice young Americans might have been
seen to git up and dust. You see she
was dreadfully out of luck and had she
lost, the lady that pulled the "keno +"
might have asked her to disgorge. l was
up to Rush Greek last week and saw
Billy Christiansen at his new home
Spent an hour or so with him in compa-
ny with John Arm, in having him to say
take an under one." Don't see Steving
we had him down with us about three
weeks, polishing bedrock. Steve can't
be made to see why Jonah should have
swallowed the Whale whole, when he
could just as well made chowdcr out of
a portion of him and salted the remain.
der down. He says Jonah was q id
old fool, and if he had been there would
have told him so to his face. The rain
that's falling to-day may do the miners
some good, but small rains for mining
think about gone "hupp." am not sor-
ry, for | do dispise gum boots in hot
weather-had just as soon have bread
and-mik poultice to my feet. | expect
l have written enough for this time.
was lonesome, and as letter. writing to
the JOURNAL is fashionable just now, /
thought I'd chip in. | love to read and
do read all the letters Of your cores
pondents and take great deal of inter
est in them. Don't know any of the
writers but "Tom Tailings." Knew
him when neither one of us had cent,
and must say L am sorry to part with
your Sacramento City correspondent.
Schneider" he's my candidate for any
thing he wants. Yours in the true and
living faith.


".When Smile can rage at Satan's face
And frown facing world"