Year: 1878

the Southern mines, has heard them
tell of the "old Diamond Hunter"
have conversed with several men
who claimed to have seen him. but
never yet have met but one man who
had been so favored as TO have en-
gagged him In conversation. Now, /
have not the least faith IN any of these
stories, but they 60 to show the work
! ing OF the minds of this class OF men
to which / am obliged to own that /,
myself. belong-and how much they
are indebted to their own lively i'm
agination for many of the wonderful
things they relate.


All agree in describing the Diamond
Hunter" 10 be a very old man; tall,
slender. and straight as an arrow; long
white locks hanging over his shoulders,
and snow-white beard failing down his
breast. He..is never seen except in the
spring OF the year, and then only in
the most elevated ranges of the noun
tains. He always carries long staff
in the right hand, and from his belt
on his left side is suspended bag of
green silk network, through which
may be seen the sparkling gems he
has gathered in his long mouptain
rambles. Notwithstanding his age, he
will often be seen to run along the .lde
of mountain with the fleetness Of u
wild goat. his long gray robes fiutter-
ing In the breeze as he leaps from rock
to rock or stands poised, staff in hand
on some rugged pinnacle.


He was first seen in the spring of
'53. by q party of three men who were
high up in the Sierras, prospecting
They followed him one whole day
without getting any nearer than when
they first saw him. though they exerted
themselves to their utmost, thinking
him to be SOME insane person escaped
to this wild region. Since then he
has often been seen bv parties pros
pecting during the spring months.
Sometimes he will be seen gazing in.
tently into the pebble bed of some
small rill. examining pebbles and com
pariug them with those in his silk bag;
and again be is seen leaning on his
staff on the very topmost height of
some lone, splintered peak, where
even q mountain goat would fear TO
go. He has on few occasions ventur-
ed to approach camp, but never if
there was more than one man about it,
aud then he always waves that man
back with his staff, and unless he can
induce him TO retire some steps, will
not come near. Having succeeded in
getting to the camp he takes some of
what provisions he finds. and bowling
towards the owner, hastens off up the
mountains


On one occasion a young man was
encamped alone on the mountains,
when towards sundown, he looked up
the side of a steep mountain aud saw
the "Old Diamond Hunter approach
ing He had heard of him before.
and knew something of his eccentric
ways; aud rs the old man came swift
ly down. planting his long staff be-
tore him and seeming scarcely to touch
the ground, he could see his precious
gems flashing like Goals of fire in the
setting sun.


BY these he knew him and said to
himself: There comes the Old
Diamond Hunter he is hungry and |
will place whole loaf OF bread and
other things where he may know they
are for him"


So, when the old man came near and
began to wave him away with his
staff, he walked some distance toward
the Diamond Hunter with the bread
and other things in his hand, and
laid them on rock. when he turned
about aud returned to his camp.


The OLE man had retrested at his
approach, but when he turned back to
camp, he came forward to the rock
and gathered up the provisions, bowed
low in acknowledgement of the miners
liberslity. then hastened away mp the
mountain.


The next morning. when the young
man arose, he found two glitteriDg
stones on his pillow. Rightly conject-
ing that they were diamonds.of great
value, he secured them carefully about
his person, and returned 10 the mining
town to which he belonged. and sold out
his little property for enough to take
him tn San Francisco. T&ere he dis
posed of the two sparkling stones to
Tucker. the celebrated jeweler. for
enough gold TO take him 10 the Allan
tic States and make him independent
for life


have said that on one occasion tho
"Old Diamond HUNTED" condescended
to speak to a miner. The occasion was
this-and the man who claims To have
been thus honorcd, is now IN the Hum
bolit mines the old man had visited
the miners camp every day for - week
when the miner determined that IT he
ate his bread he should answer his
questions.


50, he asked why he had always re-
fused TO converse with his fellow
minersf"


Fellow miners." exclaimed the old
man Indignantly; do you creatures. who
ale content to pass your lives in search
of that base, worthless metal, called
gold. dare presume TO class yourselves
with me-"


why notg You are glad to come To
my camp for bread when you are hun
gryt"


You are right. there; ] am thank
ful for your bread, aud | will answer
any three questions you may ask


h.ar