Year: 1872

DOUGLAS CITY, Jan. Is, 70.


DEAR JOURNAL Just as | was fairly
seated to write, in walked Jesse, and i'm
mediately commenced blowing about hi.
dirt excavator. Says it works like 6
charm and that he would not take $40 fol
the machine alone, and as for the patent
its not in the market at all. He, however
objects somewhat to the name l gave it.
and says the right name is "The Great
North American Root-Biter and Stumr
Annihilator."


Uncle Snort " was to see me on Sun
day, looking as fine as blooded horse al
battalion muster, and as happy as sew
eral clans. To-day he was to have start
ed on semi-annual pilgrimage to Dog
Fennel Bend from thence he goes to
Point Bar. If | was to guess further
what he intended doing, l would guess
that he would write letter to the JOUR
NAL, in which Jacinto " would get a
genteel raking down. l, somehow or
other, feel it in my bones. 1t does fel-
low "power Of good " to get hauled
over the Goals occasionally-it takes the
conceit out of him.


DR.. Bottsford, of the East fork of Hay
Fork, passed through here to-day with
some quartz rock Of a superior quality,
intending to have it assayed before he
returns. The rock is of very fine grain,
any amount Of sulphurets in sight and,
Judging from the appearance alone, l
think it is rich in silver. spent two
seasons in the State of Nevada in pros
pecting quartz, and since my return have
often thought Of taking a tramp through
that section, believing that there is a
number Of valuable gold and silver
ledges there.


The rain is over for while, l hope
certainly the miners cannot grumble.-
The ground was very dry and the rain
has all been absorbed ; the streams have
not been very high at any time, except
toward Hay Fork, and do not hear of
the destruction Of but very little property
by the freshet at any point in the county.
The river has not been very high, and has
been going down gradually for ten days.


| think the JOURNAL, in its new tog-
gerry looks splendid, and then it has so
much more reading matter in it. Still
there seems to be something missing in
it, too. AS the JOURNAL so far has said
nothing about it, neither will /. If there
is anything wrong, have the satisfaction
Of knowing that my skirts are clear. l
gave you timely warning and told you to
keep an eye single to Uncle Snort or he'd
"pi" those hieroglyphics around your
masthead. All right, Qlnowing the
JOURNAL as l do) the time will come
when that vacancy will be filled with the
name Of U. S. Grant that is if the
world don't conflagrate or inundate on
the Noah principle; and furthermore,
there is nothing that will prevent his re-
election, by double or triple his former
majority, except the Blairs take sides
with us, and in that case | intend to vote
for Grant but do my betting on little
Julian. l say Julian yes, he's the man
that is to make the race against Grant,
judging from the present outlook. So,
Democrats, get ready with your pepper
mint; he's your pill.


have an idea that Douglas City will
regain some Of its lost life before long.
Everybody is busy; besides the claims
that were worked last season, in this
vicinity, several old abandoned ones are
being worked. Smith & Kennedy are
preparing to work the old Brooks claim,
back of Douglas. Hughes & Brannan
are now sluicing claim on Union Hill
that has not been touched for six or seven
years for want of dump, and j. w.
Smiley proposes to set the current OF
Trinity river over on this side by sluicng
away the extreme upper end Of Trinity
Bench.


l have been hunting an easy berth all
my life; got one now that's striking in
on me; get lonesome of nights. l am
certainly under many Obligations to the
JOURNAL Office for numerous bundles OF
papers, which help to pass away the dull
nights hugely. | have passed to a second
reading the doggerel of "Jo-whacken
Miller" Dead in the Sierras) and, with
out attempting to set myself up as critic
must say that if there is anything grand
in it, it's thar" yet. JACINTo.