Year: 1873

does fellow good sometimes. But dom
indulge in it too much-might contract
habit that would be hard to stave off
The habitual growler, l think, must have
been the last thing on earth that wa;
made. Had he been made first, it would
have puzzled him to find something tc
snarl at. But perhaps l am digressing
Among those contributors that agreed tc
furnish the JOURNAL with mining intel
ligence | may have been included and
promise to make amends, by furnishing
all the news pertaining to placer and
quartz mining in this immediate vicinity
to the best of my ability and information


The first important mining interesting
item will be an "Essa on the Widder."
The widow is the large capital letter to
start with !; the premium at fair the
spanking bays on plank road the bo-
quet of society; the soothing syrup to the
sick, and smart-oh not much. A widow
reminds me Of what an old trapper said
to me once. He said he could "kotch
any varmnt that goddlemity ever made,
if he could wunce larn his bait" Just
so with widow. There never was a
man born but what widow can learn
his bait in minute. Some men love
fattery; other, pretty ankle, red checks,
modesty, plain dress, frills, and SO on.
Such things as l have just enumerated are
fellows bats, and he may work him
self up to the belief that he's old sharpy
"a little too smart to be caught by any
woman-get out know widows that
would catch string Of just such fellows
half mile long in an hour. Guess l
have little proof-know how it is my
self. Not long since / received a good
sized package, and on diving into it found
it to be huge mince-p -pie-middle strata
two inches thick, and on the upper crust,
written in legible letters, "a Widows S
Respects" Now, reader, just as sure as
you live, that's my bait. There was no
name attached to it, and whether she
wanted half interest in matrimonial
quartz mill or money for the parson l
cannot say; but my candid opinion is she
sent that mince-pie just merely to con-
vince this old chappy that she could guess
my bait the first clatter. There is no
wiping that out-thats um. Now | have
told you how the widows are getting
along mining, and will now proceed to
tell you in the second place what pro-
gress the men are making in their min
ing operations


Secondly-When it comes down to
scientific mining the men are not all fools
by considerable. One company or rather,
| should guess, an individual miner, sent
me a sample of his dust in fluid form.
And here | must guess him, too, as there
was no name attached to that, either,
but labeled "Don Jacinto," Yours as
ever" l am, however, pretty confident
| recognize the hand writing, and felt
that it came out Of that 9th barrel to your
right as you go in. Here's luck, Henry,
and may your Christmas tree forever
hang full of the good things Of this world
is my prayer. l said the men were not
all fools-that's my bait again. The only
two have-yes, the weather never was Sc
cold as to drive the mercury down into
the bulb, or so hot as to force it to sloI
over the thermometer, but what those
two baits-whislly and mince -pie-wou!d
catch nibble over this way every time
There's a bottle Of mine, from another
source, overdue at Jacinto's office, but
suppose it has met with the sad fate that
my tather-in-law predicted that is, it has
raised up and cracked '-confound the
luck but then wine, reader, you know
is unhealthy, gives fellow the headache
and sour stomach. Sour grapes, soul
grapes !


Thirdly-Every now and then we reac
an account Of the sea-serpent having beer
seen in some particular locality, but it,
been so long since we have heard from
him | think he's dead, and just now they
are sluicing his bones out on Union Hill
| have portion of molar tooth which
when whole, must have been six or seven
inches across. can stick my thumb in
the cavity left by the nerve. Wouldn't
you like to see that old fellow laborina
under No. l article Of jumping tooth
ache with his sea room contracted to
ten-acre mill pond. Jemma wouldn'
he make the water splash though be
you he would. This would properly
come under the head Of quartz mining
wouldn't it?


Fourthly-Uncle got along and wher
interrogated as to the news said the devi
was dead and everything ahoat, whicl
he thought ought to be good news t
most of the ragged d-a-blanket brigade
who still persisted in using those instru
ments of torture called pick and shovel


Fifthly-The surface diggings | shoulC
think pretty well played out. l told


friend a few days ago he'd better run 70
for office. Said he wanted no office tina
he abhorred the chronic place hunters


that in order to be successful man mus
get that low down that he would tie u
blind pig whilst he skinned the slop
bucket. Guess he anton it very muchly
i l believe l have furnished all the min
ing items that know anything about q
present, but should / hear of anythin
new in that line will scratch it down o
a cake of ice and lay it out in the sur
ready for the next letter, if this amalga
mates well Everybody has something t
say about the new Code. Have neve
got to see it; would like an agency fc