Year: 1871

NOouLAS ClTfi december D, 1871.
DEAR JOURNAL WHAT'S become of all the


poets This is conundrum that have been
Trying 10 answer for the past six months. but


unless you choose to enlighten me on that point,


III have to give it up. Only year ago. the


columns of the JOURNAL teemed with the sciu-
tliiations of genius every week, but alas /" Sam
johnson, Grimes, Jr. !" w. T. c." ct hoe
genus omne, have incontinently " dried up" and
their melodies no longer charm the senses and
enthrall the soul. Tender and touching. as
every miner too we'll knew, was that pathetic
description of that most unpoetcal of all themes
the weather-whch the mining bard depre-
Gated in stanzas in which " feet " and inches
were strangely joined together. In view of the
fact that we are threatened with another season
as dry as the last one, cannot refrain from
quoting line or two from that effusion:


"Beauul days and nights would add to his store
Without storm in vain he'd seek the golden oren


Poetlcal talent, however, is said to be developed
only under the influence of 4" old rye" or star
vaton. | am disposed to believe this a truism


from the fact that at the time the fever for poetry
run highest among the denizens of I" Dog Fenne
Bend, their chief reliance for grub consisted in
the coons, skunks and blue-jays which their steel
trap furnished With the discovery of grub
dggings, the supplies of poetry from that quar-
ter failed altogether, and the Chief Poet furnishes
living illustration of the truth of the elder
Weller's theory that when man becomes a mis-.
anthrope and sours on the world, he gets a posi-
ton on turnpike or bridge, and g seeks revenge
on all mankind by taking toll" AS for the
mining bard, he has either gone the way of all
poets, mining or otherwise, or else has found
his way to the arms of his


C. dear Julia in long years most forgot"


and is, OF course, too happy to come down to
the level of ordinary mortas.


Douglas looks pretty much the same as it did
when left it six months ago, in fact it seemed
just as though I'd been up to the " head of navi-
CATION for week or so only. Invent up to the
tunnel which Marshall, Reed & Co. are driving
through the hill, and was glad to see that the
boys are making fair progress. travelled in so
far that began to think | had struck into the
" underground railroad " which we used to hear
of few years ago, before the Fifteenth Amend
ment had endowed our " culed brudren F" with
all the rights of "A " man and brother" The
tunnel is now in distance of nearly FIVE hun
dred feet, which leaves about three hundred feet
yet to be completed. They have now passed
under the crest of the hill and the lay of the
rock is pitching toward the fiat in which their
claims are situate, making it work much better
For the last three or four weeks they have been
driving ahead at the rate of about twelve feet
a week, which, considering the size of the tun-
mel, is good progress. Previous to that, for some
time, the rock had been so hard that but from
four to six feet week could be made. The boys
are confident of having everything in readiness
for mining in another year, and their enterprise
is deserving of a rich reward


McWlliams Foley are fitting up claim on
Union Hill and will work place where but little
prospecting, and that mostly on the surface has
as yet been done. The lay of the ground is ia
vorable and should not be surprised to hear of
their striking good pay. On the opposite side of
the gulch, Brannan & Hughes will reopen an
old claim which was laid up for want of dump
ing ground ten years ago. The claim paid well
at that time and there is good ground left in it
yet. On the Douglas City side Chris Matzen
is tearing down his house preparatory to removal.
hear that he has sold the lot to Charley Tourot,
who will mine it out. Charley is fitting up his
Douglas City claim in pretty good shape and if
he meets with no mishaps will make it tell this
Winter.


believe there is nothing further to chronicle
at present. unless give d" Grimes, Jr." another
poke. But hoping what have said will draw
the old gentleman from his retirement, | remain
as ever, your UNCLE SNORT.