Year: 1871

~ was "i""ys I" mystery 10 most people wha


kept Jake Morton on Humbug Gulch. 1t wa.


very true that in early days Humbug had som,


very rich spots in it, and if report told the truth


Jake had, himself, at one time made quite a lit


tie " raise " from the banks and bars of tina


now condemned stream. But the " raise - i


Jake had ever had any, had long since founC


its way into the pockets of more fortunate men


while Jake alone, of the many miners who had


at different times essayed to make Humbug pay


still lived there and worked among its powders


If Humbug had ever had pamy day, it mus,


have been many years ago, for it was pretty well


understood among the quid nuncs who are to be


found in every mining camp, that Jake Morton


had not made good days wages there for the


last four years. He always got a little gold


they knew enough so that he kept his accounts
pretty near balanced with the merchants and
butchers of Slabtown, which romahtically named


village was the source from which the hermit of
llumbug drew his supplies, but then-ifa man
wants to work for just his grub - he can make
that almost anywhere, and not be compelled to
camp off in such an out of the way place as that
which he had chosen.


But Jake Morton had theory of his own in
relation to the diggings on Humbug. and that
theory he wisely kept to himself SO the stray
miners whom curiosity in regard to Jake S move
ments, or desire to win success by striking a
prospect where every one else had failed who
from time to time made their appearance at
Jake cabin, armed with pan and pick and the
other paraphernalia Of aye prospector" always


left with profound disgust both of the gulch
itself, and of any man who would fool away his
time by staying in such miserable section,
where, as "Kentuck No. - once said, " man
might ground sluice year afore he'd take out
gold enough to fill up holler tooth" SO bad,
indeed, became the reputation of the Iumbug
diggings, that even John Chnaman with his
everlasting rocker, seldom strayed up that way,
but on the other hand gave them a wide berth
All this, however, was just what Jake desired
He had been on the gulch so long that he knew
just where every good spot in it had been, and
he could pick around near those spots and make
few dollars at any time when, in trying to
prove the truth of his theory, he found himself
running light"


The Winter had set in unusually stormy and
the Holidays had arrived, when the events de-
tailed in this most truthful legend are said to
have transpired. For several days the rain had
poured down in torrents, swelling each little ra-
vine beyond its due proportions, while the tops
of the hills and the sides of the lofter mountains
were clothed in their aeecy garments of snow
Tal- in tI,o Of o11
ing out upon the swollen stream and the gloomy
sky, with most discontented expression of
countenance. If an honest miner of the
present day should look upon such a scene with
the slightest degree of disapprobaton, he would
be at once adjudged a fit candidate for Stockton,
for miners now believe that if we could only
have " wet Winter :" the whole year round, we
would soon get rich. But the secret of Jake's
discomfort was this he wanted to go to town
Man is defined to be an animal gregarious in its
instincts, and Jake, albeit he lived and worked
by himself could enjoy the society of his fellow
man as well as anybody Moreover, it was the
last day of the year, and the idea of commencing
a New Year in the solitudes of Iumbug Gulch
was, for some reason, unusually dstasteful to its
lone inhabitant lie studied some time pro-
foundy whether he should defy the elements and
make start anyhow. But the thought of wad-
ing through the ice-cold waters of Gamblers
Ravine, and then perhaps finding the foot-brdge
washed away at the White Mule Gulch was too
strong for him, and with last lingering look at
the darkened sky, he gathered an armful of dry
wood from the shed and entered his cabin.


The short Winter day soon drew to a close,
while the storm without ragged with renewed
fury. When Jake had eaten supper and put
things little to rights, he piled fresh lot of
wood in the broad fireplace and drawing a com
ical imitation of an easy chair before the cheer
ful blaze, fell into dreamy reverie. Naturally
enough, his thoughts reverted to the scenes of
by-gone years, to the Holiday festivities which
had been so heartily celebrated in the old house
at home, and the temptation to compare his
present mode Of life with that to which he had
been accustomed became irresistible. liz looked
around upon the bare walls of the rough cabin
which had been his home for so many weary
years, and took mental note of the rude furni-
ture which formed its only embellishments A
few pots and skllets backed with long ana con-
stant use two or three frying-pans hanging to
nails drove in the logs dsh-rags nailed to the
end of a stick pine table, on which stood one
clean plate and half dozen dirty ones these,
with broom and old long handled shovel,
(Which had once did duty in the claim and now
did the same at the fre-place) standing in the
corner, constituted the adornments Of his home.
A little shelf on which were ranged a number
of books, was the only thing which had home
like appearance to him this night One glance