Year: 1872

1t was always mystery to most people
what kept Jake Morton on Humbug Gulch,
1t was very true that in early days Humbug
had some very rich spots in it, and if report
told the truth, Jake had, himself at one
time made quite a little raise" from the
banks and bars of that now condemned
stream. But the ''raise'', if Jake had ever
had any, had long since found 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
bowlders. If Humbug had ever had a
| palmy day, it must 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 day wages there for the last
four years. He always gotta little gold. they
knew enough so that he kept his accounts
pretty near balanced with the merchants and
butchers of Shutdown, which so romantically
named village was the source from which
the hermit of llumbug drew his supplies, but
thcn-if 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 a theory of his own
in relation to the diggngs on Humbug, and
that theory he wisely kept to himself. So
the stray miners whom curiosity in regard
to Jake's movements, or desire to win
success by striking prospect where every
one else had failed, who from time to time
made their appearance at Jake's cabin, arm.
ed with pan and pick and the other para
phernalia of rye prospector," always lefs
with a profound disgust both of the gulch
| itself, and of any man who would fool away
his time by staying in such miserable sec
ton, where. as "Kentuck No. II once said,
IA man might ground sluice a year afore
he'd take out gold enough to fill up boiler
TOOTH 81 bad indeed, became the reputa.
ton of the Ilumhug disgings, that even John
ChiLalnan, with his everlasting rocker, sell
dom strayed up that way, but on the other
hand gave them a wide berth. All this,
however, was just what Jake desired. lie
had been on the guch so long that be knew
Just where every good spot in it had been,
and he could pick artund near those spots
and make few dollars at any time when, in
trying to prove the truth Of his theory, be
found himself running light"


The Winter had set in unusually stormy
and the Holidays had arrived. when the
events detailed in this most truthful legend
are said to have transpiIed. For several
| days the rain had poured down in torrents,
swelling each little ravine beyond its due
proportions, while the tops of the hills and
the sides of the iofter mountains were cloth
ed in their fleecy garments of snow. Jake
stood at the door of his old log cabin. look
ing out upon the swollen stream and the
| gloomy sky, with most discontented ex-
| preston of countenance. If an "honest
miner" of the present day should look upon
such scene with the slightest degree of dis
| appreciation, he would be at once adiudged 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 dis
content 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 So
cietv IF his fellowman as well as anybody
Moreover, it was the last day of the year,
and the idea of commencing a New Year in
the soltudes of Humbug Gulch was, for
some reason, unusually distasteful to its lone
inhabitant. He studied some time profound.
| ly whether he should defy the elements and
make start anyhow. But the thought of
wading through the ice-cold waters of Gam
klers' Ravine, and then perhaps finding the
| foot bridge washed away at the White Mule
Gulch, was too strong for him, and with
last lingering look at the darkened sky, be
gathered an armful of dry wood from the
shed and entered his cabin.


The short Winter day soon drew to n
close, while the storm without ragged with
renewed fury. When Jake had eaten supper
and put things little to rights, be piled a
fresh lot of wood in the broad fire place and
drs wing comical imitation of an easy chair
before the cheerful blaze. fell into a dreamy
reverie Naturally enough, his thoughts re-
verted to the scenes of by gone years, to the
Holiday festivities which had been so hearth
" celebrated in the old house at home. and
the temptation to compare his present mode
| of life with that to which be had been ac-
customed became irresistible. He 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 furniture which formed its only embel
! lishment. A few pots and skillets blacked
with long and constant use; two or
three frviug-pans hanging to nails drove in
the logs; dish rags nailed to the end of a
stick: a pine table, on which stood one clean
nlate 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 fire. place. standin 2
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 was enough for
Jake. who relapsed into his reverie again.
while the storm ragged on without. and the
gulch, which ran few rods from the door.
roared in manner which told of their fast