Calaveras chronicle. [volume], November 01, 1851, Image 1

About Calaveras chronicle. [volume] (Mokelumne Hill [Calif.]) 1851-18??

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
VOLUME I.
&alan?ron Cjjruttirlp.
Published every Saturday Mrrninjr. y
MokcUimne Hill OTi?c in tLo Iron
Bail liii'jj, corner of Pleasant and Wash
ingt.m street",
BY HAMILTON’, AI ERS & CO.
TERM*.
Subscriptions, {invnritbly in ad
vinrr,) f»r one year §l2 no
Six m tilths 0 o
Three months, 3 0(
Single copies 2-’
Advertising, one square of 10 lines,
or >«s. first : rr»Tf!«.n 4 Of
Each subsequent insert ion 2 0<
All kinds of Jin Wons neatly excuted.
Capt. J. W Mim.er is our authorize^ 1
for Calaveras County.
[For the C ilaveras Chroncle.]
MIKE’) EXPERIENCE.
Two years have elapsed since I Inst took si
quill—
I resume it omc more, nn Mokelumne Hill.
Inn humor compounded ofsorrnwnnd mirth.
To recount my misfortunes in boring tlic
earth.
Three months have I labored, by day and
by night.
Through strata black, yellow, Vermillion
and white.
And as every fresh layer a fresh hue did
unfold,
I s«id to myself, the next layer will be gold.
Hope lent a fresh force to each blow of the
pick.
And as I descended the blows fell more
thick ••
All obstacles vanquished, the mountain I
bore cl.
Got down £>n the ledge and looked round for
rn« hoard;
But. sad dfsappointment, I saw not a spark:
Broke some quintals of dirt, but the inside
wns dark.
And not as much gold met ray far-searching
eye
As would serve for abroach to a blue bottle
_fl V -- ■ .
There were quartz rocks anJ boulders, py
rites, black sand.
Every thing but the thing that I wanted in
hand.
There was red earth and blue earth, and
mica galore.
Every earth bu" the earth where the French
seek de i
They told mo cayote —I took their advice.
Crept in'betwcen pebbles that squeezed like
a vice.
Undermined, mined and gutted —worked
through the whole hole.
Until I once thought I’d come out at the
pole.
Betimes a small “chispa” would fall on ray
sight.
Like a wandering star on a cold rainy night;
And thus ’twns that I followed ray under
ground chase,
As will-o’-the-wisp has oft led me a race-;
And wlieu I die paired of obtaining my pile.
Some fortunate digger came down with a
smile.
Showed me his bright ingots, and said per
se vrre.
Don’t you see, my dear fellow, the ledge
pitches lusrc!
And so it did truly—lt pitched and it rose.
Pitched me out of all but my tools and my
clothes ;
Just left me as lawyers say, in statu quo.
When I sailed from Nantucket, twice five
yaars ago,
To «c >ur »ne broad ocean in search of whale
Oil.
Through «dorms and tempests, through
troubles and toil.
Three y«-ars I followed tins perilous trade—
Uj mother, poor dame, thought my fortune
was mane-
B it when 1 retnri.cii imra the southern pole
I %»as poorer than is ray Mokelumne hole,
new io conclude—brother miners be
ware,
If yonVe dooims't to be poor, why be poor in
fresh air;
Let the bright sun of heaven illumine your
toil—
Never ee'-.k unusr ground likf a ferret your
pile.
Nor yet be allured, by +be stories they tell,
To dig till yon find yourself halfway to h—l
But work ox\, the surface: when you mak f
n stride.
Herein her your friend and your counsellor
MIKE.
g"’ PJt I 'Jsv. »■ ■ -
Trie charity consist* in the perform
ance of evevy duly ofliCe. from the love
of justice.
• ' -iii - i —■ i _ -i. - i ■ ■ i i - - - .
Ca (micros Chronicle,
MOKELUMNE HILL, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1, ISSI.
[For the Calaveras Chronicle.]
flow IIIr» Rich Gulch was
'Discovered.
A P.EMIMSC'VCS uy g. h. c.
About four miles above Mnkeluinne
'fill is a celebrated placer known as
the Kich Gulch. Gold to the value of
>ome hundreds of thousands of dollars
ias been taken out of this gulch alrea
ly, and doubtless a considerable quan
fity remains there yet. The history of
his valuable discovery has always been
i questionable matter, though it is ge
nerally thought a party of Frenchmen
first broke the ground af the gulch.
Now 1 knoio that the first gold bagged
there was dug by a Massachusetts
Vankee from Berkshire county, why
he happened to “strike in” where he
di«l, and all about if.
Early in the year 1349, I was work
ing on the Mokelnmne river. At that
time, as now, “ prospecting” was a
passion among the miners, and when
ever rich diggings were reported it
was certain they would be thoroughly
tested. A party of Frenchmen had
been at work near the camp of myself
and companion, and one day it was ob
served that they had left the bar. It
was soon believed that they had disco
vered rich diggings, and many were
the means resorted to to trail them to
their camp. One eveninir, after having
performed a hard day’s work, without
having found the “ color of gold” to
reward me for it, I, in going to my own
camp, stopped at that of a neighnring
party, and while eating “flap-jacks”
and fried pork, to partake of which f
was politely invited, speculations arose
as to the locality of the Frenchmen.*
All tlte rumors of the day concerning
- I* *
tfinftlff vt vnU concluded they were
somewhere above Mokelurnne Hill.'
That they were collectin'; heaps of
gold was not for a moment doubted,
and the only thin" necessary to secure
a fortune at once was to find where
they were digging. Accordingly it was
agreed that one of the party and my
self should set out the next morning
in search of this FI Dorado. ’The
morning came, anil loin; before the sun
was high enough to he seen from the
O o
river we were on our way up the hill
sides. Our ramble occupied several
days, and took in the ramie of country
between the forks of the Mokelumne
and the North Fork of the Calaveras,
as far down as the present location of
the Buckeye store. We founi the
Frenchmen on the North Fork of the
Calaveras, but much to our disappoint
ment, found also that they were doing
nothing. Indeed, one of them offered
to sell me a valuable watch, at a cheap
rate, so pressed was he for means to
purchase a fresh supply of provisions
with. We left their camp in no very
good humor, ns may he supposed,
and as we had no food with us, and
were certain we should get none until
we arrived at the river, diligently pur
sued the homeward trail.
In going upward, while on this tour,
we had passed through a beautiful val
lej'-, and where some grass was green,
near the roots of a large oak, we dug
away a little earth, and, as we had
judged would be the result, found a
good spring of water. On our return,
we halted at this spring to refresh our
selves, (for every mountaineer knows
that water, next to foo I, is the most
refreshing thing in the world on a hard
trail,) and here we found a man en
camped. He had been prospecting
some days, was worn out fatigue,
and having found good water, had de
termined to spend the night near it.
We entered into conversation with him
—he rehearsed a world of troubles and
disappointments, terminating a long
relation of his sufferings with a request
“ to goodness gracious” that if we kuew
where there was any gold, we would
inform him of its whercalmuts. Had
we known of good diggings, we shoidd
certainly have l»een inclined to dig
there ourselves, ami we were not in the
humor to he over benevolent, having
had nothing to eat since the preieding
night. Therefore, to avoid furtlbr an
noyance, we recommended him )o dig
where he was. Quite contrary to our
expectations, lie followed the ilvice,
and still more contrary to any ejbcctU
tion we entertained, struck a pifl His
hole was at the point where the Rich
Gulch forks, and was, 1 belief, the
first hole ever dug in that rich placer. >
Romance in Real Life. —
that a Monsieur L ivill, while miking
through a street in Paris, noirrd a
young and beautiful girl, •• hosefcnove
ments attracted attention while t|ey de
noted the absence of sense, H, took
her to his home, where she received
every attention from him and hil wife;
she declined all nourishment, but per
sisted in composing verses, and though
medical aid was called in, died,
jirnnouncing the name of floiert.—
These facts were published, anl in a
few days a gentleman arrived ahd re
cognized in the effects of the deceased,
his lost daughter. She had l*en en
gaged, contrary to her wishes, gen
tleman of Lovain, at her paretlM'coin
mand, though her affections were
to one Robert D., a writer and atl Art
ist. The «lay of marriage having lu*«»i
assigned, the true lovers meditated a
double suicide, but Robert D. proposed,
ns a last resource, to insult the gentle
man of Lovain under some pretext,
trusting to a duel to rid himself of his
rival. He met his Competitor in a cafe,
where he executed his design. A duel
took place in which Robert D. was
killed —and the day of his death the
young girl disappeared, leaving a letter
explaining the cause of her flight.
The heart-broken parent recorded to
his home accusing himself of having
been the cause of this sad tragedy.
Anecdote «.r J skphine. — A flock
of geese once saved Rome from destruc
tion; and a Cac'.pmire shawl was. in
modern times, the means of preventing
nn event which. WoU hi. d)jai>m>/l
faceof affairs in Europe, [ijrrnf-f flays
of the Consulate, these elegant deaper
ies were of hut recent introduction, and
even the graceful Josephine was lint a
novice in the art of displaying them to
advantage: on l»er appearance one eve
ning en pleine toilelle. for the opera, a
deficiency was apparent to General
Kapp, who, rude soldier that he was,
had been accustomed to the perfection
of the Eastern women in the art of dis
posing their shawls, and, with his ac
customed hluntness, pointed out the de
fect of her costume to the fair Consul
ess. “Allow me to observe, madame,”
he remarked, “ that your shawl is not
put on with your accustomed grace,”—
Josephine lainrhintrly hade him arrange
in the st\ le of the Egyptian women, and
the impromptu toilette caused a delay
of a few minutes in setting off for the
opera. Those few minutes saved their
lives—the infernal machine having ex
ploded Just before the passing of the
carriage containing the party for whose
destruction it was intended.
“ With a Little Variation.”—A
young Itinerant preacher, n the con
stant habit of declaiming a great ‘leal
aliont the Creator, and especially about
the first getting up of man, w henever
he wished to display his native elo
quence to {rood advantage, was one dyy
holding forth to a mixed congregation
in a country school-house. Becoming
warm and enthusiastic as he hroeeeded,
it was not long before he leached his
favorite theme, and started «fF in some
thing like the following stle: “And
n o ? -
when the world was create*, and the
beasts of tin? field and the fVu l.v of the
air, mid pronounced very food, God
said: • Let us make mnn| And he
formed him alter his own lileness, and
declared him the noblest if nil the
works of his hands. And he made
woman also, and f.tshionei her in the
exact image of unit, with alttle varia
tion” . “ Thank the li»rd for the
variation!” shouted an old inner, who
sat. over in the Amen coper of the
room, at this interesting jinclure ol
the discourse. The effect vjis perfect
ly ludicrous ami irresistile. 'I he
preacher dropped the subjec where he
was interrupted, and was over heard
to allude to it during a subsquent min
istry of forty years.
■ >» • i ■ ri
Sleep.— A writer says f omen re
quire more sleep than men, ltd fanners
less than those engaged in (most any
other occupation. Printeri editors,
reporters, and doctors need it sleep at
all Lawyers can sleep as meh as they
please, and thus keep out oimischief.
Clergymen sleep twelve hurs out of
every twenty-four, and put thir palish
to sleep once a v\erk.
The silent eye is often a fore pnw.'
erful conqueror than the noiv tongue.
Rcrcs Chdite. —Jack Humphries,
the piquant Boston correspondent of
the Albany Dutchman, gives the fol
lowing off-hand description of Rufus
Choate:
Rufus Choate—famous for throw
ing somersets, flip-flaps, making mouths
and ugly ** mugs” at judges and juries
is jawing away in that same old Rev,
Mr. Fairchild rase. You probably ne
ver saw Rufus but you’ve heard of
4iiiu? Well, he’s great on'saving hard
cases from getting their dues. He
saved Tirrell, the murderer qf Ellen
Bickford from hemp-stretching; and
that lact has made him in great de
mand, where things are doubtful, ever
since. He has saved many a scoundrel
from well-merited punishment, and,
perhaps has obtained, for seme, justice.
Rufus Choate is a picture to look at,
and a chowder t« spout. He is about
seven feet six, or six feet seven In his
socks; supple as an eel, and wiry as
a cork screw. His face is a compound
of wrinkles* “yaller janders.” and ju
risprudence. He has small, keen,
piercing black eyes, and a head shaped
like a mammoth goose-egg, big end up;
his hair, black and curly, much resem
bling a bag of wool in “ admirable dis
order,” or a brush-heap in a gale of
\Vlhd. His body has no particular
shn|i%i and his wit and legal dodges”
hnv* set many a judge in a snicker, and
so confounded jurors as to make it al
most impossible for them to speak plain
English, or tell the truth for the rest of
their natural lives. Rufus is great on
twisting and coiling himself tip; squirm
ing around, and prancing, jumping, and
kicking up the dust when steam’s up.
HLs oratory is first rate, and his argu
ments ingenious and forcible. He ge
nerally makes a ten-strike—judge and
jdry flown at the end of every Sentence.
He is great on flowery expressions, and
high lalootui V‘ fittb-dubs.”; * Strangers
mostly think he’s crazy., and the rest
scarcely understand what it’s ail about.
He invoices his lime and elocution
4,000 per cent, aver ordinary charges,
for having one’s self put through a
courso of law. Rufus Choate is about
isfonsrrrereo rne arnest lawyer in iNew
England, or perhaps the Uuited States.
His hand-writing can’t be deciphered
without the aid of a pair of compasses
and a quadrant. Hi* autograph some
what resembles the map of uhio, and
looks like a piece of crayon sketching
done in the dark, with a three pronged
fork. He has been in the Senate, ahd
may be, if he bad time to fi.-h for it,
President of the United States. If the
Rev, Mr. Fairchild don’t lick bis ad
versaries (libel case) with Choate to
*• talk to jury,” his case isn’t worth the
powder to blow it up.
Onward. Democratic principles
are at work among the Canadians. We
are pleased to learn that the law of
of primogeniture, (by which the oldest
sou took the whole of the estate of his
deceased parent, leaving nothing for
the younger children) lias been swept
out of existence in Canada. In a list
of measures to which the Governor
General gave the royal assent, was in
cluded the act to abolish the right of
primogeniture, in the succession of
real estate. This is, perhaps, the most
democratic measure that has l»eeu
passed during the present parliament,
and its influence on the future condi
tion of the province cannot fail to be
decidedly beneficial.
“The Schoolmaster Abroad.”—
We clip the following advertisement
from the Oregon Spectator, if the or
thography of these lines be correct, we
would like to exchange the English for
one of the dead languages:
“ THE T \MHIL MAIL STEMBR HOOSIR.
This Sterner is now finishr, and wil
hereafter run regularii from above
the talz ov the Wilamet to Datott or
Lafeat on the yamhil river. She will
leave Canema at 71-2a’«lock A.M.
on Tiizdaz Thursday, and Saturday,
making her return trips from Datott at
7 1-2 o’cloc, A.M., ott Mondaz, Wenz
daz and Friday. Passenjerz and frat
will lie landed at interiiiedint landings.
For frat or pnsig, apli on bord, or at
the wart-boat Canenw, C. SaveJ’i warf
boat Daton.”
At a late festival a pretty miss wait
ed upon an editor with a pie plate of
antique manufacture, in the centre of
which he espied the following couplet:
“ One sweet kiss
Is the price of this.”
This excited his naturally amorous
disposition, and as soon as an oppor
tunity presented, -be motioned the
young lady aside, ami pointing with
his knife to the lines, said, “ Your pay
is ready when you present your biU!”
Dobbs says tailors would make
spleudid dragoons, they charge to.
NUMBER 3.
Portrait or “ Uncle Sam.” A
writer in the Southern Literary Met*
sender gives the following graphic pen
and ink sketch of our respected uncle;
"In personal appearance, Uncle Sam
is a tall, bony, healthy looking man,
apparently of forty-five; for though
born in 1775, he bears his age well, and
seems to be getting younger every day.
He loves to brag of his establishment,
and puts himself upon such an equality
with the people, that • train of hangups
on are always at his elbow. There are
always at his table a number of gray*
headed old follows who were hie ««b
portions in of wbeee services
he continually Spjakis!
He loves to hoa* how Tfm such-an
nue saved his life at Hunker Hill, and
bow Dick somebody Whipped a fellow
who assaulted him at Eetaw. He often
too, wipes hie eyes when be looks at
the picture of a tall General hanging up
in his parlor, who, he says, whipped a
fellow named Packenbam, v. ho once
tried to take away one of his girls and
a cotton bale. On these occasions Un
cle Sam becoins greatly excited, and
taking off his cocked hat, which; he says,
was the gift of his old friend George
Washington, will swear he has the best
land in the world, and can out-run, out-
Jump and whip any man on the hill.
In praising his friends and hispfante
linn, Uncle Sam often makes himself
ridiculous; but in truth, these are but
eccentricities of character, which are so
mixed up with generous virtues as tb
he excusable. Though inclined to peace
he can sometimes play the braggart,
ami is one of those who, while he will
give bis life in the way of friendship, lit
the matter of bargains will stickle on
the ninth part of a hair.
At any attempt upon him of this char
acter, be will shoulder bis cane and act
out as many manoeuvres as a half-pay
lieutenant of infantry. On the whole,
he is one of those who will cudgel his
best friend in whose cause be is engaged,
and embrace his bitterest enemy, in
wbgse conduct is observed the smallest
principle of magnanimity or honor.
New To*t ra* a Horse. —A Par-
Uiuti n»n pr MKHCS the followitur F.lt*>
At the pCx.u races at Ascot, the fa
mous horse Tiberius broke bis leg by
bounding against one of the posts of the
harrier , while preparing for the race,—
His owner, Lord Milbank lost ten thou
sand pounds in liets upon him, besides
his value, and others lost heavily—the
law of the course being that all lost bets
shall l»e paid, whether the failure to
win come from accident or lem speed.
Three days afterwards, Lord Mil- «
bank gave a very sumptuous dinner.—
The,must distinguished of the English
peerage were present, ami conviviality
ran high. Towards the dose, the no
ble host rose in his place, and proposed
to drink to the departed Tiberius. it
was clamorously received, but the spea
ker remained standing, with bis class
in his hand.
“ We drink to Tiberius,” said Lord
Miibank, when the shouts hud suicided,
“ the most lieautifui, the most udmira
Me, the most spirited courser whose
hoofs ever trod british turf.”
Shoots again rose to the roof.
“ You know*” continued his Lord
ship, “ the achievements of this horse.
His deeds belong to history. Faroe has
taken charge of his glory. But k be
longs to me, and to you,' my lords and
gentlemen, to do honor to his mortal
remains! I wished that this lofty cour
ser should have-a burial worthy of his
deservings. He bus it. My cook has
fitly prepared him, and you have feast
ed on him to-day! Yes, my lords and
gentlemen! this meat which you have
relished so keenly—those dishes which
awakened such inquiry as to what ani
mal could be so delicious—it was Tibe
rius! The noble courser reposes hi
your stomachs I May your digestions
be light!”
At these words the enthusiasm con
centrated for a moment—possibly with
some vague thought of an immediate
ressurection-hut, with a sudden hurst of
huzza-, the idea took the turn of a su
blimity, and another glowing l»utnj«r
was sent to join (be departed in his
metempsychosis.
Aw odd sort ol genius, having stop
ped in a mill, wr«a looking will appa
rent astonishment at the rotary move
ments of machinery, when the miller,
thinking to quia him, asked him jf be
bad beard the news.
Not os I knows on,” says Jonathan
—“ what is it?”
“Why,” replied the milter, “they
say the devil’s dead
“ % h« exclaimed, *• is be,
—w ho tends the mill J”
A ute writer says that the skies ef
Italy ate Muer than anything he exit
saw, excelling Miss Smith's eyer-
Miss Sn.iib is the young woman hesya
up with.
Men of genius ure often dull and inert
in such 13 ; hs the blazing meteor, w
h descend* %» tfcp earth is only a ti|t.