| Show Largo Shop Among the stories told of early Call forniou days is I ouo which given a remarkable re-markable pic turn of a blacksmith shop In the days before roods bad been laid out and rawrnills built n blacksmith black-smith settled on cue of Ibo river bars and erecting a forge of clay and stones set the auvil on a big tree stump which i 1 lie had sawed low for that purpose and did a thriving business sharpening the picks and drills of the miners IIo was himself a miner and did his blacksmithing almost entirely at night Not knowing when his claim might fail or be disputed and bo forced to movo ou to another place ho did not think it worth his whilo to build n regular reg-ular shop Ono day two of the miners left the bar for a town somo 20 miles away Aa they camo into tho main trail leading to the blacksmiths haunt they met a man leading a horse which had lost a shoo and wait stumbling badly Strangers said the man in aweary tone can you tell mo how far It is I to file blacksmiths Ehop My horse has lost n shoe and lies mighty larneI Well now said OliO of Ibo miners leaning forward and smiling in a most encouraging way dont yon be for ghllI up Your iu the blacksmith shop now though Im bound to toll you its about three miles before youll striko tho anvil Youths Companion |
