Show STUDENT LIFE mits" and that was sufficient for any editor in J Leamington’s mation As it happened Dutch Flat had never been very successful with its editors It seemed as if most of the literary inhabitants were rather severe with individuals following the vocation of editor the result being left that most of the town after a few weeks’ sojourn carrying with them anything but a good opinion of the place In fact J Leamington informed Bliss that the last newspaper genius nailed up his establishment at one a m and was safe in ’Frisco by davbreak When questions were asked as to whv the departed one decamped a smile was the only answer but it was intimated that a “tar and feather” party had been planned for the benefit of the In spite of these uncanny tales of the experiences of past editors in Dutch Flat Bliss looked upon the proposition with favor and soon he and J Leamington planned to bring back to life the “Weekly Bugle” A partnership was formed wherein busiBliss was to be editor-in-chiness manager city and telegraph editor and the reportorial staff while J Leamington wras to be assistant editor cartoonist foreman devil and janitor The type and press of the defunct “Bugle” seemed to be public property so that the starting of a paper was only a matter of gathering “dope” applying the ink and finally turning the hand press This was accomplished and soon Dutch esti- “pen-pusher- ink-splash- s” er ef 259 Flat was enjoying the benefits of a published on every Saturday night throughout the year Subscriptions came in through curiosity and advertising space was eagerly bought by the local Apparently the resurrected “Bugle” was to become a of potent factor in the building-u- p Dutch Flat and Bliss and Lumley were now enjoying prosperity Dutch Flat is the center of the hydraulic mining region in the California Sierra Xevadas and several large mining companies whose combined capital aggregates millions have their offices here Everything is under the control of these mining companies which dictate the government and even the religion of the place Foremost among these corporations is the Gold Crown Hydraulic Mining Company whose power is felt even in ’Frisco This company owned several thousand acres of rich gold paying country upon which it was operating and yielding large returns Adjoining this rich property were several thousand acres of government land which were known to be also rich in the glittering product The owners of the Gold Crown Hydraulic Mining Co had long had their eyes on this property and when news came of its proposed opening the owners put their heads together and began to plan For several days previous to the opening a thousand or more strangers crowded into Dutch Flat They were of the caravan type of man- weekly paper “Wan-amaker- s” |