Show ON prospecting many of your readers know but little as to the manner anner in which gold silver and other metals are discovered by whom with what anxiety privations and hardships and the different classes of men that follen prospecting how they live year after year with hope deferred most of the old prospectors tore are bachelors men who have mu been disappointed in love P many went to california and had their ups and downs making and losing money mone and never having enough to satisfy them or retire on some took to gambling to help them along in their eagerness to gain wealth low loss was the consequence drink followed to drown sorrow the minee in nevada held out inducements for the prospector lence hence he would go there and purchase pur chabe some bacon flour yeast and cof feea frying pan coffee botand sometimes a camp kettle these constituting the outfit with pick and shovel and a few blankets he would take to the hill bill and sleep where night overtook him little thinking or curing caring about the rattlesnakes tarantulas scorpion and centipede which were often found in close proximity to the bed indeed many a man has found the rattler rattier in hrib blankets in the morning nothing daunted he took his meal and packed his horse or burrow or if he had neither packed himself and went along whistling or humming a low tune with his bis eyes upon the ground looking for rock that looks likely to contain gold silver or lead often stopping to examine ami the count country rys to see what the formation is and where is ie the most probable I 1 place for mineral to ti be found V for or days months and years this labor is in pursued with the same care diligence and hope years pass pan on letters ceasing to reach his friends so often the girl gets tired of waiting and marries a me one else some Bome kinu friend writes him the letter finds him birn after a long time he swears never to trust another woman he finds a mine goes to the nearest city sells sometimes goes to california into the states and may take a trip to the old world and have Is a good time the money lasts when this to Is all gone he be re returns to find that mines have been discovered in many other states aud and territories rief and with his big former good luck he can get a stake from any of the old miners to go prospecting having found it 11 once he can and it again they will say my but alaba ala the country has hai changed there are now many pro spec tor where there were low few before he is getting older and frequently feela he R settles down in a cabin oab luand and goes to work on a prospect here he tolls toils alone eats alone and gets geto so BO sour our with the world that he wants to be to in solitude I 1 know of one who was disappointed in love who has hae lived in the same cabin for fifteen years yeara this cabin ia a fourteen feet long by twelve wide he has lately added some improvements thereto he put in a window where hitherto he had only a out he is ie perfection in neatness with hito him it is a place for everything and everything in its ito proper place the last time I 1 was wag there he had eleven boxes nailed up to put things thing In besides four shelves to stand tl ings ingo in bottles of all kinds cans of all eize adorn the shelves and woe to the man who moves oni onel he will let anyone wipe the dishes but never wish wi wt sh any you must see that you put the cloth in the place where you found it or incur his hie displeasure it is a sight eight to be in the evening at a cabin of the miners and prospectors prospect ort when they come in from work to see with what eagerness every piece 0 ot rock that has a sign of mineral in it is scanned turned over and discussed the magnifying glass is brought out and the questions asked how cahow much is there in the vein in tight eight how deelus one would tl ti ink i y the looks anti ana action that they never had seen one on before when these men got get into a cabin they are good livers ja and in most me cases eJe cleanly anly sunday is washing and mending day they are well read and posted on almost all topics of the day all take a lively interest in politics the majority of them follo bob ingersoll Ineer eoll anc read the truth seeker they are kindhearted full of charity and generous to a fault hopeful and brave gloom is only for a timo fear they never have they discover the mines that benefit their follow fellow man but seldom get much benefit out of them for themselves they get much blame through the middle man who is the swindler it if there is wrongdoing wrong doing these middlemen middle men are in almost every mining miming camp they take a bond from the prospector for a nominal sum bum if there is anything crooked or any roguery going on the middleman does it and olten the miner geu gets the ces censure sure the prospectors prospector ls daily lifs life is inthis this he usually rises rime early eats es to his h a breakfast takes a can of water a pick and sometimes a little lunch he starts out on the hill bill or mountain looking for something he never lost but something he must find he looks as closely as aa anyone would for a lost diamond for float rock containing mineral this once found he begins to scour around for the ledge many times this rock is a long way from where the ledge to is located this is his daily weekly monthly and yearly life the city dude prospector must not be overlooked for forbe he cuts quite a figure out here he re comes with a new wagon carriage backboard and in some instances a livery team with boots on the horses horse a ewe case of eggs in the buggy and plenty of provision canned goods principally he has baa plenty of new hew tools a new tent portable cooking stove powder and fuse bedding enough for a camp meeting feather pillows and in one case came he being an only son his mother gave him a feather featherbed bed he of course parts his hia hair down the middle and has a tooth brush with him A new pair of miners boots adorns his feet he wears weare a very bri nomy but bat and a woollen wrt shirt I 1 saw one young man with a sky blue necktie over dirty woollen shirt the old eld form of clothing looks fun ny but can be worn out here the amateur prospector brings a bottles of acids a blow pipe a be ax x of cigars cigard chewing tobacco and a large store of cigarettes when the cigarettes and the eggs are gone he be receives recel word that he is 19 wanted in the cit v this camp is working now on eight mines all looking well and if there was a railroad there would be many more working the cry would be give us more cars can jl as it is give us a railroad H J faust SPRING CREEK june 5 1892 |