


LT ML SRORTUNES “OL ATGOLD HONTER. 
of the proceeds of the mines to China. 
Fred and I began to feel about this time 
like writing to some of the San Francisco 
papers, offering a reward to any one who 
would tell us where we could make 2 bits 
a day; but we forbore and started at it 
again. Game was plentiful; bear, deer 
and cougar. or mountain lions, with occa- 
sionally a chance at an elk. 
Two white deer skins on poles—albinos 
—are used i the annual “white deer-skin 
dance” which is to commemorate the go- 
ing down of the flood and the origin of 
the Klamath tribe. A legend of these In- 
dians corresponds to our own Adam and 
l_ve story. 
The head-dress of the men on state 
occasions is made of the scalps of wood- 
peckers; the upper bill being left on the 
scalp. They are really ornamental. The 
sauaws make exquisite basket-work of 
grasses of different colors woven into 
Oriental patterns. Some are bowl- 
shaped and are worn for hats. 
In placer mining districts the whites 
are usually those who have entirely lost 
ambition or are too old to make another 
start in life. There is a fascination about 
“mining that keeps men at it until, grown 
old and infirm, they go to the poorhouse 
to end their days. 
There are now over 5,000 prospectors 
and placer miners in the State. About 
once a year one of them strikes some- 
thing. The poor man’s mining claims 
disappeared with the passing of the men 
of ’49. It is wonderful what enterprise 
and sticking qualities some of those 
PaAGeonautse nad 
Go as far as you please, into remote 
mountain fastnesses, and you will see the 
solitary stone chimney and decaying logs 
of an old miner’s cabin—the only monu- 
ment left to some hardy pioneer, who left 
home and friends for gold—that article of 
man’s discontent. Some of them found it, 
in large quantities, too. 
In one’s travels through the mountains. 
one meets with many an old white headed 
fellow, who tells, as he sits by the fire- 
place, cooking his beans, how he took 
out his $50 a day from some river bart. 
He will also tell you he thought there was 
so much it would last forever: so he 
Eblewe items gaswtast as he mades it sin 
drunken orgies, faro banks and poker 
games. 
It takes a lot of capital to open a quartz 
mine in proper shane, and the original 
discoverer has not enough cash, generally, 
to do it. He goes after some capitalist, 
who, for a half interest, advances the 
money. In a year or so the capitalist 
owns the mine and the original owner has 
429 
some business experience. I can recall 
several such cases. Near Happy Camp 
there is, or rather has been, a rich hy- 
draulic mine. The original owner was 
an inventive genius who spent his time 
trying to solve aerial navigation and per- 
petual motion. His Chinese miners made 
a daily clean-up, while he was away, and 
AGU niche wm wWiotnanmneniplowmeduras 
cook in the camp is now driving her 
carriage in a large Eastern city. It is esti- 
mated the mine paid about $175,000 a year; 
but, through bad management, the owner 
got nothing. 
Although it has been some years since 
this mine was worked, there are still a few 
old miners scratching up and _ rocking 
on the bed rock. They make about 25 
cents a day, and are periectly happy. 
Most of them have squaw wives, who rus- 
tle firewood and attend to the bean- 
patches. 
There are more peculiar race mixtures 
on the Klamath river than I have ever 
heard of elsewhere. I have seen women 
who were a mixture of Chinese, negro, 
Indian’ and Spanish’ Where are Irish, 
Greeks, Chilians and Kanakas, who have 
married the native Americans; their chil- 
dren, are, almost without exception, 
comely. 
The climate of Northern California is 
fine in summer; no rain from May until 
September. A tent is unnecessary. When 
winter comes, it is one continual down- 
pour of snow, rain and sleet, with fog, for 6 
months. There are a few spots in Cali- 
fornia having a good climate. The rest 
is vile, muuch overestimated. to most 
Eastern minds. 
lMpawasea yeaa Stncemitned wands & shad 
seen a train or heard a steam whistle. 
We had not made much in our mining and 
had decided we did not want to get 
rich, anyhow. A humble clerkship in 
some city was more productive of 3 
square meals a day, we were firmly con- 
vinced. Then, too, the coming adminis- 
tration promised a_ brighter business 
outlook. 
While busy tightening the cinches on 
our pack saddles, preparatory to saying 
good-by to the mountains, I could hear 
Fred’s melodious voice raised in song: 
“A telegraph man in his office sat 
OG Wiest snotte Wiest 
When in rushed a tramp without coat, or 
hat, 
Or vest, or vest; 
‘Come, send this message right over the 
ales 
item TOG aise ce WwheckemandanS scone, 
back; 
Have plenty of veal for one in the rack.” ’ 
Sing tra-la-la-la!” 
