roughing it-第36部分

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CHAPTER　XXIX。

True　knowledge　of　the　nature　of　silver　mining　came　fast　enough。　　We　went
out　〃prospecting〃　with　Mr。　Ballou。　　We　climbed　the　mountain　sides；　and
clambered　among　sage…brush；　rocks　and　snow　till　we　were　ready　to　drop
with　exhaustion；　but　found　no　silvernor　yet　any　gold。　　Day　after　day　we
did　this。　　Now　and　then　we　came　upon　holes　burrowed　a　few　feet　into　the
declivities　and　apparently　abandoned；　and　now　and　then　we　found　one　or
two　listless　men　still　burrowing。　　But　there　was　no　appearance　of　silver。
These　holes　were　the　beginnings　of　tunnels；　and　the　purpose　was　to　drive
them　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　mountain；　and　some　day　tap　the　hidden
ledge　where　the　silver　was。　　Some　day！　　It　seemed　far　enough　away；　and
very　hopeless　and　dreary。　　Day　after　day　we　toiled；　and　climbed　and
searched；　and　we　younger　partners　grew　sicker　and　still　sicker　of　the
promiseless　toil。　　At　last　we　halted　under　a　beetling　rampart　of　rock
which　projected　from　the　earth　high　upon　the　mountain。　　Mr。　Ballou　broke
off　some　fragments　with　a　hammer；　and　examined　them　long　and　attentively
with　a　small　eye…glass；　threw　them　away　and　broke　off　more；　said　this
rock　was　quartz；　and　quartz　was　the　sort　of　rock　that　contained　silver。
Contained　it！　　I　had　thought　that　at　least　it　would　be　caked　on　the
outside　of　it　like　a　kind　of　veneering。　　He　still　broke　off　pieces　and
critically　examined　them；　now　and　then　wetting　the　piece　with　his　tongue
and　applying　the　glass。　　At　last　he　exclaimed：

〃We've　got　it！〃

We　were　full　of　anxiety　in　a　moment。　　The　rock　was　clean　and　white；　where
it　was　broken；　and　across　it　ran　a　ragged　thread　of　blue。　　He　said　that
that　little　thread　had　silver　in　it；　mixed　with　base　metal；　such　as　lead
and　antimony；　and　other　rubbish；　and　that　there　was　a　speck　or　two　of
gold　visible。　　After　a　great　deal　of　effort　we　managed　to　discern　some
little　fine　yellow　specks；　and　judged　that　a　couple　of　tons　of　them
massed　together　might　make　a　gold　dollar；　possibly。　　We　were　not
jubilant；　but　Mr。　Ballou　said　there　were　worse　ledges　in　the　world　than
that。　　He　saved　what　he　called　the　〃richest〃　piece　of　the　rock；　in　order
to　determine　its　value　by　the　process　called　the　〃fire…assay。〃　　Then　we
named　the　mine　〃Monarch　of　the　Mountains〃　（modesty　of　nomenclature　is　not
a　prominent　feature　in　the　mines）；　and　Mr。　Ballou　wrote　out　and　stuck　up
the　following　〃notice；〃　preserving　a　copy　to　be　entered　upon　the　books　in
the　mining　recorder's　office　in　the　town。

　　　　　　〃NOTICE。〃

　　　　　　〃We　the　undersigned　claim　three　claims；　of　three　hundred　feet　each
　　　　　　（and　one　for　discovery）；　on　this　silver…bearing　quartz　lead　or　lode；
　　　　　　extending　north　and　south　from　this　notice；　with　all　its　dips；
　　　　　　spurs；　and　angles；　variations　and　sinuosities；　together　with　fifty
　　　　　　feet　of　ground　on　either　side　for　working　the　same。〃

We　put　our　names　to　it　and　tried　to　feel　that　our　fortunes　were　made。
But　when　we　talked　the　matter　all　over　with　Mr。　Ballou；　we　felt　depressed
and　dubious。　　He　said　that　this　surface　quartz　was　not　all　there　was　of
our　mine；　but　that　the　wall　or　ledge　of　rock　called　the　〃Monarch　of　the
Mountains；〃　extended　down　hundreds　and　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　earth
he　illustrated　by　saying　it　was　like　a　curb…stone；　and　maintained　a
nearly　uniform　thickness…say　twenty　feetaway　down　into　the　bowels　of
the　earth；　and　was　perfectly　distinct　from　the　casing　rock　on　each　side
of　it；　and　that　it　kept　to　itself；　and　maintained　its　distinctive
character　always；　no　matter　how　deep　it　extended　into　the　earth　or　how
far　it　stretched　itself　through　and　across　the　hills　and　valleys。　　He
said　it　might　be　a　mile　deep　and　ten　miles　long；　for　all　we　knew；　and
that　wherever　we　bored　into　it　above　ground　or　below；　we　would　find　gold
and　silver　in　it；　but　no　gold　or　silver　in　the　meaner　rock　it　was　cased
between。　　And　he　said　that　down　in　the　great　depths　of　the　ledge　was　its
richness；　and　the　deeper　it　went　the　richer　it　grew。　　Therefore；　instead
of　working　here　on　the　surface；　we　must　either　bore　down　into　the　rock
with　a　shaft　till　we　came　to　where　it　was　richsay　a　hundred　feet　or　so
or　else　we　must　go　down　into　the　valley　and　bore　a　long　tunnel　into　the
mountain　side　and　tap　the　ledge　far　under　the　earth。　　To　do　either　was
plainly　the　labor　of　months；　for　we　could　blast　and　bore　only　a　few　feet
a　daysome　five　or　six。　　But　this　was　not　all。　　He　said　that　after　we
got　the　ore　out　it　must　be　hauled　in　wagons　to　a　distant　silver…mill；
ground　up；　and　the　silver　extracted　by　a　tedious　and　costly　process。　　Our
fortune　seemed　a　century　away！

But　we　went　to　work。　　We　decided　to　sink　a　shaft。　　So；　for　a　week　we
climbed　the　mountain；　laden　with　picks；　drills；　gads；　crowbars；　shovels；
cans　of　blasting　powder　and　coils　of　fuse　and　strove　with　might　and　main。
At　first　the　rock　was　broken　and　loose　and　we　dug　it　up　with　picks　and
threw　it　out　with　shovels；　and　the　hole　progressed　very　well。　　But　the
rock　became　more　compact；　presently；　and　gads　and　crowbars　came　into
play。　　But　shortly　nothing　could　make　an　impression　but　blasting　powder。

That　was　the　weariest　work！　　One　of　us　held　the　iron　drill　in　its　place
and　another　would　strike　with　an　eight…pound　sledgeit　was　like　driving
nails　on　a　large　scale。　　In　the　course　of　an　hour　or　two　the　drill　would
reach　a　depth　of　two　or　three　feet；　making　a　hole　a　couple　of　inches　in
diameter。　　We　would　put　in　a　charge　of　powder；　insert　half　a　yard　of
fuse；　pour　in　sand　and　gravel　and　ram　it　down；　then　light　the　fuse　and
run。　　When　the　explosion　came　and　the　rocks　and　smoke　shot　into　the　air；
we　would　go　back　and　find　about　a　bushel　of　that　hard；　rebellious　quartz
jolted　out。　　Nothing　more。　　One　week　of　this　satisfied　me。　　I　resigned。
Clagget　and　Oliphant　followed。　　Our　shaft　was　only　twelve　feet　deep。　　We
decided　that　a　tunnel　was　the　thing　we　wanted。

So　we　went　down　the　mountain　side　and　worked　a　week；　at　the　end　of　which
time　we　had　blasted　a　tunnel　about　deep　enough　to　hide　a　hogshead　in；　and
judged　that　about　nine　hundred　feet　more　of　it　would　reach　the　ledge。
I　resigned　again；　and　the　other　boys　only　held　out　one　day　longer。
We　decided　that　a　tunnel　was　not　what　we　wanted。　　We　wanted　a　ledge　that
was　already　〃developed。〃　　There　were　none　in　the　camp。

We　dropped　the　〃Monarch〃　for　the　time　being。

Meantime　the　camp　was　filling　up　with　people；　and　there　was　a　constantly
growing　excitement　about　our　Humboldt　mines。　　We　fell　victims　to　the
epidemic　and　strained　every　nerve　to　acquire　more　〃feet。〃　　We　prospected
and　took　up　new　claims；　put　〃notices〃　on　them　and　gave　them　grandiloquent
names。　　We　traded　some　of　our　〃feet〃　for　〃feet〃　in　other　people's　claims。
In　a　little　while　we　owned　largely　in　the　〃Gray　Eagle；〃　the　〃Columbiana；〃
the　〃Branch　Mint；〃　the　〃Maria　Jane；〃　the　〃Universe；〃　the　〃Root…Hog…or…
Die；〃　the　〃Samson　and　Delilah；〃　the　〃Treasure　Trove；〃　the　〃Golconda；〃　the
〃Sultana；〃　the　〃Boomerang；〃　the　〃Great　Republic；〃　the　〃Grand　Mogul；〃　and
fifty　other　〃mines〃　that　had　never　been　molested　by　a　shovel　or　scratched
with　a　pick。　　We　had　not　less　than　thirty　thousand　〃feet〃　apiece　in　the
〃richest　mines　on　earth〃　as　the　frenzied　cant　phrased　itand　were　in
debt　to　the　butcher。　　We　were　stark　mad　with　excitementdrunk　with
happinesssmothered　under　mountains　of　prospective　wealtharrogantly
compassionate　toward　the　plodding　millions　who　knew　not　our　marvellous
canyonbut　our　credit　was　not　good　at　the　grocer's。

It　was　the　strangest　phase　of　life　one　can　imagine。　　It　was　a　beggars'
revel。　　There　was　nothing　doing　in　the　districtno　miningno　milling
no　productive　effortno　incomeand　not　enough　money　in　the　entire　camp
to　buy　a　corner　lot　in　an　eastern　village；　hardly；　and　yet　a　stranger
would　have　supposed　he　was　walking　among　bloated　millionaires。
Prospecting　parties　swarmed　out　of　town　with　the　first　flush　of　dawn；　and
swarmed　in　again　at　nightfall　laden　with　spoilrocks。　　Nothing　but
rocks。　　Every　man's　pockets　were　full　of　them；　the　floor　of　his　cabin　was
littered　with　them；　they　were　disposed　in　labeled　rows　on　his　shelves。




CHAPTER　XXX。

I　met　men　at　every　turn　who　owned　from　one　thousand　to　thirty　thousand
〃feet〃　in　undeveloped　silver　mines；　every　single　foot　of　which　they
believed　would　shortly　be　worth　from　fifty　to　a　thousand　dollarsand　as
often　as　any　other　way　they　were　men　who　had　not　twenty…five　dollars　in
the　world。　　Every　man　you　met　had　his　new　mine　to　boast　of；　and　his
〃specimens〃　ready；　and　if　the　opportunity　offered；　he　would　infallibly
back　you　into　a　corner　and　offer　as　a　favor　to　you；　not　to　him；　to　part
with　just　a　few　feet　in　the　〃Golden　Age；〃　or　the　〃Sarah　Jane；〃　or　some
other　unknown　stack　of　croppings；　for　money　enough　to　get　a　〃square　meal〃
with；　as　the　phrase　went。　　And　you　were　never　to　reveal　that　he　had　made
you　the　offer　at　such　a　ruinous　price；　for　it　was　only　out　of　friendship
for　you　that　he　was　willing　to　make　the　sacrifice。　　Then　he　would　fish　a
piece　of　rock　out　of　his　pocket；　and　after　looking　mysteriously　around　as
if　he　feared　he　might　be　waylaid　and　robbed　if　caught　with　such　wealth　in
his　possession；　he　would　dab　the　rock　against　his　tongue；　clap　an
eyeglas