roughing it-第52部分

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mines　than　miners。　　True；　not　ten　of　these　mines　were　yielding　rock　worth
hauling　to　a　mill；　but　everybody　said；　〃Wait　till　the　shaft　gets　down
where　the　ledge　comes　in　solid；　and　then　you　will　see！〃　　So　nobody　was
discouraged。　　These　were　nearly　all　〃wild　cat〃　mines；　and　wholly
worthless；　but　nobody　believed　it　then。　　The　〃Ophir；〃　the　〃Gould　&
Curry；〃　the　〃Mexican；〃　and　other　great　mines　on　the　Comstock　lead　in
Virginia　and　Gold　Hill　were　turning　out　huge　piles　of　rich　rock　every
day；　and　every　man　believed　that　his　little　wild　cat　claim　was　as　good　as
any　on　the　〃main　lead〃　and　would　infallibly　be　worth　a　thousand　dollars　a
foot　when　he　〃got　down　where　it　came　in　solid。〃　　Poor　fellow；　he　was
blessedly　blind　to　the　fact　that　he　never　would　see　that　day。　　So　the
thousand　wild　cat　shafts　burrowed　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　earth　day　by
day；　and　all　men　were　beside　themselves　with　hope　and　happiness。　　How
they　labored；　prophesied；　exulted！　　Surely　nothing　like　it　was　ever　seen
before　since　the　world　began。　　Every　one　of　these　wild　cat　minesnot
mines；　but　holes　in　the　ground　over　imaginary　mineswas　incorporated　and
had　handsomely　engraved　〃stock〃　and　the　stock　was　salable；　too。　　It　was
bought　and　sold　with　a　feverish　avidity　in　the　boards　every　day。　　You
could　go　up　on　the　mountain　side；　scratch　around　and　find　a　ledge　（there
was　no　lack　of　them）；　put　up　a　〃notice〃　with　a　grandiloquent　name　in　it；
start　a　shaft；　get　your　stock　printed；　and　with　nothing　whatever　to　prove
that　your　mine　was　worth　a　straw；　you　could　put　your　stock　on　the　market
and　sell　out　for　hundreds　and　even　thousands　of　dollars。　　To　make　money；
and　make　it　fast；　was　as　easy　as　it　was　to　eat　your　dinner。

Every　man　owned　〃feet〃　in　fifty　different　wild　cat　mines　and　considered
his　fortune　made。　　Think　of　a　city　with　not　one　solitary　poor　man　in　it！
One　would　suppose　that　when　month　after　month　went　by　and　still　not　a
wild　cat　mine　（by　wild　cat　I　mean；　in　general　terms；　any　claim　not
located　on　the　mother　vein；　i。e。；　the　〃Comstock〃）　yielded　a　ton　of　rock
worth　crushing；　the　people　would　begin　to　wonder　if　they　were　not　putting
too　much　faith　in　their　prospective　riches；　but　there　was　not　a　thought
of　such　a　thing。　　They　burrowed　away；　bought　and　sold；　and　were　happy。

New　claims　were　taken　up　daily；　and　it　was　the　friendly　custom　to　run
straight　to　the　newspaper　offices；　give　the　reporter　forty　or　fifty
〃feet；〃　and　get　them　to　go　and　examine　the　mine　and　publish　a　notice　of
it。　　They　did　not　care　a　fig　what　you　said　about　the　property　so　you　said
something。　　Consequently　we　generally　said　a　word　or　two　to　the　effect
that　the　〃indications〃　were　good；　or　that　the　ledge　was　〃six　feet　wide；〃
or　that　the　rock　〃resembled　the　Comstock〃　（and　so　it　didbut　as　a
general　thing　the　resemblance　was　not　startling　enough　to　knock　you
down）。　　If　the　rock　was　moderately　promising；　we　followed　the　custom　of
the　country；　used　strong　adjectives　and　frothed　at　the　mouth　as　if　a　very
marvel　in　silver　discoveries　had　transpired。　　If　the　mine　was　a
〃developed〃　one；　and　had　no　pay　ore　to　show　（and　of　course　it　hadn't）；　we
praised　the　tunnel；　said　it　was　one　of　the　most　infatuating　tunnels　in
the　land；　driveled　and　driveled　about　the　tunnel　till　we　ran　entirely　out
of　ecstasiesbut　never　said　a　word　about　the　rock。　　We　would　squander
half　a　column　of　adulation　on　a　shaft；　or　a　new　wire　rope；　or　a　dressed
pine　windlass；　or　a　fascinating　force　pump；　and　close　with　a　burst　of
admiration　of　the　〃gentlemanly　and　efficient　Superintendent〃　of　the　mine
but　never　utter　a　whisper　about　the　rock。　　And　those　people　were　always
pleased；　always　satisfied。　　Occasionally　we　patched　up　and　varnished　our
reputation　for　discrimination　and　stern；　undeviating　accuracy；　by　giving
some　old　abandoned　claim　a　blast　that　ought　to　have　made　its　dry　bones
rattleand　then　somebody　would　seize　it　and　sell　it　on　the　fleeting
notoriety　thus　conferred　upon　it。

There　was　nothing　in　the　shape　of　a　mining　claim　that　was　not　salable。
We　received　presents　of　〃feet〃　every　day。　　If　we　needed　a　hundred　dollars
or　so；　we　sold　some；　if　not；　we　hoarded　it　away；　satisfied　that　it　would
ultimately　be　worth　a　thousand　dollars　a　foot。　　I　had　a　trunk　about　half
full　of　〃stock。〃　　When　a　claim　made　a　stir　in　the　market　and　went　up　to　a
high　figure；　I　searched　through　my　pile　to　see　if　I　had　any　of　its　stock
and　generally　found　it。

The　prices　rose　and　fell　constantly；　but　still　a　fall　disturbed　us
little；　because　a　thousand　dollars　a　foot　was　our　figure；　and　so　we　were
content　to　let　it　fluctuate　as　much　as　it　pleased　till　it　reached　it。
My　pile　of　stock　was　not　all　given　to　me　by　people　who　wished　their
claims　〃noticed。〃　　At　least　half　of　it　was　given　me　by　persons　who　had　no
thought　of　such　a　thing；　and　looked　for　nothing　more　than　a　simple　verbal
〃thank　you；〃　and　you　were　not　even　obliged　by　law　to　furnish　that。
If　you　are　coming　up　the　street　with　a　couple　of　baskets　of　apples　in
your　hands；　and　you　meet　a　friend；　you　naturally　invite　him　to　take　a
few。　　That　describes　the　condition　of　things　in　Virginia　in　the　〃flush
times。〃　　Every　man　had　his　pockets　full　of　stock；　and　it　was　the　actual
custom　of　the　country　to　part　with　small　quantities　of　it　to　friends
without　the　asking。

Very　often　it　was　a　good　idea　to　close　the　transaction　instantly；　when　a
man　offered　a　stock　present　to　a　friend；　for　the　offer　was　only　good　and
binding　at　that　moment；　and　if　the　price　went　to　a　high　figure　shortly
afterward　the　procrastination　was　a　thing　to　be　regretted。　　Mr。　Stewart
（Senator；　now；　from　Nevada）　one　day　told　me　he　would　give　me　twenty　feet
of　〃Justis〃　stock　if　I　would　walk　over　to　his　office。　　It　was　worth　five
or　ten　dollars　a　foot。　　I　asked　him　to　make　the　offer　good　for　next　day；
as　I　was　just　going　to　dinner。　　He　said　he　would　not　be　in　town；　so　I
risked　it　and　took　my　dinner　instead　of　the　stock。　　Within　the　week　the
price　went　up　to　seventy　dollars　and　afterward　to　a　hundred　and　fifty；
but　nothing　could　make　that　man　yield。　　I　suppose　he　sold　that　stock　of
mine　and　placed　the　guilty　proceeds　in　his　own　pocket。　　＇My　revenge　will
be　found　in　the　accompanying　portrait。＇　　I　met　three　friends　one
afternoon；　who　said　they　had　been　buying　〃Overman〃　stock　at　auction　at
eight　dollars　a　foot。　　One　said　if　I　would　come　up　to　his　office　he　would
give　me　fifteen　feet；　another　said　he　would　add　fifteen；　the　third　said
he　would　do　the　same。　　But　I　was　going　after　an　inquest　and　could　not
stop。　　A　few　weeks　afterward　they　sold　all　their　〃Overman〃　at　six　hundred
dollars　a　foot　and　generously　came　around　to　tell　me　about　itand　also
to　urge　me　to　accept　of　the　next　forty…five　feet　of　it　that　people　tried
to　force　on　me。

These　are　actual　facts；　and　I　could　make　the　list　a　long　one　and　still
confine　myself　strictly　to　the　truth。　　Many　a　time　friends　gave　us　as
much　as　twenty…five　feet　of　stock　that　was　selling　at　twenty…five　dollars
a　foot；　and　they　thought　no　more　of　it　than　they　would　of　offering　a
guest　a　cigar。　　These　were　〃flush　times〃　indeed！　　I　thought　they　were
going　to　last　always；　but　somehow　I　never　was　much　of　a　prophet。

To　show　what　a　wild　spirit　possessed　the　mining　brain　of　the　community；
I　will　remark　that　〃claims〃　were　actually　〃located〃　in　excavations　for
cellars；　where　the　pick　had　exposed　what　seemed　to　be　quartz　veinsand
not　cellars　in　the　suburbs；　either；　but　in　the　very　heart　of　the　city；
and　forthwith　stock　would　be　issued　and　thrown　on　the　market。　　It　was
small　matter　who　the　cellar　belonged　tothe　〃ledge〃　belonged　to　the
finder；　and　unless　the　United　States　government　interfered　（inasmuch　as
the　government　holds　the　primary　right　to　mines　of　the　noble　metals　in
Nevadaor　at　least　did　then）；　it　was　considered　to　be　his　privilege　to
work　it。　　Imagine　a　stranger　staking　out　a　mining　claim　among　the　costly
shrubbery　in　your　front　yard　and　calmly　proceeding　to　lay　waste　the
ground　with　pick　and　shovel　and　blasting　powder！　　It　has　been　often　done
in　California。　　In　the　middle　of　one　of　the　principal　business　streets　of
Virginia；　a　man　〃located〃　a　mining　claim　and　began　a　shaft　on　it。　　He
gave　me　a　hundred　feet　of　the　stock　and　I　sold　it　for　a　fine　suit　of
clothes　because　I　was　afraid　somebody　would　fall　down　the　shaft　and　sue
for　damages。　　I　owned　in　another　claim　that　was　located　in　the　middle　of
another　street；　and　to　show　how　absurd　people　can　be；　that　〃East　India〃
stock　（as　it　was　called）　sold　briskly　although　there　was　an　ancient
tunnel　running　directly　under　the　claim　and　any　man　could　go　into　it　and
see　that　it　did　not　cut　a　quartz　ledge　or　anything　that　remotely
resembled　one。

One　plan　of　acquiring　sudden　wealth　was　to　〃salt〃　a　wild　cat　claim　and
sell　out　while　the　excitement　was　up。　　The　process　was　simple。

The　schemer　located　a　worthless　ledge；　sunk　a　shaft　on　it；　bought　a　wagon
load　of　rich　〃Comstock〃　ore；　dumped　a　portion　of　it　into　the　shaft　and
piled　the　rest　by　its　side；　above　ground。　　Then　he　showed　the　property　to
a　simpleton　and　sold　it　to　him　at　a　high　figure。　　Of　course　the　wagon
load　of　rich　ore　was　all　that　the　victim　ever　got　out　of　his　purchase。
A　most　remarkable　case　of　〃salting〃　was　tha