United States or Tunisia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Once more the vacant sidewalks resounded to the thud of sturdy hob-nailed boots; and along with the locaters came pumpmen and miners to sound the flooded depths of the Paymaster. It was a great mine, a famous mine, the richest in all the West; within twenty months it had produced twelve million dollars and the lower levels had never been touched.
It looked like land where stuff might be grown with irrigation, inspiration, intensity of application, and undying hope. And the locaters and town-site boomers led their customers around to the hydrant and pointed to the sprouting oats. "Spill a little water on this land and it's got Egypt skinned," they said.
Gordon had been one of the first locaters in the Kyak coal- fields, and he had also purchased a copper prospect a few miles down the bay from Cortez, where he had started a town which he called Hope. There were some who shook their heads and smiled knowingly when they spoke of that prospect, but no one denied that it was fast assuming the outward semblance of a mine under Gordon's direction.
In ten minutes he returned with six original locaters, a board of directors, a president, secretary, and a deed of incorporation of the 'Blue Mass Quicksilver Mining Co. This latter was a delicate compliment to the Doctor, who was popular. The President added to these necessary articles a revolver. "Take it," he said, handing over the weapon to Concho.
"'Eight Locaters of Placer Ground May Convey to One Party' and Baumberger's certainly that party! 'Who Can Secure Patent for One Hundred and Sixty Acres. We'll just read up on that, and find out for sure what the conditions are. Now, here" she had found the page quickly "listen to this: "'I have to state that if eight bona-fide locaters'
Around it, where teams had been fed and the overflow of water had run, little green forests of oats were springing, testifying to the fecundity of the soil, lighting unbelieving eyes with hope. "Just look what a little water will do!" said the locaters and town-site men, pointing with eloquent gesture. "All this land needs, gentlemen, is a little water to make it a paradise!"
Anyhow, I was there nigh on to two hours. It's mighty soothin', them fashionable calls; sorter knocks the old camp dust outer a fellow, and sets him up again." It would have been well if the new life of the Devil's Ford had shown no other irregularity than the harmless eccentricities of its original locaters.
At night these tireless story-tellers listened to the strange tales told by the trail-makers, then stole away to their tents and wrote them out for the people at home, while the heroes of the stories slept. The track-layers were now climbing up over the crest of the continent, the locaters were dropping down the Pacific slope, with the prowling pathfinders peeping over into the Utah Valley.
He might be one of those locaters, from the big towns, who prospect the lands, with a view of settling government warrants on them, they were always so secret until they had found what they wanted.
And so by degrees the two original locaters of the great Cinnabar lode faded from the memory of Angel's, and Calaveras knew them no more.
Word Of The Day