down the mother lode-第1章

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　Down　the　Mother　Lode　…　Pioneer　Tales　of　California


By　Vivia　Hemphill







Foreword


So　many　inquiries　have　been　made　as　to　exactly　where；　and　what　is　the　〃Mother　Lode〃！

The　geologist　and　the　historian　agree　as　to　its　location　and　composition；　but　the　old　miners　and　〃sojourners〃　of　the　vanished　golden　era　give　strangely　different　versions　of　it。　Some　of　these　are　here　set　down；　if　not　all　for　your　enlightenment　at　least；　I　hope；　for　your　entertainment。

That　is；　after　all；　the　principal　aim　of　these　tales　of　the　old　days　in　California；　that　are　gone　〃for　good。〃　Mark　Twain　says　in　his　preface　to　〃Roughing　It〃　that　there　is　a　great　deal　of　information　in　his　work　which　he　regrets　very　much　but　which　really　could　not　be　helped；　as　〃information　seems　to　stew　out　of　me　naturally；　like　the　precious　ottar　of　roses　out　of　the　otter〃！

These　stories　make　no　such　particular　claim！　They　are　merely　historical　fragments　of　their　everyday　life；　gathered　from　a　passing　generation　before　they　shall　be　finally　lost。　Each　one　is　based　upon　truth。　Somewhere；　sometime；　some　place；　certain　characters　lived　the　scenes　and　actions　here　described。

The　title　〃Mother　Lode〃　has　been　used　in　its　broader　sense　as　exemplifying　the　source　of　all　gold　in　California；　and　the　life　which　arose　from　it。

The　mining　engineer　said：　〃The　Mother　Lode　runs　south　from　El　Dorado　County　to　the　lower　boundary　of　Mariposa　County。　It　stretches　past　the　towns　of　Sutter　Creek；　Jackson；　San　Andreas；　Angel's　Camp　and　the　road　to　Yosemite　far　down　below　Coulterville。　The　lode　begins　suddenly　and　ends　as　suddenly；　and　though　we　have　searched　up　and　down　the　state　we　have　never　been　able　to　pick　it　up　again。〃

〃Has　it　any　relation　to　the　Comstock　Lode？〃　was　asked。

〃None　whatever。　Curiously　enough；　in　Nevada　City　and　vicinity　it　would　appear　that　at　one　time　in　the　earth's　making；　a　great　fissure　opened　in　forming　California　and　a　wedge　of　Nevada　mining　country　was　pushed　into　it。　North　of　there　the　California　stratas　begin　again。〃

〃But　it　was　always　my　belief　that　these　localities　were　on　the　Mother　Lode；　as　well　as　the　Georgetown　and　Auburn　country。〃

〃Many　persons　are　apparently　under　that　impression；　but　the　geological　surveys　of　the　government　place　it　in　the　exact　location　I　have　given　you。〃

The　〃Old　Miner；　'49er；〃　said：　〃We　hunted　most　all　o'　our　lives；　lookin'　for　her！　We　called　her　the　Mother　Lode；　because　we　thought　that　all　the　gold　in　the　state　must　a'　come　from　her　an'　washed　down　the　rivers　onto　the　bars　where　we　found　it。　We　thought　she'd　be　pure　gold；　an'　a　hundred　feet　wide　an'　go　on；　world　without　end。　We　looked；　an'　looked；　an'　after　quartz　minin'　come　in；　we　dug　an'　dug；　but　we　never　found　the　old　girl　exceptin'　here　an'　there。

〃Joe　Dance；　that　old　prospector　that　died　last　year；　he　lost　his　mind　lookin'　for　the　big　lode。　Made　some　rich　strikes　in　his　day；　Joe　did；　but　he　never　could　stop　to　work　'em。　He　was　always　waitin'　for　the　mother　of　'em　all；　he　said；　who'd　put　him　on　the　road　to　the　heart　a'　molten　gold　in　the　middle　a'　the　earth。

〃We　old　fellows　tramped　all　the　way　through　the　hills　with　only　a　burro　for　company　most　a'　the　time；　an'　you'll　ride　down　a　broad　paved　way；　soon；　in　your　automobile。　You'll　go　in　days；　where　it　took　us　months；　an'　some　brainy　young　engineer　will　locate　the　old　girl；　most　likely；　in　new…fangled　ways　that　were　unknown　in　our　time。

〃Well；　the　world　whirls　fast；　now…a…days。　Guess　they'll　need　all　the　gold　in　the　old　girl's　lap　to　keep　on　greasin'　the　machinery。　I　take　off　my　hat　to　this　generation。　I　hope　they'll　find　it！〃

Hittell　says：　〃The　Mother　Lode　is　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　metalliferous　veins　in　the　world。　Gold…bearing　lodes　usually　range　only　five　or　six　miles；　but　this　can　be　traced　for　more　than　sixty。　The　rock　is　a　hard　and　white　quartz；　rich　in　very　fine　particles　of　gold；　and　the　vein　varies　in　width　from　a　foot　to　thirty　feet。

〃There　are　in　some　portions　of　its　course　side　branches　or　companion　veins；　as　they　are　sometimes　called；　making　the　total　width　nearly　one　hundred　feet。　Nor　is　the　direction　of　the　lode　always　in　a　straight　line。　Though　usually　found　within　half　a　mile　of　what　may　be　considered　its　normal　course；　it　is　sometimes　found　as　far　as　two　or　three　miles　from　it；　and　there　are　cases　of　other　lodes　（three；　in　all）　entirely　distinct；　which　in　some　instances　approach　so　close　as　to　be　confounded　with　it。〃

There　are　numerous　mines　along　the　whole　length　of　the　lode；　famous　for　having　yielded　their　millions。　One　quartz　ledge　is　said　to　have　yielded　for　a　long　time；　two…thirds　gold。　They　say　of　the　Morgan　Mine；　at　Carson's　Creek　near　Melones；　〃It　appeared　to　be　rich　beyond　parallel。　On　one　occasion　110；000。00　worth　of　gold　was　thrown　down　at　a　single　blast。〃

Many　expeditions　were　made　in　search　of　the　fabled　Great　Lode　but　all　attempts　were　vain。

'The　old　spread…eagle　judge　said：　〃Yes；　sir；　the　Mother　Lode　dips　up　in　a　bit　of　a　circle　with　no　beginning　and　no　end；　in　the　western　foothills　of　the　Sierra　Mountains。　Down　about　Melones；　and　Sonora；　and　Angel's　Camp　it　goes；　and　through　Table　Mountain；　and　under　Jackass　Hill。　It　comes　north；　and　north；　past　Coloma；　and　Auburn；　to　Nevada　City　and　then　it　disappears。〃

I　remembered　the　engineer's　statement；　but　was　silent。

〃It　was　the　haunt　of　Harte；　and　Twain；　and　Canfield　in　the　north；　it　was　the　bank　of　such　men　as　Hopkins；　Crocker；　Huntington　and　Stanford；　the　foundation　of　one　of　the　greatest　states　in　the　Union；　the　Mother　Lode；　the　Mother　of　Gold！〃

〃Child；　my　old　eyes　have　watched　it　spread　for　nearly　ninety　years　…　the　power　of　gold；　and　of　the　men　who　came　to　seek　it；　The　influence　of　gold　controlled　by　the　human　intellect。　I　am　old　and　tired　and　soon　I　shall　sleep；　but　the　old　see　clearly；　too　clearly；　that　which　they　are　leaving；　and　that　to　which　they　pass。〃

〃'Thus；　facing　the　stars；　we　go　out　amongst　them　into　darkness'；〃　I　quoted；　softly。

〃Not　to　darkness；　but　to　eternal　light；　to　rise　again　from　the　Mother　Lode　to　mingle　in　the　busy　lives　of　men。〃

〃'Who　maketh　His　messengers　with　two；　and　three；　and　four　pairs　of　wings'。〃

〃Exactly。　To　be　born　again；　and　yet　again。　The　real　mother…vein　of　gold　was　imbued　in　the　men　shaped　by　the　life　of　the　frontier。　It　was　the　cornerstone　of　great　fortunes；　of　families；　of　enterprises；　of　achievements　which　are　peculiarly　California's　own。

〃It　was　the　clearing　house　and　open　sesame　of　the　vast　trade　of　the　Orient　which　is　just　coming　into　being；　the　foundation　for　the　bridge　of　gold　which　shall　reach　across　the　seas；　a　fit　monument　to　posterity　which　shall　be　erected　with　all　the　lightness　and　grace　and　stability　of　the　present　cultured　generations；　born　with　their　feet　in　the　flowers　grown　from　the　mother…gold　of　decent　manhood　and　glorious　womanhood　…　the　precious　metals　of　the　spirit；　unalloyed　and　unafraid。

〃They　are　the　true　Mother　Lode；　the　bourne　of　the　seekers　of　gold；　greater；　far；　than　the　crazed　brains　of　the　old　prospectors　had　the　power　to　conceive。　A　further…reaching；　broader　arc　than　the　most　wondrous　rainbow　of　their　imaginings　born　of　dreams；　and　built　of　hunger　and　despair。〃

〃So　shall　we　find；　at　last；　the　Mother　Lode；　the　virginity　of　the　essence　of　creation；　the　beginning　and　the　end。　The　curve　of　the　circle　which　is　unchanging；　insoluble；　omniscient；　which　shall　return　to　that　which　created　it；　which　is　all；　which　is　God！〃



〃'49〃

〃We　have　worked　our　claims；　We　have　spent　our　gold；　　　　　　　Our　barks　are　astrand　on　the　bars；　We　are　battered　and　old；　Yet　at　night　we　behold　　　　　　　Outcroppings　of　gold　in　the　stars。

Where　the　rabbits　play；　Where　the　quail　all　day　　　　　　Pipe　on　the　chaparral　hill；　A　few　more　days；　And　the　last　of　us　lays　　　　　　　His　pick　aside　and　is　still。

We　are　wreck　and　stray；　We　are　cast　away；　　　　　　　Poor　battered　old　hulks　and　spars！　But　we　hope　and　pray；　On　the　judgment　Day；　　　　　　　We　shall　strike　it；　up　in　the　stars。

…　Joaquin　Miller。








Contents



One　Sunday　in　Stinson's　Bar　The　Tom　Bell　Stronghold　The　Hanging　of　Charlie　Price　Rattlesnake　Dick　Indian　Vengeance　Grizzly　Bob　of　Snake　Gulch　Curley　Coppers　the　Jack　The　Race　of　the　Shoestring　Gamblers