roughing it-第53节

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load　of　rich　ore　was　all　that　the　victim　ever　got　out　of　his　purchase。
A　most　remarkable　case　of　〃salting〃　was　that　of　the　〃North　Ophir。〃
It　was　claimed　that　this　vein　was　a　remote　extension〃　of　the　original
〃Ophir；〃　a　valuable　mine　on　the　〃Comstock。〃　　For　a　few　days　everybody　was
talking　about　the　rich　developments　in　the　North　Ophir。　　It　was　said　that
it　yielded　perfectly　pure　silver　in　small；　solid　lumps。　　I　went　to　the
place　with　the　owners；　and　found　a　shaft　six　or　eight　feet　deep；　in　the
bottom　of　which　was　a　badly　shattered　vein　of　dull；　yellowish；
unpromising　rock。　　One　would　as　soon　expect　to　find　silver　in　a
grindstone。　　We　got　out　a　pan　of　the　rubbish　and　washed　it　in　a　puddle；
and　sure　enough；　among　the　sediment　we　found　half　a　dozen　black；　bullet…
looking　pellets　of　unimpeachable　〃native〃　silver。　　Nobody　had　ever　heard
of　such　a　thing　before；　science　could　not　account　for　such　a　queer
novelty。　　The　stock　rose　to　sixty…five　dollars　a　foot；　and　at　this　figure
the　world…renowned　tragedian；　McKean　Buchanan；　bought　a　commanding
interest　and　prepared　to　quit　the　stage　once　morehe　was　always　doing
that。　　And　then　it　transpired　that　the　mine　had　been　〃salted〃and　not　in
any　hackneyed　way；　either；　but　in　a　singularly　bold；　barefaced　and
peculiarly　original　and　outrageous　fashion。　　On　one　of　the　lumps　of
〃native〃　silver　was　discovered　the　minted　legend；　〃TED　STATES　OF；〃　and
then　it　was　plainly　apparent　that　the　mine　had　been　〃salted〃　with　melted
half…dollars！　　The　lumps　thus　obtained　had　been　blackened　till　they
resembled　native　silver；　and　were　then　mixed　with　the　shattered　rock　in
the　bottom　of　the　shaft。　　It　is　literally　true。　　Of　course　the　price　of
the　stock　at　once　fell　to　nothing；　and　the　tragedian　was　ruined。　　But　for
this　calamity　we　might　have　lost　McKean　Buchanan　from　the　stage。




CHAPTER　XLV。

The　〃flush　times〃　held　bravely　on。　　Something　over　two　years　before；　Mr。
Goodman　and　another　journeyman　printer；　had　borrowed　forty　dollars　and
set　out　from　San　Francisco　to　try　their　fortunes　in　the　new　city　of
Virginia。　　They　found　the　Territorial　Enterprise；　a　poverty…stricken
weekly　journal；　gasping　for　breath　and　likely　to　die。　　They　bought　it；
type；　fixtures；　good…will　and　all；　for　a　thousand　dollars；　on　long　time。
The　editorial　sanctum；　news…room；　press…room；　publication　office；　bed…
chamber；　parlor；　and　kitchen　were　all　compressed　into　one　apartment　and
it　was　a　small　one；　too。　　The　editors　and　printers　slept　on　the　floor；　a
Chinaman　did　their　cooking；　and　the　〃imposing…stone〃　was　the　general
dinner　table。　　But　now　things　were　changed。　　The　paper　was　a　great　daily；
printed　by　steam；　there　were　five　editors　and　twenty…three　compositors；
the　subscription　price　was　sixteen　dollars　a　year；　the　advertising　rates
were　exorbitant；　and　the　columns　crowded。　　The　paper　was　clearing　from
six　to　ten　thousand　dollars　a　month；　and　the　〃Enterprise　Building〃　was
finished　and　ready　for　occupationa　stately　fireproof　brick。　　Every　day
from　five　all　the　way　up　to　eleven　columns　of　〃live〃　advertisements　were
left　out　or　crowded　into　spasmodic　and　irregular　〃supplements。〃

The　〃Gould　&　Curry〃　company　were　erecting　a　monster　hundred…stamp　mill　at
a　cost　that　ultimately　fell　little　short　of　a　million　dollars。　　Gould　&
Curry　stock　paid　heavy　dividendsa　rare　thing；　and　an　experience
confined　to　the　dozen　or　fifteen　claims　located　on　the　〃main　lead；〃　the
〃Comstock。〃　　The　Superintendent　of　the　Gould　&　Curry　lived；　rent　free；　in
a　fine　house　built　and　furnished　by　the　company。　　He　drove　a　fine　pair　of
horses　which　were　a　present　from　the　company；　and　his　salary　was　twelve
thousand　dollars　a　year。　　The　superintendent　of　another　of　the　great
mines　traveled　in　grand　state；　had　a　salary　of　twenty…eight　thousand
dollars　a　year；　and　in　a　law　suit　in　after　days　claimed　that　he　was　to
have　had　one　per　cent。　on　the　gross　yield　of　the　bullion　likewise。

Money　was　wonderfully　plenty。　　The　trouble　was；　not　how　to　get　it；but
how　to　spend　it；　how　to　lavish　it；　get　rid　of　it；　squander　it。　　And　so　it
was　a　happy　thing　that　just　at　this　juncture　the　news　came　over　the　wires
that　a　great　United　States　Sanitary　Commission　had　been　formed　and　money
was　wanted　for　the　relief　of　the　wounded　sailors　and　soldiers　of　the
Union　languishing　in　the　Eastern　hospitals。　　Right　on　the　heels　of　it
came　word　that　San　Francisco　had　responded　superbly　before　the　telegram
was　half　a　day　old。　　Virginia　rose　as　one　man！　　A　Sanitary　Committee　was
hurriedly　organized；　and　its　chairman　mounted　a　vacant　cart　in　C　street
and　tried　to　make　the　clamorous　multitude　understand　that　the　rest　of　the
committee　were　flying　hither　and　thither　and　working　with　all　their　might
and　main；　and　that　if　the　town　would　only　wait　an　hour；　an　office　would
be　ready；　books　opened；　and　the　Commission　prepared　to　receive
contributions。　　His　voice　was　drowned　and　his　information　lost　in　a
ceaseless　roar　of　cheers；　and　demands　that　the　money　be　received　now
they　swore　they　would　not　wait。　　The　chairman　pleaded　and　argued；　but；
deaf　to　all　entreaty；　men　plowed　their　way　through　the　throng　and　rained
checks　of　gold　coin　into　the　cart　and　skurried　away　for　more。　　Hands
clutching　money；　were　thrust　aloft　out　of　the　jam　by　men　who　hoped　this
eloquent　appeal　would　cleave　a　road　their　strugglings　could　not　open。
The　very　Chinamen　and　Indians　caught　the　excitement　and　dashed　their　half
dollars　into　the　cart　without　knowing　or　caring　what　it　was　all　about。
Women　plunged　into　the　crowd；　trimly　attired；　fought　their　way　to　the
cart　with　their　coin；　and　emerged　again；　by　and　by；　with　their　apparel　in
a　state　of　hopeless　dilapidation。　　It　was　the　wildest　mob　Virginia　had
ever　seen　and　the　most　determined　and　ungovernable；　and　when　at　last　it
abated　its　fury　and　dispersed；　it　had　not　a　penny　in　its　pocket。

To　use　its　own　phraseology；　it　came　there　〃flush〃　and　went　away　〃busted。〃

After　that；　the　Commission　got　itself　into　systematic　working　order；　and
for　weeks　the　contributions　flowed　into　its　treasury　in　a　generous
stream。　　Individuals　and　all　sorts　of　organizations　levied　upon
themselves　a　regular　weekly　tax　for　the　sanitary　fund；　graduated
according　to　their　means；　and　there　was　not　another　grand　universal
outburst　till　the　famous　〃Sanitary　Flour　Sack〃　came　our　way。　　Its　history
is　peculiar　and　interesting。　　A　former　schoolmate　of　mine；　by　the　name　of
Reuel　Gridley；　was　living　at　the　little　city　of　Austin；　in　the　Reese
river　country；　at　this　time；　and　was　the　Democratic　candidate　for　mayor。
He　and　the　Republican　candidate　made　an　agreement　that　the　defeated　man
should　be　publicly　presented　with　a　fifty…pound　sack　of　flour　by　the
successful　one；　and　should　carry　it　home　on　his　shoulder。　　Gridley　was
defeated。　　The　new　mayor　gave　him　the　sack　of　flour；　and　he　shouldered　it
and　carried　it　a　mile　or　two；　from　Lower　Austin　to　his　home　in　Upper
Austin；　attended　by　a　band　of　music　and　the　whole　population。　　Arrived
there；　he　said　he　did　not　need　the　flour；　and　asked　what　the　people
thought　he　had　better　do　with　it。　　A　voice　said：

〃Sell　it　to　the　highest　bidder；　for　the　benefit　of　the　Sanitary　fund。〃

The　suggestion　was　greeted　with　a　round　of　applause；　and　Gridley　mounted
a　dry…goods　box　and　assumed　the　role　of　auctioneer。　　The　bids　went　higher
and　higher；　as　the　sympathies　of　the　pioneers　awoke　and　expanded；　till　at
last　the　sack　was　knocked　down　to　a　mill　man　at　two　hundred　and　fifty
dollars；　and　his　check　taken。　　He　was　asked　where　he　would　have　the　flour
delivered；　and　he　said：

〃Nowheresell　it　again。〃

Now　the　cheers　went　up　royally；　and　the　multitude　were　fairly　in　the
spirit　of　the　thing。　　So　Gridley　stood　there　and　shouted　and　perspired
till　the　sun　went　down；　and　when　the　crowd　dispersed　he　had　sold　the　sack
to　three　hundred　different　people；　and　had　taken　in　eight　thousand
dollars　in　gold。　　And　still　the　flour　sack　was　in　his　possession。

The　news　came　to　Virginia；　and　a　telegram　went　back：

〃Fetch　along　your　flour　sack！

Thirty…six　hours　afterward　Gridley　arrived；　and　an　afternoon　mass　meeting
was　held　in　the　Opera　House；　and　the　auction　began。　　But　the　sack　had
come　sooner　than　it　was　expected；　the　people　were　not　thoroughly　aroused；
and　the　sale　dragged。　　At　nightfall　only　five　thousand　dollars　had　been
secured；　and　there　was　a　crestfallen　feeling　in　the　community。　　However；
there　was　no　disposition　to　let　the　matter　rest　here　and　acknowledge
vanquishment　at　the　hands　of　the　village　of　Austin。　　Till　late　in　the
night　the　principal　citizens　were　at　work　arranging　the　morrow's
campaign；　and　when　they　went　to　bed　they　had　no　fears　for　the　result。
At　eleven　the　next　morning　a　procession　of　open　carriages；　attended　by
clamorous　bands　of　music　and　adorned　with　a　moving　display　of　flags；
filed　along　C　street　and　was　soon　in　danger　of　blockade　by　a　huzzaing
multitude　of　citizens。　　In　the　first　carriage　sat　Gridley；　with　the　flour
sack　in　prominent　view；　the　latter　splendid　with　bright　paint　and　gilt
lettering；　also　in　the　same　carriage　sat　the　mayor　and　the　recorder。
The　other　carriages　contained　the　Common　Council；　the　editors　and
reporters；　and　other　people　of　imposing　consequence。　　T