roughing it-第61章

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was　over。　　This　was　the　greatest　day　Virginia　ever　saw；　perhaps。

Gridley　sold　the　sack　in　Carson　city　and　several　California　towns；　also
in　San　Francisco。　　Then　he　took　it　east　and　sold　it　in　one　or　two
Atlantic　cities；　I　think。　　I　am　not　sure　of　that；　but　I　know　that　he
finally　carried　it　to　St。　Louis；　where　a　monster　Sanitary　Fair　was　being
held；　and　after　selling　it　there　for　a　large　sum　and　helping　on　the
enthusiasm　by　displaying　the　portly　silver　bricks　which　Nevada's　donation
had　produced；　he　had　the　flour　baked　up　into　small　cakes　and　retailed
them　at　high　prices。

It　was　estimated　that　when　the　flour　sack's　mission　was　ended　it　had　been
sold　for　a　grand　total　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　thousand　dollars　in
greenbacks！　　This　is　probably　the　only　instance　on　record　where　common
family　flour　brought　three　thousand　dollars　a　pound　in　the　public　market。

It　is　due　to　Mr。　Gridley's　memory　to　mention　that　the　expenses　of　his
sanitary　flour　sack　expedition　of　fifteen　thousand　miles；　going　and
returning；　were　paid　in　large　part　if　not　entirely；　out　of　his　own
pocket。　　The　time　he　gave　to　it　was　not　less　than　three　months。
Mr。　Gridley　was　a　soldier　in　the　Mexican　war　and　a　pioneer　Californian。
He　died　at　Stockton；　California；　in　December；　1870；　greatly　regretted。




CHAPTER　XLVI。

There　were　nabobs　in　those　daysin　the　〃flush　times；〃　I　mean。　　Every
rich　strike　in　the　mines　created　one　or　two。　　I　call　to　mind　several　of
these。　　They　were　careless；　easy…going　fellows；　as　a　general　thing；　and
the　community　at　large　was　as　much　benefited　by　their　riches　as　they　were
themselvespossibly　more；　in　some　cases。

Two　cousins；　teamsters；　did　some　hauling　for　a　man　and　had　to　take　a
small　segregated　portion　of　a　silver　mine　in　lieu　of　300　cash。　　They
gave　an　outsider　a　third　to　open　the　mine；　and　they　went　on　teaming。　　But
not　long。　　Ten　months　afterward　the　mine　was　out　of　debt　and　paying　each
owner　8；000　to　10；000　a　monthsay　100；000　a　year。

One　of　the　earliest　nabobs　that　Nevada　was　delivered　of　wore　6；000　worth
of　diamonds　in　his　bosom；　and　swore　he　was　unhappy　because　he　could　not
spend　his　money　as　fast　as　he　made　it。

Another　Nevada　nabob　boasted　an　income　that　often　reached　16；000　a
month；　and　he　used　to　love　to　tell　how　he　had　worked　in　the　very　mine
that　yielded　it；　for　five　dollars　a　day；　when　he　first　came　to　the
country。

The　silver　and　sage…brush　State　has　knowledge　of　another　of　these　pets　of
fortunelifted　from　actual　poverty　to　affluence　almost　in　a　single
nightwho　was　able　to　offer　100；000　for　a　position　of　high　official
distinction；　shortly　afterward；　and　did　offer　itbut　failed　to　get　it；
his　politics　not　being　as　sound　as　his　bank　account。

Then　there　was　John　Smith。　　He　was　a　good；　honest；　kind…hearted　soul；
born　and　reared　in　the　lower　ranks　of　life；　and　miraculously　ignorant。
He　drove　a　team；　and　owned　a　small　rancha　ranch　that　paid　him　a
comfortable　living；　for　although　it　yielded　but　little　hay；　what　little
it　did　yield　was　worth　from　250　to　300　in　gold　per　ton　in　the　market。
Presently　Smith　traded　a　few　acres　of　the　ranch　for　a　small　undeveloped
silver　mine　in　Gold　Hill。　　He　opened　the　mine　and　built　a　little
unpretending　ten…stamp　mill。　　Eighteen　months　afterward　he　retired　from
the　hay　business；　for　his　mining　income　had　reached　a　most　comfortable
figure。　　Some　people　said　it　was　30；000　a　month；　and　others　said　it　was
60；000。　　Smith　was　very　rich　at　any　rate。

And　then　he　went　to　Europe　and　traveled。　　And　when　he　came　back　he　was
never　tired　of　telling　about　the　fine　hogs　he　had　seen　in　England；　and
the　gorgeous　sheep　he　had　seen　in　Spain；　and　the　fine　cattle　he　had
noticed　in　the　vicinity　of　Rome。　　He　was　full　of　wonders　of　the　old
world；　and　advised　everybody　to　travel。　　He　said　a　man　never　imagined
what　surprising　things　there　were　in　the　world　till　he　had　traveled。

One　day；　on　board　ship；　the　passengers　made　up　a　pool　of　500；　which　was
to　be　the　property　of　the　man　who　should　come　nearest　to　guessing　the　run
of　the　vessel　for　the　next　twenty…four　hours。　　Next　day；　toward　noon；　the
figures　were　all　in　the　purser's　hands　in　sealed　envelopes。　　Smith　was
serene　and　happy；　for　he　had　been　bribing　the　engineer。　　But　another
party　won　the　prize！　　Smith　said：

Here；　that　won't　do！　　He　guessed　two　miles　wider　of　the　mark　than　I　did。〃

The　purser　said；　〃Mr。　Smith；　you　missed　it　further　than　any　man　on　board。
We　traveled　two　hundred　and　eight　miles　yesterday。〃

〃Well；　sir；〃　said　Smith；　〃that's　just　where　I've　got　you；　for　I　guessed
two　hundred　and　nine。　　If　you'll　look　at　my　figgers　again　you'll　find　a　2
and　two　0's；　which　stands　for　200；　don't　it？and　after　'em　you'll　find　a
9　（2009）；　which　stands　for　two　hundred　and　nine。　　I　reckon　I'll　take　that
money；　if　you　please。〃

The　Gould　&　Curry　claim　comprised　twelve　hundred　feet；　and　it　all
belonged　originally　to　the　two　men　whose　names　it　bears。　　Mr。　Curry　owned
two　thirds　of　itand　he　said　that　he　sold　it　out　for　twenty…five　hundred
dollars　in　cash；　and　an　old　plug　horse　that　ate　up　his　market　value　in
hay　and　barley　in　seventeen　days　by　the　watch。　　And　he　said　that　Gould
sold　out　for　a　pair　of　second…hand　government　blankets　and　a　bottle　of
whisky　that　killed　nine　men　in　three　hours；　and　that　an　unoffending
stranger　that　smelt　the　cork　was　disabled　for　life。　　Four　years　afterward
the　mine　thus　disposed　of　was　worth　in　the　San　Francisco　market　seven
millions　six　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　gold　coin。

In　the　early　days　a　poverty…stricken　Mexican　who　lived　in　a　canyon
directly　back　of　Virginia　City；　had　a　stream　of　water　as　large　as　a　man's
wrist　trickling　from　the　hill…side　on　his　premises。　　The　Ophir　Company
segregated　a　hundred　feet　of　their　mine　and　traded　it　to　him　for　the
stream　of　water。　　The　hundred　feet　proved　to　be　the　richest　part　of　the
entire　mine；　four　years　after　the　swap；　its　market　value　（including　its
mill）　was　1；500；000。

An　individual　who　owned　twenty　feet　in　the　Ophir　mine　before　its　great
riches　were　revealed　to　men；　traded　it　for　a　horse；　and　a　very　sorry
looking　brute　he　was；　too。　　A　year　or　so　afterward；　when　Ophir　stock　went
up　to　3；000　a　foot；　this　man；　who　had　not　a　cent；　used　to　say　he　was　the
most　startling　example　of　magnificence　and　misery　the　world　had　ever
seenbecause　he　was　able　to　ride　a　sixty…thousand…dollar　horseyet
could　not　scrape　up　cash　enough　to　buy　a　saddle；　and　was　obliged　to
borrow　one　or　ride　bareback。　　He　said　if　fortune　were　to　give　him　another
sixty…thousand…dollar　horse　it　would　ruin　him。

A　youth　of　nineteen；　who　was　a　telegraph　operator　in　Virginia　on　a　salary
of　a　hundred　dollars　a　month；　and　who；　when　he　could　not　make　out　German
names　in　the　list　of　San　Francisco　steamer　arrivals；　used　to　ingeniously
select　and　supply　substitutes　for　them　out　of　an　old　Berlin　city
directory；　made　himself　rich　by　watching　the　mining　telegrams　that　passed
through　his　hands　and　buying　and　selling　stocks　accordingly；　through　a
friend　in　San　Francisco。　　Once　when　a　private　dispatch　was　sent　from
Virginia　announcing　a　rich　strike　in　a　prominent　mine　and　advising　that
the　matter　be　kept　secret　till　a　large　amount　of　the　stock　could　be
secured；　he　bought　forty　〃feet〃　of　the　stock　at　twenty　dollars　a　foot；
and　afterward　sold　half　of　it　at　eight　hundred　dollars　a　foot　and　the
rest　at　double　that　figure。　　Within　three　months　he　was　worth　150；000；
and　had　resigned　his　telegraphic　position。

Another　telegraph　operator　who　had　been　discharged　by　the　company　for
divulging　the　secrets　of　the　office；　agreed　with　a　moneyed　man　in　San
Francisco　to　furnish　him　the　result　of　a　great　Virginia　mining　lawsuit
within　an　hour　after　its　private　reception　by　the　parties　to　it　in　San
Francisco。　　For　this　he　was　to　have　a　large　percentage　of　the　profits　on
purchases　and　sales　made　on　it　by　his　fellow…conspirator。　　So　he　went；
disguised　as　a　teamster；　to　a　little　wayside　telegraph　office　in　the
mountains；　got　acquainted　with　the　operator；　and　sat　in　the　office　day
after　day；　smoking　his　pipe；　complaining　that　his　team　was　fagged　out　and
unable　to　traveland　meantime　listening　to　the　dispatches　as　they　passed
clicking　throug