Chapter IV (4)

Christian Grubemout, Eliakim Uptosnuff, J. Drawitwell, T.
Crispin and John Smith, the original incorporators of the
Company, after regaling themselves, proceeded to the election of
officers, and knowing that in the goodly city of Philadelphia
there were a number of persons by the names of Jones, Brown and
Green, and not a few Sharps and Flats, they, in order to avoid
giving offence, placed in a hat the whole of the names, as
above, found in the _Directory_, (significant of the office they
were to hold,) and drew the following first three names, A.
Jones, B. Flat, C. Green, _directing_ them to supply vacancies,
and to fill additions to the number of five; adding in the
meanwhile the names of the first two corporators, as
_ex-officio_ directors, to conduct silently the operations of
the mines, and to enlighten the others as to the true plan of
working copper-mines profitably and efficiently.

(Signed) C. GRUBEMOUT, _Pres’t._
E. UPTOSNUFF, _Sec’ry._

* * * * *

The cleverness and explicitness of the whole transaction showed that it had _been done_ neatly; and the Directors with singular unanimity felt themselves included in the operation.

There can be no doubt that Grubemout and Uptosnuff are among the “placers” in California. The one being undeniably the man who sold the two barrels of brandy, by installments of a thimblefull at a time, for $14,000—the other, with positive certainty, we aver to have been the man who “confidentially” communicated the following _item_ to the newspaper press, and he must have been there to have seen it:

* * * * *

“_The Biggest Lump Yet?_—The following is about the latest news
from the gold diggins that we have seen recorded in the
‘papers:’ A runaway soldier is said to have discovered a lump or
a rock of gold that weighed 889 pounds and 11½ ounces; he was
afraid to leave it, and mounted guard upon it, and at the latest
dates he had sat there 17 days; had offered $27,000 for a plate
of pork and beans, but had been indignantly refused, and laughed
at for the niggardliness of his offer, by parties going further
on, where this article was said to be _more abundant_!”

* * * * *

Jones is among the lame ducks, and pretty roughly plucked at that. But he still avers that if the furnaces had only paid a good price for the ore at the outset, or Wilkins had only helped him to sustain the market when he asked him, he should have been the master of a pretty snug little fortune. If he only had it _now_, he would charter a steamer, and take his own freight and passengers for the gold mines.

The Hawk and Buzzard appears to have been “_pidgeoned_,” for the last time I passed that way the house was shut up. The business having amused itself by stepping over to the Roaring Lion, while the Hawk and Buzzard had flown to the city, “to watch the market.”

Crispin “would only like to have one of those fellows tied for a while, until he had expressed his opinion on him with a stirrup.”

Smith appears to be solicitous to “make them intimately acquainted with the red-hot end of a poker—he’d _smelt_ ’em, _dam_ ’em, and _crush_ ’em too!”

The “Dam,” the “Drift,” the “Cross-Cut,” the “Iron Pump” and the “Adate,” you can see as you go wood-cock shooting next August—but the “Steam-Engine” and the “Mill-Wheel” never arrived, owing to some informality in the order given to the mechanics.

“THE CRUSHER,” it is supposed, is in California with its friends.

G.R.G.

* * * * *

ADIEU, MY NATIVE LAND.

WORDS BY D. W. BELISLE.

ARRANGED FOR THE PIANO, BY JAMES PIPER.

My native land adieu;
Ye blooming, sunlit hills,
Ye mountains tipped with blue,
And lovely, dancing rills,
My

heart is sad to part with scenes like you,
Ye much loved haunts of youth, adieu, adieu.

SECOND VERSE.

Sweet Memory, how my soul
Beats at thy magic touch!
’Tis strange that thy control
Can make us bear so much;
For, while my thoughts in sadness turn to you,
My heart in silence breathes a fond adieu!

* * * * *

Transcriber’s Notes:

Archaic spellings and hyphenation have been retained. Grammar has been maintained as in the original. Punctuation has been corrected without note. Other errors have been corrected as noted below. For illustrations, some caption text may be missing or incomplete due to condition of the originals available for preparation of the ebook.

Page 217, in the “Scientfic Halls,” ==> in the “Scientific Halls,” Page 219, and platted his long ==> and plaited his long Page 219, nicely platted queues ==> nicely plaited queues Page 222, courtiers whom Lí ==> courtiers with whom Lí Page 222, assidiously _rubbing his_ ==> assiduously _rubbing his_ Page 224, I hav n’t it ==> I haven’t it Page 225, has no othe ==> has no other Page 227, to entercept the ==> to intercept the Page 227, below. Unforfortunately, the ==> below. Unfortunately, the Page 236, many rejuvinated forests, ==> many rejuvenated forests, Page 238, and wild-geraneum flowers ==> and wild-geranium flowers Page 239, fair daugher of the ==> fair daughter of the Page 241, be poweful to cheer ==> be powerful to cheer Page 244, fly-leaves was writen ==> fly-leaves was written Page 251, was therefor, and ==> was therefore, and Page 254, free and unbiassed ==> free and unbiased Page 256, beloved and rewared ==> beloved and rewarded Page 269, T’is hence that ==> ’Tis hence that Page 275, Havn’t they got ==> Haven’t they got Page 276, number off five; ==> number of five; Page 276, The Bigest Lump ==> The Biggest Lump