Amador County High School - Skip Yearbook (Sutter Creek, CA)

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So your son Henry has gone to Weepah to try and stake out some claims, eh, Jim? spoke up Sam Higgins, also a former prospector, though he was now engaged in ranching. Yep, he has gone out to try and make his fortune there, but I doubt whether he will have much success out there, replied jim. You see, these gold rushes nowadays ain't like what they use to be, Sam. These fellows couldn't tell gold when they seen it. Why back in the 'eighties was when the real gold rushes was on. There was not a lot of that fake booming like there is nowadays. There was none of that movie stuff ini them days. We didn't know what a movie was. I'll tell yuh, Sam, when I made my strike in Calaveras, near the little mining town of Angels Camp, times were much different. H Them was the days when everything was wide open, and men fought, gambled and drank heavily. This was when Mark Twain, the writer, was up in this here region. I got this scar on my right hand in that there place. My partner joe Anderson and I were prospecting near Angels then. It happened that one day in June we rode into town to git supplies. Of course the lirst place we visited was the saloon. After getting a few drinks I went to try 'my luck at cards. There were two gamblers from Frisco who were winning all the money. I was losing pretty heavy. I was down to my last few nuggets when I caught one of these fellows, cheating. I pulled out my gun and made him get up. We searched him and found a bunch of extra cards in his pockets. In the meantime this other fellow tried to escape. He had just got to the door when I seen himg I motioned for him to stop. At this he drew his gun and Hred, shooting me in the right hand. He was caught right outside of the door and brought back. The crowd was going to lynch the two crooks but a few of us proposed that we strip them of the money they had cheated us out of and drive them out of camp. So we stripped them of their gold and gave them some supplies and drove them out of camp. Well, Sam, have some more of that ginger ale-that's the best we can get since prohibition was enforced. I'll tell you, .this will serve the purpose, but I'd like to have some of that Scotch we had in the olden days just the same. -William Perovich, '28. ' w 'l'1a'v:lty lln e

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walked up to the bar and invited all persons present to drown their thirst. The population of the town, or the largest part responded quickly, and the most im' portant person who was present was Colonel Collyer, who was very fond of good whiskey and would drink freely when treated. While one part of the delegation engaged the attention of the Colonel, who was county clerk and keeper of the records of the county, the other part of the delegation gathered up the records, put them in his buggy and left for Jackson. A small shanty at the foot of Court Street in Jackson had been prepared for the return of the delegation and the records. The records were placed in the courthouse and Jackson was now the county seat of Calaveras County. ' -Charles Tyler, '28. A Lynching Party MADOR COUNTY, in its early mining days, had a reputation for being rough. One of the many stirring events that took place in these days is the one I am now going to relate. This event happened about fortyfive years ago, in and around the vicinity of Drytown. Although this town doesn't seem to be very lively now, it was at one time a prosperous mining center. It was not unusual for small nuggets to be picked off the streets of the town. At the time of which I am writing there had been a number of robberies com' mitted in and around Drytown. Finally the daring bandits attempted to rob the hotel, but in some way became frightened and fled. The people followed them as far as possible that night and the next day a posse was formed, and the two bandits were tracked into the Black Hills which lie north of Drytown. After a thorough search of the hills the bandits were found hiding in a pile of rocks. A battle took place in which one bandit was killed and the other captured. There was no jail in which to keep the prisoner, so he was locked in the store for the night. About twelve o'clock that night a number of masked riders came and broke into the store, took the desperado to Plymouth flat, and there, with the aid of a clothes line he was hanged. -Walter Christiansen, i29. The Old Prospector Reminisces AMES CROSBY, a wealthy Los Angeles mining man was entertaining some friends at his country home in Plumas County. Crosby amassed his fortune in California in the 'eighties when he made a rich strike while prospecting in Calaveras County. Since then he had greatly increased his fortune by investing in various enterprises, mostly mining stocks. Crosby was a man about seventy years of ageg he was gray haired, good natured, and loved to tell of his adventures when he was a prospector in his youth. I rufy mo

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ly-four These Spinsters Sarah Jane Anne, my maiden aunt In love did fall with Mr. Grant And nightly prayed that he'd propose, So each day dressed in Sunday clothes. One rainy night he paid a call So all us kids parked in the hall, 4 And thru the keyhole each would peekg We'd laugh and laugh at my aunt's sheik. They sat upon the davenport, Close side by side, one tall, one short. Then presently we heard him say, Will you be my bride in May? We received the greatest shock To hear my aunt say, Well, why not? Then all us kids at once agreed 'Tis sure some life these Spinsters lead. -Alice Thomas, 727 Miss Mary Lee A very ine lady has just come to town, The finest you ever did see, Decked out in bright jewels and gay silken gown- They say she is Miss Mary Lee. Upon the wide ocean, for many a day, She sailed in a gallant large ship, And though she was such a long time on the way She never grew tired of it. Her waist is cut bias, her hair is cut straightg Her plaid skirts are up to her kneesg She's always the same, be it early or late, She's as pretty,-as pretty can be. Her lips, they are red as the rose at our gate, She's a girl men like,-but women all hate. -Ruby Canvin, '28