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〃richest mines on earth〃 as the frenzied cant phrased itand were in
debt to the butcher。 We were stark mad with excitementdrunk with
happinesssmothered under mountains of prospective wealtharrogantly
compassionate toward the plodding millions who knew not our marvellous
canyonbut our credit was not good at the grocer's。
It was the strangest phase of life one can imagine。 It was a beggars'
revel。 There was nothing doing in the districtno miningno milling
no productive effortno incomeand not enough money in the entire camp
to buy a corner lot in an eastern village； hardly； and yet a stranger
would have supposed he was walking among bloated millionaires。
Prospecting parties swarmed out of town with the first flush of dawn； and
swarmed in again at nightfall laden with spoilrocks。 Nothing but
rocks。 Every man's pockets were full of them； the floor of his cabin was
littered with them； they were disposed in labeled rows on his shelves。
CHAPTER XXX。
I met men at every turn who owned from one thousand to thirty thousand
〃feet〃 in undeveloped silver mines； every single foot of which they
believed would shortly be worth from fifty to a thousand dollarsand as
often as any other way they were men who had not twenty…five dollars in
the world。 Every man you met had his new mine to boast of； and his
〃specimens〃 ready； and if the opportunity offered； he would infallibly
back you into a corner and offer as a favor to you； not to him； to part
with just a few feet in the 〃Golden Age；〃 or the 〃Sarah Jane；〃 or some
other unknown stack of croppings； for money enough to get a 〃square meal〃
with； as the phrase went。 And you were never to reveal that he had made
you the offer at such a ruinous price； for it was only out of friendship
for you that he was willing to make the sacrifice。 Then he would fish a
piece of rock out of his pocket； and after looking mysteriously around as
if he feared he might be waylaid and robbed if caught with such wealth in
his possession； he would dab the rock against his tongue； clap an
eyeglass to it； and exclaim：
〃Look at that！ Right there in that red dirt！ See it？ See the specks of
gold？ And the streak of silver？ That's from the Uncle Abe。 There's a
hundred thousand tons like that in sight！ Right in sight； mind you！
And when we get down on it and the ledge comes in solid； it will be the
richest thing in the world！ Look at the assay！ I don't want you to
believe melook at the assay！〃
Then he would get out a greasy sheet of paper which showed that the
portion of rock assayed had given evidence of containing silver and gold
in the proportion of so many hundreds or thousands of dollars to the ton。
I little knew； then； that the custom was to hunt out the richest piece of
rock and get it assayed！ Very often； that piece； the size of a filbert；
was the only fragment in a ton that had a particle of metal in itand
yet the assay made it pretend to represent the average value of the ton
of rubbish it came from！
On such a system of assaying as that； the Humboldt world had gone crazy。
On the authority of such assays its newspaper correspondents were
frothing about rock worth four and seven thousand dollars a ton！
And does the reader remember； a few pages back； the calculations； of a
quoted correspondent； whereby the ore is to be mined and shipped all the
way to England； the metals extracted； and the gold and silver contents
received back by the miners as clear profit； the copper； antimony and
other things in the ore being sufficient to pay all the expenses
incurred？ Everybody's head was full of such 〃calculations〃 as those
such raving insanity； rather。 Few people took work into their
calculationsor outlay of money either； except the work and expenditures
of other people。
We never touched our tunnel or our shaft again。 Why？ Because we judged
that we had learned the real secret of success in silver miningwhich
was； not to mine the silver ourselves by the sweat of our brows and the
labor of our hands； but to sell the ledges to the dull slaves of toil and
let them do the mining！
Before leaving Carson； the Secretary and I had purchased 〃feet〃 from
various Esmeralda stragglers。 We had expected immediate returns of
bullion； but were only afflicted with regular and constant 〃assessments〃
insteaddemands for money wherewith to develop the said mines。 These
assessments had grown so oppressive that it seemed necessary to look into
the matter personally。 Therefore I projected a pilgrimage to Carson and
thence to Esmeralda。 I bought a horse and started； in company with
Mr。 Ballou and a gentleman named Ollendorff； a Prussiannot the party
who has inflicted so much suffering on the world with his wretched
foreign grammars； with their interminable repetitions of questions which
never have occurred and are never likely to occur in any conversation
among human beings。 We rode through a snow…storm for two or three days；
and arrived at 〃Honey Lake Smith's；〃 a sort of isolated inn on the Carson
river。 It was a two…story log house situated on a small knoll in the
midst of the vast basin or desert through which the sickly Carson winds
its melancholy way。 Close to the house were the Overland stage stables；
built of sun…dried bricks。 There was not another building within several
leagues of the place。 Towards sunset about twenty hay…wagons arrived and
camped around the house and all the teamsters came in to suppera very；
very rough set。 There were one or two Overland stage drivers there；
also； and half a dozen vagabonds and stragglers； consequently the house
was well crowded。
We walked out； after supper； and visited a small Indian camp in the
vicinity。 The Indians were in a great hurry about something； and were
packing up and getting away as fast as they could。 In their broken
English they said； 〃By'm…by； heap water！〃 and by the help of signs made
us understand that in their opinion a flood was coming。 The weather was
perfectly clear； and this was not the rainy season。 There was about a
foot of water in the insignificant riveror maybe two feet； the stream
was not wider than a back alley in a village； and its banks were scarcely
higher than a man's head。
So； where was the flood to come from？ We canvassed the subject awhile
and then concluded it was a ruse； and that the Indians had some better
reason for leaving in a hurry than fears of a flood in such an
exceedingly dry time。
At seven in the evening we went to bed in the second storywith our
clothes on； as usual； and all three in the same bed； for every available
space on the floors； chairs； etc。； was in request； and even then there
was barely room for the housing of the inn's guests。 An hour later we
were awakened by a great turmoil； and springing out of bed we picked our
way nimbly among the ranks of snoring teamsters on the floor and got to
the front windows of the long room。 A glance revealed a strange
spectacle； under the moonlight。 The crooked Carson was full to the brim；
and its waters were raging and foaming in the wildest waysweeping
around the sharp bends at a furious speed； and bearing on their surface a
chaos of logs； brush and a