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Show MRS. AUGUSTA TABOR. 227 ties. He gave us explicit directions how to reach the rich diggings. We followed his directions, and undertook to cross the river where it looked shallow. When near the opposite bank we came into a deep channel. Our wagon bed, with myself and child in it, raised above the wheels and floated-down the stream. It was rapidly filling with water, when it occurred to me to cling to the willows on the bank. I did so, and'held with unnatural strength until the men came to my rescue. We reached California Gulch three months after we left Denver. The first thing after camping was to have the faithful old oxen butchered that had brought us all the way from Kansas -yes, from the Missouri river, three years before. We divided the beef with the miners, for they were without provisions or ammunition. " Before night they built me a cabin of green pine logs, without floor, door or window. The roof was coyered with poles, bark and dirt, and the wagon was converted into table, side-board and three-legged stools. I entered this place happy that I once more had a roof to cover my head, and at once commenced taking boarders, with nothing to feed them except poor beef and dried apples. "It was soon noised about that gold was struck in California Gulch, and before many weeks there were ten thousand people there. A mail and express was immediately decided upon, and I was appointed Post Mistress. " With my many duties, the days passed quickly. I was called upon to weigh all the gold taken from the upper part of the gulch, as we were the only owners in that section of a pair of gold scales. The miners would clean up their boxes, get their gold weighed, and go to town (where |
