"DEAD MAN'S GULCH."

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3935, 29 February 1884, Page 4

"DEAD MAN'S GULCH."

The following incident occurred during the early days of tho (Jalifornian goldfields, and is characteristic of the state of things that existed among the diggers at that time. A miner had died in a mountain digging, and, as ho was much respected, his acquaintances resolved to give him a "square funeral," instead of putting the body in the usual way in a rouirhly made hole, aud saying by way of funeral .service, "Thar goes aiiother bully boy under!" They sought tho services of a miner who bore the reputation of having at one time of his career, been " a powerful preacher in the States." And then, Far Western fashion, they all knelt down, while tho extemporised parson delivered a prodigiously long prayor. The miners, find of this unaccustomed opiate, to while away tho time, began, digger fashion, fingering the earth that had beon taken from tho grave. Gradually looks were exchanged; whispering commenced and increased, until it became loud enough to attract the attention of their parson. He opened his eyes and stared at tho whispering minor. "What is it, boys?" Then, as suddenly as his eyes lighted on sparkling scales of gold, he shouted, "Gold, by jingo! and the richest kind o' diggin'—the congregation is dismissed." Instantly, every man began to prospect the new digging, our clerical friend not being the least active of the number. Tho body had to be removed and buried elsewhere, but the memory of the incident long lived from the name given to the locality, for "Dead Man's Gulch " became one of the richest goldficlds in all California.