HOW THEY SALT A CLAIM.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1550, 10 June 1882, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW THEY SALT A CLAIM.

"I wise you would explain to me all about this salting of claims that I hear so much about," said a meek-eyed tender foot to a grizzly old miner, who was panning about six ounoes of pulverised quartz. "I don't see what they want to salt a claim for, and I don't understand how they do it." " Well, you see, a hot season like this they have to salt a claim, lots of times to xeep it. A fresh claim is good enough for a fresh tenderfoot, but old-timers won't look at anything but a pickled claim. You know what quarts is, probably?" "No." " Well, every , claim has, quartz. Some more and some leas. You find out how many quartz there are, and then put in somany pounds of salt to the quart. Wild* cat claims require more salt, because the wild cat' spoils quicker than anything else. Sometimes you catch a sucker, too, .and you have to put him in brine pretty plenty, or you will lose him. That's one reason why they Bait a claim. Then, again, you often grub-stake a man — " " But what is a grub-stake ?" " Well, a grub-stake is ,a stake that the boys hang their grab on so they can carry it. Lota of mining men have'been knocked cold by a blow from a grub-stake. What I wanted to say, though, waa this -. You will probably at first strike free milling poverty, with indications ok something else. Then you will, no doubt, sink till you Btrike bedrock, or a true fissure gopher-hole, with traces of disappointment. That's the time to put in your salt, You can shoot it into the shaft with a double-barrelled shotgun, or wet it and apply „ it with a whitewash brush. If people turn up their noses at your claim then, and say it is a snide, and that there ia something rotten in Denmark, you can tell them that they are clear off, and that you know it is all right." The last seen of the tenderfoot, he waa baying a double-barrelled shotgun and ten pounds of rock salt. There's no doubt but a mitring camp is the place to send a young man, who wants to acquire knowledge and fill his system full of information that will be useful to him so long as he livee.—Zarawite JSaomranff.

A Sobe Paoop.— Fitsaoodle was out again worrying the life oat ol the ducks with big gun. Ho blazed away at iomo duoks, and an UQBten man on the other side oi the pond role up threateningly, with a long gon, and called out, " Did you ehoot »t me 7" " Did mj of the shot hit you ?" inquired Fitznoodle. " Y«i, they did/ tud the mtp, rubbing hii legs. "Then you m»y be certain that I didn't i hoot at you. I never hit any. tbingl ■hoot »t." 'A-TooNd clergyman in low* reoently'marriod a oonple in the iollowjng brief mannei:— "Do you want one another ?" Both replied " Xei." "Wall, then have one another." Yodno lady t '« I h»T« called, Mt« Brown, to aik'yon whyyourehildren do not attend Sanday-Mhool »ow af they used I Do they not like going?" Mr! Brown': Oh, yef» miiiithey likei goin*. well 'nough ; iff the lUyia' after they gets theer they don't Jike."' '*'*■♦*. ft Xhbex ii muiio in the heir, *}■ groaned ths % weary? lather, m he lilted to thft-ifgorou* hpwiing of hi« infant son. . . . :, ' . i, > -- "

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