“Well now, do yez moind, it happened a few years afther that this same miner was afther tryin’ ther business of ranchin’ himself, an’ about ther same toime, too, this gardner sold out his ranch an’ followed ther business ov minin’ and, quare enough, he found a good prospect upon ther ranch ov ther other chap, an’ now be jabers! here was ther case jest after bein’ revarsed. “It wud hev done yer sowl good to hear this ould rancher, who was now afther bein’ a miner, jest give it to ther ould miner who was now afther ranchin’, an’ he paid him off swately in his own kine, begorra! Well, afther quarrellin’ awhoile about ther rights of aich one, they finally was afther concludin’ that both of thim had certain rights, an’ if they were careful and aich one of thim to do ther fair thing, there wud be no throuble at all, at all, so ther miner agreed to do as little harrum as possible and fill up his diggings again.” Jeff now inquired of Mike if he didn’t consider it a great injury to the country in general, but more especially to the working classes, shutting down the hydraulic mines, consequently taking such a large amount of money from our circulation? “Ah, yis,” said Mike, “indade thin ’twud be a blessing to ther workin’ men of ther counthry to have that same in circulation among thim, if they was afther handling much of the same; but, me b’ys, I tell yez that ther workingmen of the counthry have but little opportunity av aither saing or handling much av ther same at ail, at all.” “But,” queried another, “in the circulation of money each one gets his share, does he not?” “So he ought, thin, if he was afther earning the same; but divil a bit is he afther doin’ anything ov ther koind, an’ for this raisin, me b’ys, that if that same was ther rule, why, ’tis plain enough, do yez moind, that ther more gould there was afther bein’ scattered about among us, ther greater quantity aich one av us wud be afther gittin’ hould ov, sure. But do yez moind, thin, it don’t wurruk that way at all, at all. It is not becase thim b’ys who hev scraped togither ther biggest share ov money are more selfish than any the rest ov thim, devil a bit, but, b’ys, ’tis in ther nature ov gould itself, which is afther follerin’ a law of its own, begob! an’ has a way ov scrapin’ itself in a hape into ther hands ov a few of ther b’ys, who have already more than they are afther having any use for. And ’tis for that raison, b’ys, that in me own opinion ’tis jest as well for that gould to remain in thim hills where it belongs, and kape it out of their hands.” “Ah, Mike, but that’s a wrong idea you’ve got about money,” remarked Jeff. “Fifteen millions a year from the money circulation means poverty to many a poor family. Why, what would your little ranch be worth, with its grapevines and its peach trees, if we should all quit mining? Ain’t it us miners who give you a market for your stuff?”