property in the mountains, used him as an advertisement of the
Union Ditch, and it is said in some vague way cited him as proving
the collateral facts of a timber and ore-producing region existing
in the foot-hills worthy the attention of Eastern capitalists.

Praised thus by the lips of distinguished report, fostered by the
care and sustained by the pecuniary offerings of their fellow-
citizens, the Saints led for two years a peaceful life of gentle
absorption. To relieve them from the embarrassing appearance of
eleemosynary receipts,--an embarrassment felt more by the givers
than the recipients,--the postmastership of Rough-and-Ready was
procured for Daddy, and the duty of receiving and delivering the
United States mails performed by him, with the advice and
assistance of the boys. If a few letters went astray at this time,
it was easily attributed to this undisciplined aid, and the boys
themselves were always ready to make up the value of a missing
money-letter and "keep the old man's accounts square." To these
functions presently were added the treasurerships of the Masons'
and Odd Fellows' charitable funds,--the old man being far advanced
in their respective degrees,--and even the position of almoner of
their bounties was super-added. Here, unfortunately, Daddy's
habits of economy and avaricious propensity came near making him
unpopular, and very often needy brothers were forced to object to
the quantity and quality of the help extended. They always met
with more generous relief from the private hands of the brothers
themselves, and the remark, "that the ol' man was trying to set an
example,--that he meant well,"--and that they would yet be thankful
for his zealous care and economy. A few, I think, suffered in
noble silence, rather than bring the old man's infirmity to the
public notice.