The Red Cloud chief., 1878-11-28
OLD %TUNNELING PETE.
story Of Life Passed Mostly Us<er.'
ground.

ksvoWus
Old '~'Tunneling Pete wa. what n.
was always called and 10 he had any
other name IL was never heard on IN.
Pacific coast. II Il said that he wa.
from the lead mines of Galena, III.
where they 10 this day tell how he bur.
rowed his way through the limestone
from cave to cave in search for miner.
al making the cave last found his
abiding place. Even Ia those DAYS ne
was nearly always underground. How
he managed to endure the light ot day
long enough 10 cross the plains has NJ.
ways been "A mystery To al who knew
him. Some assert that he travelled only
during the night, and others that he
wore n huge pair Of goggles of black
glass. Old Pete landed in California
In 1919, and as soon as he struck the
golden soil took pick and shovel. and
went out Of sight beneath IL. During
the ten years he mined m California he
was under the ground most ~ the time.
only coming out 10 the light II the day
at night. as a son Of Erin would say.
He appeared IA hate the sun,
which kept him winking and blinkins,
even when his eyes were half closed. as
th'N "WuNN WtFt WUtt. nt WIZ TN the
surface. In California old Pete mined
the gravel banks Mexican fashion, run
ming coyote holes In them till they were
n greater puzzle than was the famed
labyrinth Of Crete. What he done with
the gold he found no one ever knew.
~ he was never seen Ia have q in
his possession. o was he ever ssssn u.
purchase either food or drink. II was'
the same In the lead mines. an. a story
came from Galcna hat he WA not q
human being, but n gnome In disgrace
In some shape with the beings vi his
race. He was seen here on the Com
stock soon after silver was found. but
straightway disappeared under ground.
No one saw him on his WAY hither or
knew he was coming; the first intimsr
ton they had III his migration was when
he was seen here. There were those
among the prospectors Of tina, day who
swore that old Pete had merely extend
ed one of his California holes aud 30
''comc square through the Sierra Neva-
da mountains" II Is reported that
after the day Of his arrival he WAS not
seen for over two years. when he final
ly came out ncar where the town Of
Sutro now stands-some now say that
MIR. Sutro followed in on ''old Pete's
hole" when he dug his tunnel. other
wise he could never have found his way
To the Comstock. The story goes that
when old Pete's head popped out
through the ground by the verge Of the
valley. II was daylight. and when he
saw the cottonwood trees along the
Carson River he Is said To have been In
n terrible rage, n he had supposed he
was deep enough tn pass under the
channel Of the Carson and get beneath Z
the big peaks Of Como. All day he sat
winking and blinking and cursing and
swearing In the mouth Of his hole-for
old Pete was ~fearfully wicked-an and Ut
night he gathered up his drifting. bar.
pick and shovel. and crossed over the
hills 10 Flowery District. where he set
To work, and vas GU Of sight under the
base Of a big hill long before morning. 2
He was seen on the surface. In the
twilight and Of moonlight nights. two
or three times each year by the miners
Of Flowery until about three years ago.
when he seemed To have disappeared
for good. No m cared much whittier
he had gone, for he was an unsightly
old man and exceedingly snappish and
disagreeble. One morning about ~
months ago some Indians rushed into
the village of Flow,ry in n terrible
fright, saying the ''devil' had appear
ed In their camp. A few miners went
with the Indians and found old Pete
sitting in the big hole. through which
was evident he had Just risen. The
old mans eyes were CLASSY and his
gray hairs were matted with clay. like
those Of n badger just dragged from his
hole. and II was easy Ia see that be Was
on his last legs. He said he had come
10 the surface to get q mouthful Of
fresh air in order hat he might have
strength 10 die. He had just life enough
left Ia say that he had been away up
under the roots Of the Comstock during
the past three years. and had there seen
more wealth than Fair. Mackey. or Any
millionaire of them all nad ever
dreamed Of. They will never End
II. though" chuckled he; ''they Siil
never find IT, They will never go down
To where Il is; they will become dis
far above, up among the
clays and rross-courses and
faults and great horses Of porphyry. I
must die now. but none Of them will
ever lind what I have seen no neveNr'
So saving. the old fellow suddesly
pressed his hands To his breast. q rat
thing came from his throat. he fell back
upon the ground, gasped. and clutched
the gravel with his bony fingers, a
trpmor pnss.1 fhrnuxh h.. e-