The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-08-30

A CinciaAati Prospectev's Melancholy
Ead IN the M0Hptntns.
From The L-tdyill5 Chronicle.

From the L-tdvills Chronicle.
A sotowful stoiy, nut cue that may have
any number Of unt1oopti parallels in the
history of ihe mouutsipt, comes from TIE
Holy Cro.s d's'rioi. Las. week party OF
Gold Peak lniuefs Stsrso gp Turkey creek,
south # Battle mountain, on tour a pleas.
u,e snd Investigation. Assr Tue head OF the
crsck Tao county is wildly picturesque, snd
no human feet have yet explored it thor
oughly. The land here rises 10 gradual as
can't to the west until it kisaes tho clouds in
the majestic pssk of Holy Gross. In no place
is it level, but is broken by canyons and cut
by tortuous gorges carved in some prebis-
toric glaclsl age, while the tiny patches OF
bottom land are covered with vsrdure and
spaugled with flowers. A more louely spot
nature could not have fashioned in her mos.
wiusome mood, each turn revealing some
new beauty, forever varied and forever el =
chanting.
By some strange incougruity OF circum-
stances, here It was shat the party found h
scene rpp,ete with y sadness that words fail
to define. At the head of one of the gulches,
half hidden By gigantic accumulation of
boulders, knitted together by the roots Of the
nine trees that found susteusnce between
Them, WAS u cabin. II was 80 crude, SO sim.
nle and 80 rough of workmanship, that 1t
seemed pArt Of NATURES self, and placed there
when the trees and rocks and mountains
came. Ii WAS, indeed, only noticed by the
sheerest of chance as the prospectors passed
up the canyon, but onceseen they resolved to
pay il a vieit and see ii any one lived in tne
vicinity. L; was reached by q hAlf-obl eva-
ted trail, ind sppeAred 10 be deserted. The
party was half frightened when, upon push
ing open the door, they saw the PROSTATE
form OF man extended on the rude bunk,
AT first they thought no was dead, but as
Shey approached The bunk they saw from the
Auttering motion Of the chest that life still
fingered. The body WAS that of q man about
forty, partially disrobed, and the eyes closed
On his breast, tightly clutched in one OF his
hands, was q tiny Catholic prayer book
stamped on the back with q gold cross, and
well worn. Shocked beyond words, they Gu
desvored to restore the man TO conscious
ness, His livid hue, his sunken cheeks, and
all, bore witness to the fact taat ke had been
stricken down By some disease, as he sp-
peared to have tainted from exhaustion. In
q few minutes he regsined his consciousness,
and began 10 talk in almost audible tones.
From what he saidit Wts learned that he had
been working g. ne claims about quarIer OF
o mile below the cabin, and had ciught a
severe cold. 1t hsd grown upon him unit at
last, he was barely able to DO about ard his
lungs became very sore. In this condition
he hsd yentured W visit his property down
the gulch, and was there taken very sick. 1t
was only with the utmost difficulty and after
an hour of painful etartiOn that he rescued
his cabin ard crawled into his bunk. This
was the day before the party arrived, and
during the night O swift Congeslion of the
lungs had evidently act in. At the time he
was discovered lhis had progressed so far
that, even we're the best physicians at hand,
it WAS easy to SEQ that he was beyond mortal
aid. Realizing tnst the great destroyer waa
at hand, he had managed 10 get his prayer
book down from the shelf Of the opposite
side of the room, ard resolved TO die with a
supplication to God on his lips. The cabin
was far from any neighbors, and he gave up
sil hopo of seeing humaH faces again, while,
in q desolation tina. forever begGars words,
he lay dying there.
Hs said his name WAS Charles Henderson
and that his home was at Oincinns'i, y, end
left few brief Instructions rs to whom TO
write to. He originally camo to the holy
Gross, coming here from Golden about FIVE
months bsiore. Even rs he spoke the poor
fellow grew viaibly weaker and still weaker,
aud toward evening sank into UNCONSCIOUS
ness apaiu. IN this way as the day moved
and died his lite went out and when nigh:
fell II WAS corpse tina. the men tendery
Strengthened on tho clumsy bunk. La tie
morning they buried him close at hand n
the sunuiest, brightest spo. that thoy could
find, and marked his name on rude board
at the hesd.
The life ola prospcetor may be free and
grand and untrammsed indeed while health
i there and hope is young; but in sickness,
ali alone, in death, with no kind hand to
Close the eyes, what dreary desert, what a
waste and desols!on the mountains must
hu.yn hear