Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-09-07
FOUND IN AM oLp sHAFr.
A Startling Discovery Made by Califor.
MIA AIiners-Riches for Two Men.

\
Years ago when Sierra county was first
overrun by the gold hunters, says q
Downieville, Cal, letter of Aug "a, scores
Of mines were located, worked for a time
and then abandoned. The gold discoye.
ries in other parts of the State came SC
thick and fast that it was then impossible
/ to keep men at work in any lead that did
not pay. Hundreds Of the pioneer miners
lost fortunes by their inability to apply
/ themselves to any one task. If fortune
seemed to trOwn on them, news of a strike
in some other district Immediately filled
them with a desire to try their luck there
also. In this way many properties since
found to be valuable were deserted. AL
over this part of the State may be found
abandoned cabins, sluices, shafts and
drifts. These reminders Of the Argonauts
possess a melancholy interest to new.
corners, and they are frequently explored
by travellers fond Of adventure in the
mountains.
In all mining countries may be found
any number of men who believe that their
predecessors did not fully understand
their business. A deserted mining outfit
is to their mind proof not that gold does
not exist at that very point, but that the
men who tried to find it there years age
did not know how to do it. Scores of these
knowing prOspectOTs are continually
going over the old mining properties
searching for evidences of color or quartz.
A few such have been richly rewarded,
and this has served to stimulate the
others. The argument which they use
to themselves and to capitalists who may
be called upon to back them is always
plausible enough. 1t is that, in the
careless operations of the early days, many
Of the prospects which promised TO be
rich from surface indications were hastily
abandoned, and that they have never yet
been carefully and scientifically examined
to see whether the original miners worked
their leads fully out. The increased
knowledge now possessed as to the nature
of the formations is also urged as another
reason why skilled miners should go over
all these old claims again and examine
them as carefully as if no one had ever
delVed there before. When prOspectOrs of
standing go into this business they never
lack for money, for there is fascination
about the thing.
The sight of strange men around the
old mines on the mountains has become
so common that not much attention has
been paid to it in this vicinity of late. A
recent discovery about 4 miles north of
this town, however, has set everybody to
talking, and people now expect that every
abandoned mine in Sierra county will
have an OYerhauling. James Dacey and
Herman Shatfner have long made their
home in an old cabin on the mountain
side, from which they have gone out on
many extended prospecting tours. Con-
filming their attention mainly to the de-
serted mines, they at length came upon
one which impressed them profoundly.
Tools were scattered around as though
hastily dropped, though rust and mould
had gathered thickly upon them. They
found the mouth Of a shaft over
which it was evident a staging of
some sort had once been placed,
but only small fragments of it were
now visible. a short distance on they
found the ruins of a small cabin. The
door and door posts still stood, but the
roof had fallen in, and two sides Of the
building had collapsed. The men set about
the task of exploring the ruin. AS the
wood was badly decayed they found the job
tedious, but after two days work they
uncovered an old leather Yalise contain
ing some clothing and mementoes. There
was the frame of daguerreotype, but the
glass was broken, and the picture could
not be made out. A package of letters
was soaked and welded together so tight
ly that even if the ink had not been faded
and Obscured by dirt it would have been
impossible to have separated them. Later
on they found an old pistol, few knives,
some tin dishes, and the remnants of a
coat.
1t began to dawn upon them that it was
no ordinary abandoned mine that they had
found. The men who worked there &c
years ago never left it Intentionally in that
manner. What had become of them and
why had they gone of? The prospectors
searched the country round for further
evidence of the presence Of miners, but
were unsuccessful. There were the ruined
hut, the yawning shaft, the ditch which
brought them water, and the tools lying
around carelessly, but nothing else. They
examined everything infinitely, except
the shaft, and after peering into that w1st
| fully few times they looked each othel
in the face and said nothing. Neither
| cared to 90 down in that hole, for boil
| suspected what might be at the bottom.
But dead men never yet kept live mel
| from the universally sought gold. They
| resolved to descend the shaft. 1t tool
| them several days to make their arrange
ments. They got lanterns and ropes anC
| straps, and finally cast lots to settle which
one should make the descent. The choice
! fell upon Dacey, and he promptly tied the
belt about his waist, fastened the ropes t.
/ 1t, and made ready. Shaffner took ont
| turn with the ropes about a tree, anC
/ when everything was in order Dacey le
! himself down easily. 1t had been agreed
/ that Dacey was to 90 down but littlt
! way that day to endeaYor to locate thu
\ depth of the shaft, and determine, i
| possible, the nature of its contents
| When he had descended about go feet ht
| signalled Shaffner that he desired to ascend
| and the latter made the ropes fast. Dacey
| then unfastened his belt, and clinginl
| to the ropes with his hands, pulled him
! self up hand over hand. When he reached
/ the surface and was assisted out of the
! hole by his partner, he was white as {
! ghost and almost speechless. He founC
| the shaft not over 100 feet in depth, bu
| there was a human skeleton at the bottom
| of it. With the aid Of his dark lantern ht
had been able to penetrate the remotes
| corner of the pit. On one side he discov
| cred a drift, but he did not pause to eX
plore it, The shaft was DISTRACTED by
| some half decayed timbers, on which
moss had formed, but he saw enough t.
/ convince him that gold was to be had fol
| the digging. The two men kept the dis
! covery to themselves. They worked dill
! gently for several days, clearing the shaft
| and finally, coming to the bottom, they re
moved the skeleton and buried it neal
| where the old cabin had stood. Beside
| the bones they found the remnants of {
! shotgun, but nothing else. When they
| began operations in the mining line they
were speedily rewarded by several ricL
| finds. The gravel grows richer day by
| day, and from specimens seen here it il
| judged that they have struck a bonanza
Conjecture has been busy as to the
| identity of the dead man and the cause o.
| his death, but no one here among the few
who know all the circumstances, can give
| the slightest suggestion Of value. 1t i:
| thought that more than one man must
| have been engaged at the mine, but II sc
| nobody can invent any theory as to the
| fate of the others, unless they were muir
derers, and if they were it is not under
stood why they should have fled, leaving
a mine they must have known was rich
unless, perhaps, conscience had some
| thing to do with it. The new owners are
! quiet men, who say little, and who appear
to have no friends and associates here.
/ THE DANCING SPRITE.