News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-01-15
THE SILVER MINE.
A STORY TOLDB BY CONDUCTOR ON
A NEW MEXICAN X. X.
Just Nenr Enough 10 an 100000 Lead to
Miss Ii.

eight or nine years ago" said con
ductor on the Atchison q Santa Fe IL:
R.. "when this road was opened we USED
10 meet q good many queer people.
There are queer ones gong over the
line now, but there were more OF them
then. The second or third train L ran
out of Pueblo for the East had an old
fellow aboard who took me into his con-
fidence. He wore his hair long and his
beard was gray and shaggy. When L
went through the train the first time he
offered me his ticket, a through one. L
punched the ticket. Finally he per
suaded me to sit down by his side. We
had long run ahead without stops, and
time was hanging rather heavy on my
hands.
''I made up my mind years ago. he
said, that would never go back East
until could go in q chariot, and now
I'm q going, Just as white man ought
to go. I've been out here twenty years
with the indians, chasing them part of
the time and part of the time they chas-
ing me. I've mined it from one end OF
the divide to the other, just skimmlng
over the surface. I've found more,n fifty
prospects where man with a little dust
Fan get rich in O year. I've got my
pocket full of specimens and I'm going
down to my old home in York State to
see if can't raise enough funds to come
out here and work some OF these.
There's old man Chadwick-he's rich;
and Jim Giilett's two boys must be
growed up by this time, aid probably
got the farm; and then there's my old
mans relatives over at the corners and
any number of others. Pm just going
to open their eyes to something If this
chariot don't break down. Why, I've
been waiting for this train of cars four or
five years, and it can't go any too fast to
suit me. Here's piece of silver that 1
took from prospect down in Arizona.
What do you think of it Well, strang
err, you can hew that out of the ground
where I got that by the pailfull, and
there's more of it covered up than there
is on the surface.
81 began to be interested. I had
heard big stories of silver discoveries off
south and here was evidence, if the chap
wasn't lying, that he had discovered the
location of a deposit of fabulous value. l
told him that had some money myself
I did have about $4,000 in those days,
though haven't got it now-and that if
that would do any good, and l could get
a share in the stake, he could have it all.
He seemed greatly pleased.
"1'lI not go home just yet, says he,
I'll wait awhile. Ill go down richer'n
Did Chadwick when l do go, and I'll
sling silver bricks at ali the windows in
town. How far do you run? I'll get off
| with you
81 told him, and he agreed to say
nothing, but to leave the train when the
new gang came on. just as we got to
the end OF the division jumped OH the
platform and looked for the old man, but
as he did not come out 1 boarded the
train again to call him Coming up be-
hind him | thought at first he was asleep,
but I soon discovered that it was death.
His head was resting on his bosom and
in one Of his hands he held the silver
nugget. We removed him to the depot
and [ got sort of horse doctor there
to examine him, but he only said that
be must have died of heart disease. Be-
fore we buried him l searched all his
pockets, the Innings of his coats and vest
and his old satchel, but l couldn't find a
thing that would throw any light on the
location of his prospects. Nor could
learn his exact address at first, but from
some memoranda found in his pockets
afterward made guess at it and came
out right. l discovered that he had {
brother and ONE nephews living and to
them | sent the nuggets and few othe
articles of value which he had on Iii
person. got leave of absence as sool
as I could and in company with tvs
or three friends l made an attemp
to locate the place where he found the
silver, but his description of 1t had beer
SO imperfect that could not find it. AT
ter spending 50. 600 in prospecting with
out avail l gave it up. One year afte1
that silver mines were opened little tc
one side OF the place had gone to first
and, having visited them since, l an
sure that they were first discovered by
the old man whom I met.
"Were they rich?" asked the miner. ,
''Well, yes, to some extent they were.
The men who gobbled them up took
$500 600 out of them the first year and
they have not been starving since then. y
THAT was a pretty hard streak OF
luck for the old man, wasn't it p said the
cattleman thoughtfully.
The conductor rose up, looked at his
watch and said: 81 don't know so much
about the old man, for he died and did
not need any silver; but it is calling on
me, for I'm here to feel sore over it every
time l see silver quarter"