, 1885-09-01
THE HIDDEN HAND. L
A Rich Gold Lead Which has
Long Been Hunted.
Some "reminiscences of the
Days of Miners Delight"
A Thirty Mile Ditch to be
Built Soon,

A rich gold lead has been struck by
Mr.. L. G.. Davis a prominent citizen of
this place. and an old miner, between
Miners Delight and the site of old Fort
Stambaugh. 1t is much talked of. as it
is almost on the identical ground supposed
to conceal tie long looked for Hidden
Hand. Around this lost lead centers
many Of the most exciting memories of
the palmy days of the Miners Delight
district. In 1869 the Hidden Hand first
betrayed itself. Float quartz of a peculiar
blue color and almost transparent, con
tanning gold in seams and grains, was
picked up on the mountain side. Further
search showed considerable of the bonanza
float, and an eager search was commenced
for the parent lead, which was certain to
be of fabulous richness. Though often
on a hot trail, strewn with the flashing
blue quartz, the search was in vain. 1t
was still in active progress when the
Arapahoe Indians made their bloody raid
upon the mines in 1870, led by the savage
Black Bear. Welded to the trail of
riches, the seekers after the Hidden Hand
refused warning and three of them paid
for their pursuit of the gold scanned
quartz with their lives. But the miners
were not to be driven from the bonanza
that they knew was there, if it could only
be found. -Four hundred sturdy frontiers
men were o o on the trail of the red ma
rauders. They were overtaken in camp
on the Papoagie, below where this town
has since been built. and driven down the
Bear was killed and his wife and son cap
tured as they watched by the body of the
dead chieftain. Many ponies were cap
tured and the Indians received a lesson
that was not forgotten in a hurry. Slut
tering Col. Bill Smith led the miners to
the attack. The gallant frontiersman now
lies in a bloody grave among the gold
vemed hills for which he fought. Black
Bears squaw and heir attracted consider
able attention from the rough %conquerors
and with the sterling children OF. tho from
tier, were given the best captured horse
and sent to join the tribe. Once back
again at the mines the search for the
Hidden Hand was resumed with re-
doubled ardor. But the illustrious lode
was still a hope, and baptized in blood,
shrank from sight more persistantly than
ever. 1t was now that the lead received
the nam of the Hidden Hand Search
for it las never been entirely abandoned,
and now the report that a valuable lead
which such eager feet roamed in 90 and
20, has brought to the front all Of the
old timers hat are left. They gather
around and talk of the old days, recall
long past events and speculate sadly upon
the times they could have had, had the
bonanza been found in the palmy days of
mining.
The main ditch oil the French company
who are investing so much capital in the
development Of the Atlantic mining dis
trict, is finished Work with the extern
tensiye hydraulic machinery Of the com
pany will probably be commenced this
fall, and considerable gold will be washed
out between now and cold weather. A
survey has been made for another ditch TO
be taken out of the same stream, Rock
creek, but on the opposite side. As Rock