Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-02-08
A ROMANTIC STORY
or The lost Cabin Gold Mlns-'.A
Rich Discovery.
A Secret Of the Wind River Mountains
A Long Search that Recently Ended
In the Discovery Of a Describes
Cabin Surrounded by SkeIe-
tons and Old Gold
0iggings.

IA WLAnuoI "yShho
Lost Cabin Nine and the ramance connected
herewith promise to make the feature OF
the gold mining excitement of the coming
season. The lost cabin stands in the noun
tains of Fremont county in this Territory.
near the Wind River Canon, and not far
from Hoo Doc Creek. 1t is q dismal look
ing affair, made of roughly-hewn timber,
with portfolios for windows, and bearing
evidences OF border warfare. Who built 1t
never known, and ito very locality was,
until last fall, one Of the mysteries which
scores eff hardy mountaineers and gold hun
tiers sought vainly to unravel. 1t has only
recently been learned that the cabin was
ioupd last fall bya lucky p~rosPector, and
the strange history of the place is on every
body's tongue. Twenty-Five years ago q
party Of Sioux Indians on a hunting expe-
dition stopped near the head Of the canon
of the Big Horn TO shoot fish, and while
there discovered a mineral which they be-
lieved to be gold: Several Of them were
busy picking ont the stuff with their knives,
when they were surprised by a party o
Crows and driven away. The Sioux carried
with them three or four nuggets Of great
value, and on returning to their agency dis
posed of them to the whites, who tried,
without success, to learn where they were
found. As hostile Indians were plentiful in
that locality no great effort was made to
discover the mines until after the Black
Hills we're opened to settlement. Then
dozens of adventurous parties started out
for the Big Horn range, and many OF them
we're never heard of afterward. Sometime
in 1877 a man came into Fort Washakie,
and reported hat he and several compan-
ions had been mining up in the mountains,
near Wind River Canon, aud that all but
be had been killed by Indians. He was not
very bright, and no great attention was paid
to him, although he had long story to tell
about the richness of the mines, and the
fact that he and his comrades had built a
cabin, which could be easily found, if any
one dared make the effort. He disappeared
after awhile, and, as the Indians were
troublesome, nothing more was thought oil
the matter for the time,
After a little, interest in the matter was
revived, and several parties started out ia
search of the cabin. When they abandoned
the search others took it up, and at length
the lost cabin became e~verybodys quest.
Interest in the mine was kept at fever heat,
because the Indians in that vicinity frequ.
emily brought gold to Fort Washakie, but
refused to tell where they found it. The red
men have been exceedingly Jealous OF the
whites, and thought it is now discovered that
the mines are not oni the reservation at all,
the lndiens have always insisted that the
white mans business was to attend to cattle
and leave the gold to them. The search
for the cabin had been we'll nigh given up
when it was announced a il lie while ago
that it had been found in the place above
described, and that its discoveries were al
ready in possession of the m~uch-sought
mines, and making preparations for work
in the spring.
The cabin was foUa5 in this way: Du-
ring the Big Horn excitement G 1878
party of thirteen men. one Of whom was j.
B. Osborne. left Wind River tor the noun
tails. Stopping at Ra,tlesnake Mountain
they began TO prospect ,or p%lacers, half OF
the men working while the other half kept
a lookout for Indians. After digging for
eighteen days their ditch cayed in, and the
majority OF the men becoming discouraged
they agreed to abandonHthe place and push
on. Osborne, who was something OF o
quartz miner, had made observations which
convinced him that there was gold in the
vicinity, and he made up his mind to return
at some future time. As nc settlements
were made in that vicinity he postponed a.
ton for one reason or another until last
summer, when a man named Pickles moved
to Hoo Doc Creek to establish a cattle
ranch. Osborne had a friend named Joe
Jones, who vas a good quartz miner, and
with a view TO having the country well pros
pected he induced Pickles to employ him as
a herder. Then taking Jones into his con-
fdence he told him what he knew about the
land, and instructed him to report to him
any indications OF gold that he might dis
cover. Jones went at it in earnest, aud
sCue time last fall came upon a weather
beg,en old cabin near Hoo Doc Creek, which
had evidently been deserted msSy years be-
tore. Jones knew ncthing Of the lost cabin,
but he examined the place critically in Or
der 10 report his discovery 10 Osborne.
lie cabin is so situsted in the canon as
to c cape ordinary observation, while at the
same time it commands all avenues of ap-
preach. The entrance is by an underground
las sge, which was covered by a log when
the owners were inside. A skeleton Of a
v hite man, with a bullet hole in the skull,
was found near the cabin, and the bones Of
several other men were scattered about. 4
large quantity Of giant powder was discov-
cred under the floor of the cabin, and in
varieus parts of she room were tools used in
quartz mining. Jones at once began an
i~nvestig alton of tae adjacent country. Down
the creek he saw the grave of another man,
and a httle further on he came upon several
lodges in which shallow holes
were also found. The remains of a small
ditch were also found. The ore N the veins
gold and copper in large quantities,
and il is said will assay at $50 to the ton on
the surface. Jones got several samples and
reported to Osborne, who made preparations
at once to take possession.
About Sfty claims have been sSaked of,
and in tAe spring the fomous Lost Cabin
will make is appearance as a god'bearing