Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-02-20

bonanza
The Lost Cabin mine and the ro
nance connected Herewith, writes {
Rawling, Wyoming, CORE sponden
to The st. Louis Post Dispatch
promise to make the feature of tn,
gold mining excitement of the coming
season. The Lost Cabin starts on tht
mountains of fremont county, in thi.
territory, and hear the Wild river
canyon, not far from Hoodoo creek
lt Is dismal-looking affair, made o.
roughly hewa timbers with port holes
for windows and bearing evidence Of
border warfare Who built it wa.
never known, and its locality was
until last fall, one of the mysterie.
which scores of hardy mountaineers
and gold hunters sought vainly t.
unravel. 1t has only recently beer
learned that the cabin was found las
fall by a lucky prospector, and the
strange history of the place is now OF
every bedy's tongue. Twenty five
years ago, party of Sioux Indians
on hunting expedition, stopped near
the head of the canyon of the Big
Horn to shoot fish, and while there
discovered a mineral which they be
I llevea to be gold. Several of them
were busy with their knives picking
out the stuff. when they were surpris
ed by party of Grows and driven
away. The Sioux carried with then
three or four nuggets of great value
and on their returning to their agency
disposed of them 10 the whites, who
tried, without success, to discover
where they were found.
As hostile Indians were plentiful in
that neighborhood, no great etfort
was made to discover the mines, unit
after the Black Hills was open to set
tlement. Then a dozen of adventu
rous parties started out for the Big
Horn range, and some of them were
aever heard of afterward. Some Tins
in 1877 man came into Fort Wa
shake and reported that he anc
several companions had been mining
up in the mountains near Wind
River canyon and that all bat he hao
been killed by the Indians. He was
not very bright, and no great atten.
ton was paid to him, although he had
long story to tell about the rich
ness of the mines and the fact that he
and his comrades had built cabin
which could easily be found if anyone
dared make the effort. He disappear
ed after awhile, and, as the indians
were troublesome, nothing more was
thought of the matter for the time
After a little, interest in the matter
was revived, and several parties start
ed out in seach of the cabin. When
they abandoned the search, others
took 1t up, and at length the lest
cabin became everybody's quest. In.
terest in the mine was kept at feve,
heat, because the Indians in that
vicinity frequently brought gold tc
Fort Washakie, but refused to tel
where they found it. The red men
have been exceedingly jealous of the
whites, and though it is now discover
ed that the mines are not on the
reservation at all, the Indians have
always insisted that the white man.
business was to attend to cattle ant
leave the gold to them. The search
for the cabin has been we'll nigl
given up. when it was announced &
little while ago 1t had been found il
the place above described, and tha
its discoverers were already in pos
session of the much sought mines anG
were making preparations for work
ing in the spring.
The cabin was found in this way
During the Big Horn excitement o.
1877, party OF thirteen men, one o.
whom WIS S. B. Osborne, left Winc
river for the mountains. Stopping a
Rattlesnake mountain they began t.
prospect for placers, half of the mel
wcrking W hile the ether half kept {
lookout for the Indians. Aftel
digging for eighteen days their DITCH
caved in and the majority of the mel
becoming discouraged they agreed t.
abandon the place and push on
Osborne, who was something of :
quartz miner. had made observations
which convinced kim that there wa
gold in the vicinity, and he made III
his mind to return at some futur,
time. As no settlements were mad,
in that vicinity, he postponed actor
for one reason and another last sum
mer, when man named Pickle
moved in Hoodoo creek to establish ;
cattle ranch. Osborne had frient
named Joe Jones, who was a gooC
quartz miner, and with view to hav
ing the country well prospected h
induced Pickles to employ him as {
herder. Then, taking jones into hi
confidence, he told him what he knew
about the iaEd and instructed him Il
report to him any indications of golt
that he might discover. Jones wen
at it in earnest, and some time last fal
he came upon a weather beaten ole
cabin near Hoodoo creek, which hat
evidently oeen deserted SOM
years before. Jones knew
nothing of the lost cabin, bu
examined the place critically il
order to report this discovery to Os
borne. The cabin is SO situated IL
this canyon as to escape ordinary OBJ
servation, while at the same time i
commands all avenues of approach
The entrance is by an underground
passage, which was covered by a loj
when the owners were inside. 4
skeleton of a white man with bullet
hole in the skull was found near tn
cabin, and the bones of several othe
men were scattered about. A larg
quantity of giant powder was discov
cred under the floor of the cabin, AM
in various parts of the room wer
tools used for auartz-mining Jone
at once began in investigation of tn
adjacent country. Down the creek b,
saw the grave of another man, ant
further on he came upon several well
defined ledges on which shallow hole
had been sunk. The remains of /:
small ditch were also found. The orr
in the veins contained gold and cop
per in large quantities, and, it is said
will assay at $50 TO the ton on the sur
face. Jones got several samples anC
reported TO Osborne. who made pre-
parations at once to take possession
About fifty claims have been taker
off. and in the spring the famous Los
Cabin will make its appearance as {
gold barring minr.
A Modern 0rael:.
A most satisfactory modern oracl,
on,cara fo have heeu esta hIishad a