Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-07-03
Al Gays Lost Mine,

away Oack In the pioneer days OF 10,
when the writer, with six other gold
hunters were located a. the old Gordon
stockade, on French creek, three miles
below this city, where we were per-
mltted by General Crook TO remain
under a parole, the terms of which pro-
hibited us from prospecting; one AL
Gay, a member Of the party, a Squaw
man from an adjacent Indian agency,
in violation of his parole was wont to
visit the adjacent hills in quest of gold.
Great care had to be observed in his ex-
plorations, as Col, Pollock, with four
companies of cavalry, who were de-
tailed to keep miners from entering the
sacred domain Of me indians, and who
also kept a vigilant eye over us to see
that we did not break the terms of our
parole, were camped only three miles
above us where Custer City now stands.
Gay being an old frontiersman, and an
experienced mountaineer, succeeded in
keeping his almost daily pursuit. of gold
w tiC hilillstIy, WIN WCIe
constantly scouting the Hills in pursuit
Of incoming miners. Gays efforts hav-
ing been crowned with success, as evil
denced by the rich samples of gold ore
brought in by him, his companions at
at the stockade who had fully tested the
value of the ore, became anxious to &C.
quaint themselves of tho locality Of the
discovery and employed every conceiy-
able method in trying to gain the much
desired information, but in vain; Gay
positively declined to enlighten us upon
the subject, saying that his discovery
was of i%ncalculable value, and not until
the Black Hills country was thrown
open to settlement, and the right to
locate mineral claims had been fairly
conceded, would he make it known to
any one. Plans were perfected for
watching him, and following him to the
spot, but he would invariably elude our
pursuit. He would on some occasions
go north, and return from the south. at
other times he would start out i'm an
easterly direction, and return from a
westerly course, making ituncertain asto
the direction of his find. Finally all
further effort to trace it was abandoned.
aud we concluded to bide our time, be-
lieving that upon the ratification Of a
treaty then pending between the gov.
eminent and the Indians, that he would
unbosom himself to Us. Years passed
by, Gay. by some reason unknown to
us. was for a long time absent from the
Hills, having left here shortly after
making his gold discovery for the pur-
pose of attending the Indian council
held at Chadron creek in September.
In the month Of November following
our party was divided a part of whom
went out with Pollock when he left the
Hills, while others took French leave
and hid themselves in the mountains of
the Central Hills. Some time in the
year of 1879 Gay, who had previously
returned to the Hills, and by excuses
had become an imbecile, was brought
down from the Northern Hills for the
purpose of determining the exact loca-
ton Of this wonderful discovery, but
which failed in consequence of Gays
having no recollection whatever of past
events. The writer met him, but failed
to bring to his memory the fact of his
having ever seen us before.
Much time has been spent in trying
to find this lost bonanza, which cannot
be to exceed five miles distant from the
Gordon stockade, which unlike the lost
cabin legends of other sections, is known
by parties now in the Hills to be based
upon the most positive evidence of real
existence. We have repeatedly pros
pected The ore brought ia by Gay, and
can testify to its being exceedingly rich,
but having spent much time in trying to
determine its locality in vain, we now
all hope ofever being elevated
to fortune through the agency Of AL
Gays lost bonanza.