Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-08-23
BOB JENNINGS CABIN.
Mine in Montana which Burkea the un.
wary Traveller.
Dotroif P,ree ,sr.s.

MELENA, Nj, T.--Rlding horseback
across the main divide Of the Rockies, In
that wonderful expanse Of mountains
called Montana, came at sunset in sight
OF fiume that ran for miles along the
spurs bordering barren valley.
10 the south lay an alkali plain, dotted f,
mere and there with punches OF coarse
seoge, and heaped with gravel All
around the hills lay piled, with here and /
there an Isolated butte, Independent OF
any range and aloping on every side from
It's bare, rocky peak 10 the hollows which |
hemmed II in. A swampy creek strug. |
gled along the valley. The Bob
Jennings ledge, with the ore from which |
| was TO try my new process OF amalga- /.
nation, and the cabin to which i had
been directed for shelter, could not be
FAR away. Tho miners OF Prickly Pear
canyon had been none too friendly, but
there had been a cordial unanimity In
their recommendation that | pass my
second night out on that journey to the
abroad In "Bob jennings cabin.n
was TO know when TO look for II by the
great fiume. When saw this apparently
intending box OF moss-covered planking
my heart leaped for Joy, In spite Of the
isolation OF Its surroundings. Ii must
have cost $4,000 or $50, 900, and helped
wash out hundredg Of thousands OF dol
lars worth of gold dust, for II had been
built when every stick of timber had to
be hauled on wagons for days and days
along the famous Gilmer & Salisbury
stage route from Utah into the mountains
The whole scene spoke of the romance
OF the placer diggings. There were signs
on every side that great camp had been
scattered along that alkali plain. Every
foot OF the bluff along the creek, ''from
rim-rock to rlm-rock," as the placer
miners say, showed marks OF occupation.
was tired enough to have slept on the
ground, and looked anxiously for the big
bowlder with the wooden cross on II,
which was to be my last landmark for the
cabin. 1t marked, had been told, the
spot where worn, starving youth was
found dead of overwork and lack OF food,
with his pick In his cold hand and his pan
full OF worthless gravel.
Not six inches below the point Of his
pick had lain nugget worth thousands.
AT last | rode YEARLY into the shadow
OF the hills. Almost under the fume,
where 1t rested In bed OF salt rock, was
the ruined cabin. A great slice OF the
mountain had slid over and carried away
/, thO ApOAf ahQ uul ICY uTOpc
| from the torrents, gurgling In the wooden
walls above, trickled over the mass OF
: fallen rock and along one corner OF the
rotten flooring. AT this spot the hills re.
|, treated little from the valley, and lux.
. urlant vines and rank grass covered the
:. rocks on. either side, and grew up to tn,
! edge Of the open door Inside lay
rusty frying-pan and the ruins of a bunl
which had been fastened TO the log wall
The boulder was nowhere to be seen, bu
: was content, This must be my caravan
= sary.
Night came on quickly. Soon after tn
y !. sun set, even while Its fading yellow re
=. Election fingered on the snowy crests {
> the main range, chilly darkness covere
u the plains below. Above, the big star
= sparkled with white spendor peculis
= to the northern mountains. / pickete
= my horse to the door-post, allowing hi
= wide range over the heritage, and bles
:, ing my good luck for the bit OF remainin
y roof, wrapped myself in blankets an
y went to sleep in corner.
- In an hour or two l awoke | cou
T. hear the drip of the water from the fun
D. and the melancholy rustling of the gre
pines on top the ridge in the freeziI
ie wind which swept along the heights.
~ horror OF silence seized me, and Il
u champing of my horse In the grass WI
y on inexpressible relief to my ear. II
y agined the cabin, half roohess as
u was, smeit musty, and / carried N
u blankets into the open air and lay out u
~ der the stars. Then | fell into slee
y yexed by strange dreams and trouble
~ with terror of slippery heights ar
y treacherous lodges.
~ AT last the sunshine wakened me. b
~ fore another night, thank heaven, wou
be safe out of the wilds. Hastily pickir
~ out a number OF specimens Of the ore,
VI put them in my kDapsack and prepared
~ get away. was splitting pieces of VIII
Nc was left OF the door TO kindle my brea
u, fast fire, when weather-beaten fello'
% in the coarse, half-glazed canvas peculi
OF TO miners, rode around the edge of h
gu hill on broncho His pick and pa
swung behind him, were muddy with l
~ cent usage. He was evidently more
home there than l.
er He looked at me with interest, and tn
II looked at the cabin. followed
ne glance, and could hardly recognize I
Gu corner where had first lain down. t
ee debris OF the disin,egrated ledge, viii
had already wrecked the building, h
70 slid further during the night and crush
~ Ia the remaining rafters.
,k- He seemed amused. al never slept
nc there but once,n he said. "That "
"a, enough And | was almost as much 81
az prised the next morning as you a
,n' That was Bob jennings cabin; he "
'a- the first man that ever prospected he
Ioi abouts for quartz"
IA Invited the stranger down from
broncho, and he fell TO quite readily
Il nv bacon and bread. There is not mu
ceremony in desert.
ro- "Jennings was the only man in
is camp" my guest went on, "who was
,od crazy to pan out gold dust from gray
wn He stuck 1t out that there must be 10
vas where so much dust had washed doV
ing So he only PANIED out enough to kt
Inc body and soul together, and went
ery digging prospect holes In the hillside,
Ing THe picked out this as the likeli
sin spot, and built his cabin, the first Z
his side of Virginia City. And he plcl
1ok away at the rocks until every bless
4 placer miner had left the diggings l
asst il wasn't any use. He's buried pnc
yer the pile OF rocks there, in the corner
he his own cabin"
.e,s thought began TO understand v
~. tad