Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-27
HIDDEN TREASURES.
A Story of the Existence of Fabulous
Wealth in Abandoned Missouri Mines.

A Story of the Existence OF Fabulous
Wealth in Abandoned Missouri Mines.
Stories of "lost mines" containing un-
told wealth have been current in south
western Missouri for some time. A cor
respondant OF the st. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat at Dexter, Mo-, writes: That
such mines ever existed until the pres
ent time was only surmise, and all re-
ports in regard to them are founded
principally on legendary tales that have
gained circulation. At several differ
ent times discoveries have been made
that it was thought would result in locat-
ing these once known treasure vaults of
nature, but their whereabouts have re-
mained unrevealed to the many anxious
seekers who have gone in search of
them. ia
The fact that they do exist and that
they were once worked by Indians is
now probably established beyond the
shadow of reasonable doubt, for it is
known to at least one person, yet resi-
dent of this section, that there are such
mines.
The story told by this man is about as
follows:
When quite young boy he was stolen
and carried away from home by the In
dians and lived among them until the
beginning of the war, when he was al
lowed to return among the whites, his
tribe in the meantime having partially
civilized. During his sojourn among
the Indians, who were located some dis
tance west OF here, he made several
trips west, then to the mines, and they
always carried back loads of silver ore,
which was melted and traded to
| the whites. The value OF
hn <>c
| keeping their location secret was a fire.
qnent subject of conversation among the
| chiefs OF the tribe. He says he knows
| the very spot where the sunken barge
and its precious load lies covered by q
| sandbar not more than two feet in
! depth, and that it is not in Current
| river, as many suppose. He says that
| the battle between the Indians and the
| Spaniards who were trying to get away
with the barge Of ore was fought near
what is now known as Battle Shell or
! Butter Shell lake, in Wayne county.
| No intimation as to the whereabouts of
the mines could be drawn from him,
further than that they were not far dis
tant and that he had been to them, or
one of them, within n week, and pro.
duced from his pocket big-sized lump
OF ore, which from all appearances was
silver.
He says he makes several trips year
to his mine, and each time brings away
what ore he can easily carry, and the
fact that he is frequently away from
home for several days at time, his own
family not knowing whittier he goes, is
some evidence that he is away, to say
the least, on mysterious business. He
positively refuses to make a cOntidant OF
any one, and says that Notwithstanding
that his life has been threatened and
force used to make him divulge, he il
yet alone in the possession Of it until
such time as he can use it to his great
est advantage. He learned enough OF
the ways of the Indians while among
them to successfully cover up his trail
when he goes on his trips to the mine.
This story of "Pottawatamie" as he
has been nicknamed because of his sus-
picious and sly Indian nature, cannot
Of course, be vouched for as all solemn
facts, but that silver does exist in thit
section is we'll known, and that the In
dians did at one time work silver mines
in southeast Missouri, there is almos,
positive proof from other sources. These
facts. together with the fact which il
we'll established, that this man did once
live with the Indians, leads many to
believe that his story is not entirely
| withou some foundation.