The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-07-27
DIED IN THE WILDERNESS.

In early days there dwelt in Jack
sonville and Yreka barber by tho
name of Nathan Hubbard, who
claimed to have been furnished with
the whereabouts of the ''lost cabin
that, in every mining section, has
lured men to spend time, money
and life in the vain pursuits of
something that only exists in the
imaginations of the survivors of
early mining days. For years after
leaving jacksonville Hubbard wac
employed as a barber in one OF the
military posts in New Mexico, all
the while cherishing dream of
wealth, to materialize when he
should discover the lost cabin, and
in the summer of 1886 he returned
to Yreka and thence to Linkyille
in company with one Charles e.
Burns, a white man of quiet de-
meanor and pleasant address, and
near the latter place the two outfit
ted with pack animals, abundancs
of bedding, provisions, mining tools,
etc., and on the 4th day of August
started down Rogue river, with the
intention of crossing the divide be-
tween South Umpqua and Rogue
river about opposite the mouth of
Union creek Fubbard's belief be-
ing that the lost cabin and treasure
were located either at the head of
the South Unlpqua or in the vicin-
ity of Diamond Lake. His hallu-
cination was evidently the out
growth of the mining excitement of
twenty years ago, which caused
such general exodus from this
valley to that section, where, by the
way, no valuable mineral deposits
have ever been found. After cross
ing Rogue river below the mouth
Of Union creek and spending sew
eral days in the vain search for the
trail leading to Diamond Lake on
the Umqua divide, the two fortu-
nate hunters returned to the Fort
Klamath wagon road and started
up Rogue river again, expressing
their determination to reach Dia-
mond Lake by the upper route.
They then had each a good saddle
animal and one or two pack ami
mails and an unusually good outfit
for camping and mining IN the
mountains. Hubbard acted in the
capacity of guide, but was evidently
not familiar with the mountain Sec
ton which he was endeavoring to
explore. After interviewing several
persons relative to the trails, fords,
ETC., they departed for Diamond
Lake and were not seen alive again.
On the 10Th Of June last one Irv-
ing found their last camp and re-
mains in a dense thicket near Dia-
mond Lake, together with an old
shotgun, rifle, pack saddles, some
cooking utensils, miners pick and
glass and other articles. The skel-
etons were wrapped in their blank
cts and clothes, and if foul play
was practiced the men must have
been Killed while asleep. A diary
on their persons showed dates up
to August 81, 1885, and, from
the fact that a silver watch, a few
cents in change, several razors and
toilet articles were found unmo-
Tested, the theory is advanced that
they died from eating poisonous
berries or roots. For the reason
that their animals were never heard
of afterwards and the further fact
that their saddles were not found
with the remainder of their camp
outfit, many are inclined to believe
that they were killed for their horses.
The theory of starvation in the
wilderness is not entertained, as
some ammunition was found with
the guns and game was abundant at
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