Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-15
MOUNTAIN MYSTERY
TIE EHRILLIHG AND PATHETIC
STORY ToED BIZ An OH DIARY.

sTORY TOLD BIZ AN OH DIARY.
Some of the Fearful Dangers and Hard
ships which Pioneers Endured, vividI
, sP~ortrayed-A Tale of Agony, sufEerin
and Death-TerribIe End of . Pros
:, pector of the Olden Days.
W~ooDvILLE, Mont. May 9.-[Edito
Miner. Here is an item which ] may a
well make public: I
ssMore than q year ago as / was paasinl
over the debris of what had evidently ono
been an old cabin my attention was at
tracted to what at FIRST sightI supposed to
be the top OF an old leather boot, but when
picked it up / found it to be an old day
book, such as q man might carry in his
pocket. l discovered 1t to be an old diary
written in 1854, n had much difficulty
in d~eciphering any part of it, owing to its
long exposure to the elements. Itcontained
no name that Icould make out, except st.
Charles, Mo.
have written to several persons In that
vicinity making inquiries and have finally
received an answer from a gentleman who
thinks he has discovered thu wife ami son
mentioned in the diary. Al their request
I have forwarded the document to him for
Identification Of the handwriting. l have
kept the matter
A EeRE thus LONG
that I might be able to find the buried
treasure, and spent q couple Of months Of
Some one must know who these parties
were, for the tradition of that hidden
treasure has lived ever since. / have often
heard it and all were united as to its
locality. The diary throws no new light
on that point. Once / thought I had found
it, for in digging down six or eight feet I
found some beautiful rock and a pick and
shovel, but ! afterwards learned they were
left there ten years ago by other parties
hunting for the treasure.
Here is all that is legible OF the diary:
DECEMBER 3, 1864.
DEAR MARY-Jerry and Tom and l came
out to this beautiful canyon day-t efore-
yesterday. The mountains raise on both
sides of US and are covered with timber,
and on the east side the timber reaches
down to the gulch, where we have built a
cabin. There is a beautiful stream of clear,
cold water right at the door. Tom killed q
couple OF birds yesterday, and I vent up
about q half a mile to the head OF the can.
yon, where there is a beautiful prairie sur
rounded by mountains, and killed an ante
lope.
DECEMBER 4, 1854.
DEAR MARY-We went up to-day to where
Jerry and Tom and the Mexican found the
silver mine and done some digging. The
rock looks fine and Jerry tried some of it,
and it is fine. 4 bear came along and wei
had q great run to get away from him.
The mime is 600 steps from the cabin in a
northeast direction on the side OF q little
sharp peaked mountain right in the woods.
The record for the next fifteen days is so
faded that I am not able to make it cut.
time having left only ali occasional mark.
December 20, he continues:
Dear Mary:-To-day we came to the con-
clusion to fill up the shaft and go back to
Virginia City. The game has all left here |
and our provision is getting low. Not
w~ithstanding cur rock is rich, worth over |
$4,000 to the ton, it is go far from any
where for the present it is worthless to us.
So tomorrow we will move back when I
viii mail this lisry to you.
DECEMBER q, 1864.
DEAh mAhIs-lU Nb ldUC ~ AiSuO l
Jerry and Tom are asleep. A great snow
storm is raging. IL commenced last night |
and this morning we find the ponies gone;
have been hunting all day through the |
snow for them but can see no tt ace OF them.
I fear we will be detained here all winter. |
May God help and protect you and our
baby Johnnie.
DECEMBER, 23rd.
DEAR MARY:-I have been put hunting |
the ponies all Of yesterday and to-day.I
got lost and had today out all night and |
it was so cold that / froze both OF my feet. l
lear they will have to be taken OFF. We
ave nothing left but a email piece OF ba-
in the way OF food and some tea. How
wish / had stayed with you and Johnle.
Again the record is blurred, and I am
not able te make it out until
DECEMBER 20. |
DEAR MARY-Jerry and Tom went out
again this morning in search OF game, but
it commenced to snow about noon, an
has been showing and blowing ever since.
and it is o midnight, and they have
not come back, SO I fear they are lost.
We have only a pound Of bacon left, and
that is all. I am so hungry I fear / will
be able to save it until they come back.
My feet are swollen, and are turning black.
[ can't walk any more. l love you, dear
W lI6, tHOuSux 1901 Il 6HdiI Joo' l
May heaven bless you and our own dear
boy.
The record is again iIlegible until
JANUARY 3, 1866.
DEAR MARY-I nave given up all hope OF
Jerry and TOMS returning. They have
low been gone six days. The snow is very
1eep, and it is intensely cold. I have moth
left to eat, and the wood and water
5he boys left is gone, and / can't get out TO
,et any more. l am writing this by the
light made from the burning OF the last
stool we have in the house. l suppose this
will be NY last night on earth. Ny feet
lon't hurt auy more, but feel a drowsi-
ness coming over me. l will put this
where, perhaps it will be found, and sent
10 you. The light is fading, and I must go
% bed to die. I think Of you always.
The firm, bold hand which had remarka-
held it's own. failed on the last few lines
ind l am unable to make it out, though it
8 not dimmed by time. One more precious
I~entence be aimed to utter and thought he
lad.
A quarter OF IL century has obliterated
trace of this rich find. The lead upon
which loca,ion was probably made is large
prospects well, but the ore chute which
,rops to the surface at the point OF their
discovery we have not yet been able to find.
has been picked up on the ground by
,arious parties which assayed as high as
100 ounces per ton. Among parties who
ave found some OF the float, are Joe
'rossman and d. D.. Budd.
| will be pleased to gain any Information
jbtainable with reference to the men OF the
Respectfully,
C. Z. KINMAN.