Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-16
INA HoLEIN THE GRoUND.
story of a Gold Hunter In the Belt Mouns
tains of Montana.

Every resident of Montana and many
visitors to the famous territory know
that the Belt mountains have always
been the seat of mysterious stories, and
that in their numerous gulches and
cAnons have been picked up wonderful
relics. Among the most curious are
ag@.ized human maxillaries and teeth,
all OF gigantic size. Gold in quantities
has been found in the Belt mountains,
and rubies, sapphires, and even dia-
mouds are shown as products of one or
tIy other portion Of the territory. The
Helena correspondent of the st. Paul
"Pioneer-Prlss" sends a remarkable
story, accompanied by hume ,ls attes
tatioas to its truth l. VIZ told by a
Il hunter. tie sid tina, hile pros
necting in the Belt mountains he found
a peculiar depression In he ground.
After oEcavating he discovered a mystic
rious cavern, reached by twenty-three
steps.
cat the foot of the stairs" said he,
''on one side of the passage lay the skol-
eton of man OF immense stature. Tho
skeleton measured exactly nine feet six
inches in height The skull lay q few
inches from the trunk, and between the
Two lay tW"niJ-5eVen nuggets. They
We're strung on tne gold wire, and
ranged from one ounce to ten in weight.
Around the thigh, arm, and shin bones
were other strings OF nuggets, none Of
which weighed more than four ounces.
shere were about fifteen pieces of gold
in the pile. They were of any liicrent
shapes. None OF them weighed over
three ounces, and each piece had a hole
through the center. on each side Of the
skull 1 found some sort Of precious
stones. They lay in a tiny golden basket,
and were evidently worn in the ears.
Beside the trunk Of the skeleton
found copper aX, with an edge harder
and keener than any steel instrument OF
the kind have ever seen. On the opposite
side was a club made of the same metal
as the AK. 1t was shaped not unlike q
base ball bat. Under the trunk was O
gold plate ten inches long, six inches
wide, and one-eighth of an inch thick. 1t
was covered with strange deyces. A lit
tie further on lay another skeleton, that
of a woman. l picked mp a string of
nuggets near this skull also. They were
perfectly round and exactly the same
size. They weighed about three ounces
apiece. Every now and then [ came to
other skeletons. and, although by nearly
every one of them 1 found necklaces, yet
strange to say they were made of round
copper balls.
The catacombs, as have named this
passage, are about 300 feet long, four
teen feet wide, and thirty high and seem
to have been cut out OF the solid rock.
AT the end of the gallery is a room sixty
feet square and forty high In the cen
ter of this room stands block of granite
about twelve feet square and four feet
high. 1t seems as though the rock had
been hewn out around it, 1t is perfectly
square, and it is exactly the same dis
lance from the walls of the room on
every side. There are steps cut in the
rock leading to the top OF the hall On
the top stands another block Of granite,
ten feet long, four w lie, and three high.
This is followed OUT in the shape of
human form. Around the room were
scattered vessels Of clay, some of which
will hold twenty-five gallons. They are
light, yet tougher than wrought iron.
tried to break one of them 10y dashing it
against the granite flooring of the room.
could not even scratch it. Altogether
gathered up 500 ounces of gold in the
underground passage"