Wichita eagle., 1890-03-11
OLD DAMS HUGE STORY.
he EVIDENTLY BELIEVED IN TELL
ING A GOOD ONE WHILE AT 1T.
His Experience in q Binding Snow Storm.
Abandoning a Dead Comrade, Horses
and Wealth, and Never Returning Even
for the Dust Left Behind.

and Wealth, and Never Returning Ever
for the Dust Left Behind.
"Old Dan" was an eccentric character. NJ
one knew his true name. He would not di
vulge 1t to even his most intimate friends. Hi
signature to whatever it chanced TO be-note
bond, deed or letter-was invariably ''Ole
Dan." Under that name he served one veal
as mining recorder of Red Cedar Mining dis
trict, and there are today filed within the
archives Of the secretary OF the interior al
Washington city abstracts and certificate:
bearing the signature '*Old Dan" He wa:
once candidate for justice of the peace, but
young and rising lawyer defeated him on
| the ground that ''Oid Dan" was not his true
| name and therefore all his judicial acts would
| be void
! l first met him early in the seventies il
Utah, at a lonely spring widely separated by
| miles OF desert from any other habitation
where he was engaged in herding few head
of gentle cows. He Indignantly repelled the
| appellation of cowboy and claimed, like
Gurth, to be only a common ''cowherd, - not
to Cedric, the Saxon, but to Mormon
bishop. | was in the mountains prospecting,
my outfit consisting of two mules, one packed
with grub, blankets and tools, and the other
/ rode. One hot afternoon in June l ap-
preached the spring where found "Oid DAM
reclining in the shade of his cabin | asked
OF him the privilege of watering my 'carivan"
from the spring and resting while in tine
shade before crossing to the opposite range
This was readily granted, and when l pre-
sented him with long plug of soft smoking
tobacco our friendship was cemented and ''Oli
Dan" became very communicative.
CLEANED UP $40 POUNDS.
In the course of our conversation asked
him if he had ever engaged in mining. Eyes" +"
he replied, 'once, in Coutani. Myself and
partner, Joe went into that camp when it was
first discovered We ewere very lucky, and in
less than five weeks we dug out $40 pounds of
good, clean gold dust; but it did us no good
We could have taken out great deal more,
but winter was approaching, and as there
was no grub in the camp we had to get out.
So we put our gold dust into good, strong
twenty pound sacks, and loading it on three
cayuse horses, and having one each to ride,
we struck out for Wallula.
''The second day cut fearful snow storm
struck us. The wind blew at the rate of 1000
miles minute and the snowflakes were as
big as a bed spread. Soon all trace of the
trail was obliterated, and we realized that we
were lost and wandered aimlessly in the blind
ing storm. Joe's feet and limbs began to
freeze, the horse on which we had the heavi-
est load of gold dust stepped between two fall
en- logs and broke a leg aud we made camp,
shot the horse to relieve him of his suffering.
and attempted to build fire. But it was no
use. 1t was impossible to start fire in that
whirling, twisting, driving snow, for nothing
would burn. All that afternoon and night
we huddled around the dead horse in the vain
endeavor to keep warm with the scanty blan-
kets we had. The next morning the storm
broke away to some extent, but Joe's feet and
legs were frozen as stiff and solid as icicles.
l would have given half of our gold dust to
have been in a place of safety. However, as
there was no use to lament, we had to make
the best of it and try and get out if we could
got the horses together and packed them the
best | could. | tied poor frozen Joe on to his
saddle horse bymeans of strips or bands torn
from our blankets. One hundred pounds of
gold dust we had to leave, as our horses could
not pack it through the deep snow. All day
long we struggled and toiled in the binding
storm and drifting snow. As night approached
the storm became more furious and violent
than ever. l was in advance of the train;
Joe was bringing up the rear.
JOE'S AWFUL FATE
81 called halt in order to consult Joe
what was best to do, and what do you think
discovered? Why, Joe was deadl As dead,
cold and stiff as a crowbar. A mass of solid
frozen flesh and bones, frozen so hard and
stiff that he still maintained the upright posi-
ton on his horse in which l had placed and
tied him in the morning. ! lost no time in
cutting Joe loose from his saddle, and laid his
icy form by the roots of tree. The snow by
this time was coming down thicker and faster
than ever. Our horses punched themselves all
up together and in less than an hour were
buried in the snow, and l would
have shared the same fate had not tramped
the snow down and kept on top All night
long | kept up this constant tramp, tramp. |
tell you, it was worse than tramping through
Georgia. The next morning it cleared up,
but the snow was forty feet deep. l realized
that it would be impossible to get my horses
out of that sea of snow, and would be in big
luck if got myself out. So dug down to
where the horses were buried and succeeded
in cutting open one of the sacks of gold dust
and took out a few handfuls and put it in my
shot pouch. also got small piece of bacon
ind my way out After two weeks of in
cessant toll and struggles l reached a small
settlement more dead than alive The people
were good TO me, and soon recovered strength
10 travel, and made my way down
10 the seacoast where | took a sailing vessel
Tor Frisco, and from there came to Utah,
where you now see me-"
"Old Dan, having reflled his pipe. began |
T..
mine be replied:
mo; | Lever went back to find our gold |
lust or 10 see whether poor Joe had thawed |
put or not / suppose it is all there yet, and !
some one will find it one of these days No, / !
have not mined any since left CouJani."
Have you ever prospected any for silver |
pre- in these mountains / again asked.
Yes; once Two years ago went down |
INTO Death Valley 10 find the Breyfogle mine" |
Did you find its'
Eyes. / found il, and big thing it is /
Why, sir, it crops out as high as this house |
md is over three hundred feet wide. You can |
trace these high groupings for a mile right I
along through the level desert; and rich you !
never saw anything like 1t. The Whole ledge /
5 one solid mass of horn silver, into which |
you can stick your knife as easy as you could /
nto bar Of soft lead.
Did you locate itr' mildly inquired
''No, sir: I did not locate it. | was not |
lunting for silver miaes just at that time: IL
vas water | wanted. | had been without 4
water for eight DAYS. and my tongue was pro-
.ruding from NV mouth two feet or more.
10. Young man. gold viii not bring warmth
md food in snow storm, nor VIII sliver
BRING water in desert. No more mining or
prospecting for me San Francisco Cali.
Ipla,,j has bseasa f.---.5. ..ri,t