Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-05-16
ooLp-MlNE ADVENTURE.
Three Men WHO Nearly Discovered tn
Pine Creek Mines In 1899.

Three Men wi.o Nearly Discovered the
Pine Creek Mines In 1899.
The Umatella Indians during one OF
their annual hunting and fishing pill
grimagcs in the Eagle mountains
brought several ounces of gold to
trader at Walla Walla, which indicated
that 1t had been extracted from quartz
by the crudest and most imperfect
means. This trader and two compan-
ions became wild with envy as each re-
turning party of Indians displayed
quantities OF tho same character of gold,
and determining upon finding the local
ity of their treasure secret audience
with one Of the chiefs was arranged.
BY means of liberal offers of fire wa
ter" the chief was finally persuaded to
divulge the secret, and lead the three
traders to the place from whence his
long and handsomely-beaded purse had
so often been replenished. When every
thing was in readiness for the start one
of the prospectors was taken suddenly
i'll, and, as the expedition could not
well be delayed at that time, two
adventurers, with the chief and two
braves, pushed through the Blue mount
aims, and camped at the mouth of the
Big Minnuc river, to await the coming
of the prospector left behind. This was
in June, 1862, and, as the two whites and
three Indians were known to have been
in camp together, aparty of cavalry was
detached from command then sta
toned in Grande Round valley to in
spect the camp OF these Indians, as it
was feared that the prospectors had been
inveigled into the mountains and MUIR
dered by the savages Riding into the
camp, the soldiers inquired for the white
men but meeting with no satisfactory an
swer to their interrogatorles, they
killed the three innocent Indi-
ans within hearing OF the mon
whose supposed death they had SO cruel
ly avenged; after rihing the camp they
returned to their command, where they
were applauded as heroes as the tro.
phies OF their victory were displayed.
Enough had been learned of the gen.
oral direction of the locality of the
treasures to enable the prospectors to
push on toward the towering mountain
peaks of the Eagle range; and, as itwa
not deemed prudent for them to remain
longer in the neighborhood where their
companions had been murdered, they
accordingly pressed forward into the
very heart OF the mountains, where,
twenty years later, the Northwest was
startled by tho discovery of quartz
fabulously rich in gold. Tho gold-bear-
ing region was within few miles OF
whore our weary prospectors gave up tho
search.
The streams OF these mountains were
alive with brook trout; and in the
mountains deer, elk, and mountain
sheep were to bo found on every hand;
while bear and panther often made
themselves far too familiar with camp
life. For many weeks the party wan
dered among the almost impenetrable
forests of this mountainous country
Placer prospects were found in many
places, but like Ponce dc Leon, they
sought fountain which they never
found At last, however, they espied
the beautiful Wallowa Valley, then tho
home of Chief Joseph and his braves,
and Immediately repaired to the bank
OF the lake, where they pitched their
tents, resolved to rest their
weary horses as we'll as them
selves before pursuing their journey.
The Indians, however, were not dis
posed to give them peaceful possession
OF their territory, and ordered them to
move on. This they did reluctantly,
but without ceremony, leaving Chief
Joseph and his band in peaceful possess
sion OF lake and valley. Going down
the Wallowa river, they found their
way into Grande Round valley whore
they heard for the first time the news OF
discovery OF gold In Boise basin, whittier
they arrived late In the fall.
There is little doubt that the gold for
which this thorough, but unsuccessful,
search was made in 1862 was found in
1884 with the discovery Of the Pine
Creek mines. Tho "Red Jacket and /
other locations there show unmis-
taxable signs OF having been
worked by tho primitive methods
used by tho Indians Pestles
OF flint aud concave granite powders
used as hand mortars have been found
near these lodges; while corroded iron
bars, used, no doubt, as picks and lev
crs, have been unearthed- There is
tradition even now among the few sur
viving red men who annually visit tho
mines OF Cornucopia that the Great
Spirit was very much displeased at the