The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-06-25
bOPED INN IN,
How the Boys Sailed Nine and Took
vs. ina Montana Tend rfoot.

at once forward me cheek for $25, 900.
1t will be we'll to send certified check,
and if he wants to add the interest on
$4,000 for thirty years, I shall take it az
astilIfurther cvidenceof his ayf1overish
integrity. The interest ought to be fg.
ured at 10 per cent, but viii! accept 8
and send him receipt in full. If Mr..
White is dead and his widow wants me to
keep his memory green in my heart, she
can do as I hope lie would If alive.
It was thirty years ago last month that
/ first shook hands with Mr.. White. 1t
was in Virginia City, Mont. he was in
shattered health. am quite sure it was
shattered, because he had to dilute Mon
tana whisky $50 per cent before he swal-
lowed it, and even then he feared case of
lockiaw. He had left Boston on the ad
vice of doctor, aud he had fetched up in
Virginia City to see if be couldn't cough
up penny he had accidentally swallowed
while gazing at the top of Bunker Hill
monument. If man had anything in
him Virginia City would bring it out in
the halcyon days, and it was very proper
for him to expect relief.
l don't remember which of the four of
us who were equal owners in the great
Golconda silver mine first discovered Mr..
White and ascertained that he was ten
derfoot of the most pronounced type. We
never quarreled over the honor attached
to the discovery. The Golconda had
busted us. We put in 81 for every 81
taken out. We wanted to go home and
work on farm for $13 per month
and found. We wanted to do anything
except hang on to that claim. We were
hanging on to get an offer of $50 or
less when Mr.. White appeared on the
scene. It seemed like the hand of Provi
dence.. He began to talk of mining mat
tiers and we began to bless the Mayflower
for bringing his great grandfather across
the sea, and also to put up job on him.
At the end of week he coughed up the
cent, and then his interest in mines rapid
" increased. So did our interest in him.
He confessed his entire ignorance about
mines, but was willing to trust to our
integrity. We were perfectly willing to
sell to him on that basis. We had lots of
intergritv, but not over SIS cash capital
IN tho oopomOn fund
We had a hole in the ground about
twelve feet deep. l know it was about
twelve feet, for my back still aches as l
think of the last day handled the pick
axe down there. Mr.. White went out to
view our holeinathe ground. He seemed
pleased. We lowered him down and he
came up smiling. We thought he smiled
because the old rope and windass didn't
give way and let him drop back. We
had decided to let Mr.. White have that
hole in the ground for $500 in cash, and
throw in two hOrseshoes nailed On the
water barrel for luck, but he was so green
and soft and tender that we concluded to
double the figure. We hadn't put it at
him, however, when he paralyzed us with
an cffer of $4,000 for the Golconda.
None of the four of us breathed for the
next half hour. When we finally got
away by ourselves we acted like lunatics.
The day we made out the papers and
got our money was the longest day lever
saw or expect to see in this vain and
deceitful world. We were shaking with
fear that Mr.. White would back out, or
that it would occur to him to get the SER
vices of an expert, and when the money,
which he had no difficulty in getting at
the bank, was handed over, we could
hardly realize that we were awake and
had scooped in victim. Each one of US
skipped the country within twenty
hours. We felt sorry for Mr.. White, of
course, but it was Montana sorry. There
was even talk of chipping in $50 apiece
to get him back home in good shape, but
no one Clipped. I believe we finally
agreed that the walk would do him good
For the first 200 miles we expected to be
overhauled by Mr.. White and sheriff
but if they pursued us it was by another
route. Perhaps they didn't pursue.
Six months later met Mr.. White in
Chicago. tried to dodge him, but he
was too quick for me. 1 was about to
offer to restore the balance of his money
l had on hand, when he Rugged me in q
brethcrly manner and invited me to &C
company him to a jewelry store and accept
present of 81 900 diamond pin. Sus.
pecting his sanity. broke away and ran
TOR my life, and it was week later be-
fore heard dull thud. Then l read
in the papers that Mr.. White, the soft and
gentle tenderfoot from Boston, had solo
his Golconda mine for $220, 900 spot cash
and that in four weeks the new owners
had taken out almost half that sum of ore
l beg Mr.. Whites pardon for not bring
ing up this matter before, but the fact i!
that l haven't yet fully recovered from thu
shock. believe him to be honest ani
conscientious. don't think he's the mar
to take advantage of another mans mis-
fortunes, We were forced to sell ths
Golconda of course. We knew Mr.. Whit
was getting q good thing. but It turned