The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-11-26
PETRIFIED IN A MINE.
TERRIBLE FATE ORA MICHIGAN
MAN.
The story Of n Singular Disappearance
m the Mountains OF Colorado
Found In the shan which
He Had sunk.

finding OF the petrified remains OF
Wild Bilw rovives recollection OF
strange case that Is said to have oc-
CURED In the Leadville mining regions
about dozen years ago.
About 1873 tenderfoot from Mich
igan. named Martin Jackson appeared
around the mining camps In California
Gulch. In the vicinity OF Leadville.
He formed the acquaintance OF IN OLD
miner named John O'Madigan. to
whom he stated that he had come
West leaving his family In comfortable
circumstances for the purpose OF
making fortune In mining. Some
new discoveries had just been made
near Weston Pass. O'Madigan do.
sired 10 find out something more def
mite about that section. and recon-
mended Jackson to 60 there and DO.
gin operations reporting to him after
he had located claim and sunk
shaft
jackson bought complete outfit
aud left for Weston Pass. Time wore
on. and rs O'Madigan heard nothing
from him. and no one from that
vicinity appeared to have seen Jack
son. he concluded that the tender.
foot had grown tired OF his venture
and gone back to Michigan. Lead
Vile soon after came upon the scene.
and in the whirl OF exciting events
that followed tho discovery OF carbon
OMadigan forgot Jackson and his
mission to the pass
II t,yN stv
landed in Leadville. They found
O'Madigan. who was then prosperous
miuo owner and presented u letter
from Mrs jackson. in which she
stated that about month after her
husband arrived in California Clutch
she received long letter from him.
In it after mentioning OMadigan as
one to whom he was indebted for a
great favor he detailed the par
ticulars OF his interview with him.
and the advice regarding the
prospects ut Weston Pass jackson
had followed his friends advice. and
commenced to prospect at the head
OF gulch few miles east OF the
pass. At depth OF forty feet he
struck large deposit Of mineral. but
after sinking his shaft through FIVE
feet of 1t. he encountered lime and
water. and stopped work. He
accordingly started on his return trip.
accompanied by miner whom he
had employed as helper. The
latter took sick. fingered a few days
at q camp and died OF pneumonia
The letter was written about the
time that death overlook Jacksons
companion. and he added that he
would return to the mine tho next
day, for some articles which his
conEade had requested him to send
to j brother In the state.
Mrs. Jackson's letter stated that
this was the only communication she
had, received from her husband. It
gave OMadigan's address. a descrip-
ton OF tho route and the location OF
the claim. The letter. however was
mislaid' and for five years she could
find no trace OF it ALI this time the
dread uncertainty OF her husbands
fate and her inability to communicate
with o Madigan kept her in the deepest
suspense. The letter closed with the
statement that the two men. one OF
whom was named Mardon friends OF
the family would proceed TO Colorado
to investigate tho circumstances sur.
rounding her husbands fate. She
implored OF VMadigan to help them.
although she dared not hope that her
husband was still living.
OMadigan could not accompany
the two Michigan mon. but he pro.
cured reliable guide for them. and
they started over Jackson's route to
find the claim. In the course OF Sow
eral weeks they returned. They
stated that after considerable diff
Guilty they succeeded in finding the
location--a tumble-do shanty that
had been erected over shaft the
floor covered with the remnants OF
old bedding and rusty cooking uten-
sils. The windlass at the shaft had
fallen down. The scene presented
evidences of deserted claim; such
are not uncommon in the mountains
OF Colorado There was no trace OF
jackson.
1t was next decided to go down the
shaft and take look at the mineral.
A new windlass was erected. rope
attached. and Mardon, an old Lake
Superior miner. was lowered In q
bucket He had provided himself
with lamp and pick. When near
the bottom he signaled the men above
to stop as he had touched water. The
sides OF the shaft had been umbered
down to the line where the mineral
began--five feet OF solid. hard car
Donate. and looking very rich. Mar
don lowered his pick In the water ani
struck what he supposed to be thu
bottom at IL depth OF only two feet.
He put his leg over the side OF, the
bucket and stepped out hut found
that his feet rested on an uneven sur
face. In feeling around he slippee
and fell. His hands came In contac
with what seemed to DO curiously
shaped stone formation. and upor
closer examination proved to be the
petrified remains o! human being.
II was hoisted to the surface with
the assistance OF number OF miners
from a neighboring camp The for
nation was covered with scaly flake.
| OF lime, but OF course there was M
| llc~oo vonLroav 49,