Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-11
4 kNS%BLosr ITSELF.

- ~ ~ 49, $1,000
"'" = = a'nsto I'm DSstros edfne Fortunes
49,. OF Montana Prospeotoi.l
Dld you ever hear of the lost aim,
m1nee'.asked the Montana man. IL
confessed n y ignorance.
neltaS was this way: Captain Baker of
outee'Slty and another man were out nros.
pecting oyertf,e ar Bannock, when. they hit
aroJk ef,Hre alumS {They tasted it; and
t .1ulFf fe dead straightt Then they mt In
onSEr STAKES AMI located the claim.
| iney browsed around bit and found
shae Inc outci oppin was. about aaibv 81
.~.iia the vein into the earth atAbout
on dnsle OF - degrees. They had their
Ooois IN tne QUILT, and they saniSarshaf to
e SpSeI 1nelr assessment work After the
| off. ~ iee'' 'hey knocked
We'll, it was the purtiest lavout von,d
ever seen. Pve heerd Cap Baker tell about
1t over and over again.
That shaft went right down straight he
tween solid wtlls'of alum as clear as crvs-
tal; why, they cut out a slab of the stuff
ana put coat back of it and they had a
looking glass as good as any lady would
want. Them fellows wasn't dudes. but
Chey spent more time lookininto that there
mirror THAN they ever did in their life be-
lore, and neither one of 'em was a beauty
at that
Mell%bimeby! they packs some of the
SUM ON The !ayuses and starts back for
butte TO get windlasses, Ren and grub SOS
they could work their claim.
This was about April and the rainy
season set in Tor two weeks, so they had to
lsstag IN to%1 until y Eas over, as all the
creeks and streams was too high to ford.
But they showed that alum all around, and
one of the dry ggists said that if they could
get the stuff out in good shape that they
We're as good rs millionaires.
iiTTWell, every time they showed che stuff
and saw the eyes of the fellers open up they
mad to set 'eln up for the boys. Them two
weeks in town cost them a stack of blues
| for drinks, you can betcher life.
| When the rain slowed up, they sneaked
| afraid some'of .the boys would folly them,
and they wasn't takin no chances on any
one a-doin them up.
1t took 'en two days to reach the place,
N they got there late at night. Next morn
in they was al up at daylight and made
| break for their claim.
J They cou dn't find it.
The stakes was all right, but there was
no sign of the shaft which had been sunk
or the alum that They had left on the dump.
= 1.sfihas. beats the deucer said Cap Baker.
FUSS ner that said bis podner, and
then the other fellers gave 'em the big laff
s. fHowlmuch did yer pay for that alum
yer brought in?' asst one.
Il Say. fellers. dey mus IA bin hypner-
4 tized,' said another, but Cap Baker and his
podhey said nauthin. They was dazedlike
/ and would speak for day.
1 AT last, cap, he went off by hisself and
didn't loom up till night, and then the boys
I Saw that change had come over him.
| - say boys he said, we're noutfit OF
internal fo6s, that's what we are.
\ %'''Why didn't we come here two weeks
| sooner, answer me that?'
| "'Count of the rain,' said one
| That's ies IT, said, cap; that's jes' it
H,si the Ia n, dpn't yer see, you Aabber
gasted, enoerfoot idjets, don't yer see?'
| None of EN- could see.
| C'tsWhy, that rainH+lsteai, boys-that two
weeks rain shrunk that blasted mine up
| Then nome of 'em said nanthin, but
| packed up and made for home. When they
| got back, you couldn't get 'em to talk
but that's the story of the lost alum
II y