Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1893-03-31
MisGellanenMs.
MYSTERY OF THE MINE.

III was not mere ordinary hole II
the ground, but paying property, a,
one can see by the ore in sight. The
natural advantages for working it are
greater than have found elsewhere, and
a comparatively small sum will put the
mine in running order. 1t is by far the
best investment which has offered so far
and yet can't help thinking there i,
something behind the owners desire tc
sell at what seems to me a ridiculously
low price 10 fact, it impressed me that
he would be glad to take any price to
get rid of the place. He pretended to
be frank with me Said that it had a
bad name that the miners believed ILL
luck went with it, and there would be
difficulty in getting men to work there
that he was handling it on speculation
and had only taken it to save bad debt.
He had never been down the shaft him
self, but urged me to investigate, seem
ingly assured that the place would 20
on its own merits and if hadn't felt
in honor bound to wait for your decision,
| should have closed the bargain before
this. Here is sample of the ore which
brought out with me to-day"
"Great Scott, man ! That is from the
old Neversink mine"
"Certainly. 1t is the Neversink that
| am negotiating for. What do you
know about it,"
Every little more than Caldwell. has
told you So he owns it now. 1t was
Ben Slopes when | was here last. I've
known half dozen men who had their
turn at it. They all went wrong, one
way or another, but | don't know that |
blame the mine exactly. Miners, as a
class, are superstitious, you know and
after Jerry Gear died of deliriunf tre-
mems, and Luke Holden turned road
agent and was swung for it, and Smith
James broke his neck by fall down
the dump, and Matt Steen was run
over by car in the tunnel, and Larry
Tod was killed by fall in a fit and was
drowned 10 the ditch before any one
found him, it's not much wonder that
the Neversink got bad name, is it 2
And if the men did vow they saw ghosts
and heard warnings down there, it is not
to be wondered at very much They
really believed that no one could work
there long without some disaster over
taking him, but they all had one story
for the mine itself-it was easily worked,
and gave a fair yield with bigger prom
isc for the future. II that holds out on
examination now, think we'll risk the
luck, and take hold Of the Neversink +"
Two hardheaded and unimaginative
men, these partners, who had made some
money out Of placer mining, and were
now looking about them for profitable
investment.
"But have curiosity enough to find
out what became of Ben Stope," said
Allen, putting on bis bat and sauntering
out to nterrogate the FIRST Old acquaint.
ance be might 6ud.
The corners Of his mouth were drawn
down when he returned.
ats queer, to say the least Sandy
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