Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-08-11
ROMAICES OF LOST MINES
Stories of Unfortunate Prospectors in
the Rocky Mountains.

Cheyenne letter in the New York
Tribune: For many months past re-
ports have been received here regarding
a strange discovery in an abandoned
mine several miles from Newcastle, on
the banks of a creek. More than TWEEN
ty years ago the first lurid tales of what
is termed the Lost Cabin mine COM
menced to attract the attention of
prospectorS.
| Its exact place was unknown and as
years passed the story of it sank into
oblivion until les December, when
several Miners, While grubstaking along
| Castle creek, came upon a rusty tab
! Let. On close inspection it was found
to contain an inscription which read:
can never get out alive. This hill is
rich Below we have walled I'D our
minerals. Oh, Lord, hope somebody
lind this; s of u.s." Signed Fritz
Duke, Germ.
! 1t was clearly evident that the words
had been cut into the sandstone with
some sharp implement. The name
signed was recognized as that of a
former resident. At the time of the
Newcastle mining excitement in the
COS a party of prOSpectors are said
to have discovered rich mine
On frequent occasions they came to
town with valuable specimens, but
never revealed the location of their
property. Some months later the pro
longed absence Of the prospecto1S be
came gossip and a fruitless search was
made
The matter was then almost forgot
ten until about five years later. when
Il communication was received from
the German minister at Washington
requesting the governor Of Wyoming
to ascertain, if possible the where
abouts Of party of Germans who had
come west and written home frequent
ly for several weeks, when suddenly
all correspondence ceased. An investi-
CATION was again made with no result
The finding of the tablet last Deem
Der gave renewed hope, and a vigorous
seal ch has resulted in the unearthing
of an abandoned mine In one Of the
deep receSSeS Of a shaft the bones of
four men were discovered, and the
mystery OF Lost Cabin mine I'M
fathomed. Another mine Of the same
cinity Of Lead City.
It is said that the discovery looks
like mine that crazy Hebrew 10
Gated about that time. The man, who
was mysterious character, lived
alone in what is known as Dead Mans
Cabin, on Castle Creek, in 1877. He
packed his grub stake from Lead City
on his back, and wended his lonely
way to Dead Mans Cabin, where no
other human being was ever known
to visit.
He went in the winter in the early
part of 1877, and was not seen during
the long and stormy season that fol-
lowed. Nobody at Rockford thought
anything about his absence, as he
never put in an appearance unless he
was on his way to Lead City. He
made a conndant of a man there who
told him he had rich mine but was
afraid to let any one know, lest he
might be killed and his property stolen.
The man did not turn up n the
spring, and a party proceeded to his
cabin to ascertain what had become of
him. He was found in his cabin all
alone, cold, stiff and dead. He was
buried in the prospect hole that he dug
50 silently and lonely, and the body
covered up with the dirt his own hands
had dug out.
These are but two instances of many
similar experiences which have befallen
unfortunate prospectors throughout
the Rocky mountains. Scarcely a week
passes where in some portion Of Colo
rado Utah, New Mexico or Wyoming
a report is not received Of the locating
Of an abandoned claim and the I'M
earthing Of bones. How these men
met death can only be slrmised, but
in more than one instance it has been
due to the greed Of others.