The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-08-04
a MINE Thai LOST lrsELr.

How q Rainatorm Destroyed h Fortuues
off Montana Prospsotor.
ibid you sver hear Of the lost alum
mineP" asked the Montana
Ioonfasssd my ignorance. /.
swell IL was this way: Captain Baker Of
Butts City and another man were ont pros
pectirg over near Bannock, when they hit
erock OF pure alum. They tasted II and
found 1t dead straight. Then they put in
their stakes and located the claim.
''They browsed around 4 bit and found
that the %outcroppin was about 20 by 81
feet, and tho vein into the earth at about
IN angle Of Is degrees. They had their
tools In tho outfit, and they sank q shaft to
cover their sssessmcnt work. After the
shaft was down 10 or 20 feet, they knocked
of.
"Well, 1t was the purticst layout you'd
ever seen. I've heerd Gap Baker tell about
1t over and over again.
''That shaft went right down straight be-
tween solid walls of alum as clear rs crys-
tai. Why, they cut out a slab of the stuff
and put u coat back OF 1t and they had u
looking glass as good as any lady would
want. Them fellows wasn't dudes, but
they spent more time lookin into that there
mirror than they ever liz In their life be-
fore, and neither one Of 'em was y beauty
at that.
well, bimeby they packs some Of the
stuff ON the cayuses and stArts back for
Butte to get windlasses. men and grub SOS
they could work their claim. ~ =
This was about April, and the rainy
season set in for two weeks, SO they had to
stay In town until it was over, AZ all the
creeks and streams was too high to ford.
But they showed that alum all around, and
one OF the druggists said that II they could
get the stuff out in good shape that they
were as good rs m~illionaires.
well, every time they showed the stuff
and saw the eyes Of the fellers open upthey
had to set 'eIn up for the boys. Them two
weeks In town cost them q stack OF blues
for drinks, you can betchcr life.
when the rain slowed up, they sneaked
out Of town early one mornin. They was
afraid some of tho boys would folly them,
and they wasn't takin no chances on any
one a-doin them up.
ut took 'em WI days to reach the place
n they got there late at night. Next morn
in they was all up at daylight and made
a break for their claim.
They couldn't find it.
1.-THE stakes wa all right, but there wa
no sign of the shaft which had been sunk
or the alum that they had left on the dump
THAT beats the deucev said Cap Baker
"'Wuss ner that said his podner, and
then the other fellers gave 'em the big laff
".How much did yer pay for that alum
yer brought ins' asst one.
"'Say, fellers. dey nus "a bin hypner
tized.' said another, but Cap Baker and hi.
podner said nauthin. They was dazedlik,
and wouldn't speak for a day. q
"At last, cap, he went off by hissclf ant
didn't loom up till night, and then the boy
saw that q change had come over him.
"Say, boys he said, we're a noutft o
internal fools, that's what we are.
"'Why didn't we come here two week
sooner, answer me that?'
"'Count of the rain,' said one.
""That's jss' it, said cap; that's jess 1t
It's the rain, don't yer see, you flabber
gasted, tenderfoot idjets, don't yer seef'
"None of 'em could see.
"'Why, that rain-listen, boys-that tw
weeks rain shrunk that blasted mine up.
''Then none Of 'em said nauthin, bu
packed up and made for home. When the,
got back, you couldn't get 'em to talk. n
But that's the story Of the lost alum
mine. New York Herald.