Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-10-13
A GOLD MINES ROMANCE
MANY DISCOVERED BY THE
MEREST ACCIDENT.
The Great Comstoek Lode Found by n
Msn who Was Pursuing Wounded
Desr-- How the PotOi Mines Were
Unearthed Caristmat Gift.

One OF the most productive mines
in California was discovered through
an accidental fall of the discovorer
He was one of hunting party that
had Como out from san Francisco
during the Christmas holidays.
While passing along the side Of
steep hill on narrow trail his horse
suddenly slipped. and. with his
rider, went down into the gulch
Happening 10 be the last in the
line, and some distance behind the
others. he was not missed for some
moments. but when his absence was
noticed the party turned hack to
look for him. fearing some untoward
accident lie was nowhere to be
seen. but the place where his
horse had slipped and fallen over
the bank, together with the traces
OF the fall, were plainly visible.
Following the tracks made by the
falling horse and man, and when
near the bottom. the men suddenly
came upon an interesting spectacle.
Just behind u clump of bushes
which the man and his stced had
crashed through on their way down
stood the horse, apparently unIn,
jured, while near by, on slab Of
rock projecting from the snow. the
man was caperiug like an Indian at
ghost dance. The first impression
Of the rescuing party was that the
man had gone suddenly crazy, but
as he caught sight OF them he I'M
stantly ceased his gyratlons and
shouted for them to approach. They
came. when he showed them several
Jumps Of almost pure gold no had
hastily knocked from the edge with
a stone for hammer, and announced
his discovery OF a gold mine. The
sliding horse had brought up against
the ledge, and the FESTIVE animal,
kicking vigorously in the efforts To
/ rise had struck of the moss from
/ the stone and disclosed the fact that
| il was a gold bearing ledge Of in.
usual richness The find was appro-
| priately named The Christmas
Gift. and a valuable gift it proved
/ TO be.
The famous Comstock was discoy-
cred by a chance as simple. says
the New York Advertiser. Accord
ing to the story told. the ground on
which the lode was afterward dis
covered was prospected by Com
stock, who located claim, but
made up his mind that 1t did not
amount to much. AMI so abandoned
it. Shortly after this an odd char.
acter named Finuey was hunting in
the neighborhood and shot u deer.
The wounded animal struggled of
and while scrambling up the side OF
hill dislodgel some loose stones
disclosing signs OF the presence OF
gold Finney washed little OF tho
earth in pan. and was astonishcd
az the result, for from the small
quantity of earth tested came $40 or
$l5 wegth Of gold.
When EiUney AMI two OF his
friends were later working tho mine
along came Comstock and demanded
to know what they were doing on
his claim. Ihoy were Obliged either
to kill him or take him into part.
ership, so they did the latter.
The famous silver mines Of rotosi
in south America were discovered
BY an Indian who was in pursuit Of
an antelope He was climbing the
steep slope Of hill and seized a
bush to help himself up The plant
gave way and revealed a ledge Of
silver.
A few months after the massacre
Of Custer and his men a party o. sol
diers were scouting after hostiles in
the Big Horn The country was ter
ribly rugged and broken, progress
was very difficult. and after proceed.
ing for some days in the midst OF the
wilderness Of peaks. the guide was
forced to admit that he had lost his
way. The captain seated himself on
lodge, while the guide lay down on
the ground near by. holding the
reirs Of the horses An earnest con
versation followed as to tho proper
course to be taken in order TO get
out Of the hills.
You may say what you please.
but / think we ought to go that
way" said the captain, and as hs
spoke he picked up BIT of stone
from the ground and tossed il in the
direction indicated Tho guido
stared, then made rush for the bit
OF stone IL was a piece Of quartz
so thickly scanned with gold as to
form a specimen of wonderful rich
ness and beauty. The two collected
few samples, hid them, and agreed
to keep the matter a secret until
they could return and take posses
sion OF the mine. few days later
the guide was killed, and the secret
remained with the captain. Time
and again after his troop had been
extricated from the mountains did
he make efforts to relocate the hill
Of geld, but every effort was doomed
to failure; 1t could never be found.
II is possible that 1t may have boon
the Lost Cabin;' OF this there Is no
certainty, but II not, it was q nino
OF such wonderful richness that
nothing like it has since been dis
covered in the Big Horn range.
The miners of New Mexico tell o
4 uneeP story which iIlustrataa forci