Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-05-05


others, he went to the coast, expecting
TO pick up a great fortune In u few
days and return home to astonish and
dazzle his old nelghbors lie prospect
ed unsuccessfully in half dozen states
and territories. and In 1868 found him
to raise little money. he and two
other yenturesome spirits, Jones and
Cox by name, bought a new prospect
ing OUTFIT. consisting of ak horses and
months provisions, aud the party
set out over the Mullen trail for the
eastern slope of the Rockies. After
many hardships the party reached the
YELLOWSTONE, constructed a big raft
and fioated down to the Big Horn river.
where they made camp In the widest
and most hostile portion OF the United
States. The geography OF the country
was little known TO them. and they
did all their travelling by might 10 avoid
the Indians, so that when they finally
did make n camp they had but a vague
idea OF where they really We're. The
range OF mountains which doomed up be-
fore their eyes were nameless to the
hardy prospectors. but they boldly set
at work In a gulch, prospecting and
planning as they went UP, and finally
In denle in the heart OF the mountains
they came to streak OF pay-ulrt so
wonderfully rich that II exceeded any
thing any OF them had ever seen or
Oh 1ntN pun AtMh "a EHhAN "
bed rock only seven feet below and
found gold from the grass roots down,
panninE out from s cents TO dollar
each trial They decided TO stay all
winter. put up rough sluice boxes
across the little creek and slulced from
morning until night while the warm
weather lasted. The average Yield was
$500 a day until snow flew and cold
weather settled down. Then the creek
froze M and the prospectors turned
their attention TO building a log cabin,
which they surrounded with stockade
In which were kept the horses, the hay
cut for them and the game shot for
the winter. In the following spring
the men were early at work. taking out
as much gold as ever one day while
Hurlburt was cooking In the cabin, n
small party OF Indians stealthily APP
preached the mine and killed and scalp
ed Cox and Jones. Catching up KNAPP
sack fun OF gold. Hurlburt ran into
the woods and made his escape, with
out looking around or pausing 10 notice
n landmark. The Indians looted the
cabin. drove OF the stock and lett In
the direction from which the prospec-
tors had come the year before. After
many days tramping across the foot
hills and afterward the prairics, he
struck what proved to he the North
Platte river, ninety miles above Fort
Laramie There he met the FIRST
two years. The country was on fire
over the news OF rich finds Mt Alder
Gulch, and those met by Huriburt were
bound for the diggings az Grosshoppcr
Creek as well as Alder, Hurlburt add
ed to the prevailing excitement by tell
ing OF his mine and exhibiting the
knapsack OF gold. The news spread
and adventures in search OF gold came
i'm from all sides In n week iIurlburt
was retracing as nearly as possible the
course over which he had so wildly Ned
the previous month, and at his heels
was n crowd OF not less than lio whg-
ons. with $50 men, women and chill
dren.
DAYS grew into weeks and weeks
into months, and still the party
tramped on. following Hurlburts lead
| everywhere. and hoping for tullhll.
| ment of his often-madc promise to land
! them at the mine of inexhouattble gold;
| Finally, In the fail. Hurlburt confessed
| that he was lost as badly as his cabin
| and mine and that he had no further
hope Of finding his valuable property
| He had been looked IN to all these
months, but now there was sudden
| change OF sentiment, and preparations
were made to lynch the bad pilot. The
| rome was around his neck, and was
| about to be pulled taut, when n
| courageous and less venFeful member
of the party sprang to Hurlburts SIDE
the contamination OF the hlood-thirsty
plan. Hurlburt was released and went
1 his way alone About this time the
Indians took TO the wnrpath. aud the
| Eastern prospectors were stampeded,
| heading for land where there was
areater safety II less gold. Hurlburt
was last seen In Virginia city Ntc that
| fan. and probably perished alone some
where while hunting for his cabin ana
| the mine
chum of Jack Mcdonald, spent Neur
searching the Big Horn, Castle and
| EmIgrant mountains. hunting for this
wonderful lead. but MT last gave II up
In despair. although his faith In It's
| existence was stronger at the last than
when he commenced the quest.
lack Mcdonald heard the story OF
Teel,ley's wandcrings from the latter's
| Inns. and he, too, put In year at tho
| HINT. but did not find It, Joe Sweeney
| came from the southern mines and
hunted long and earnestly for the Lost
| Cabin mine, announcing at one time
TINT he had found It. but he was mis-
| taken aud equal disappointment
awaited Jack Nyc. well known Ne
vada prospeotor, who spent much time
In the Big Horn country, and who
| thought he had discovered the treasure,
but found that he had not. About this
| time the trouble with sitting Bull came
on. and that old warrior, with 1000
| hodges of warriors. took up his head
| quarters near the junction of the two
! Horn rivers on the spot where Custer
| nfterward found him and met his fate.
sitting Bulls camp was In the very
region where the Lost Cabin mine was
supposed to be. but three other pros
pectors, undaunted BY the dangers
which beset them managed, by trav-
| cling al night and lying out OF the way
| Inv day. TO get past the camp and into
| The neighborhood OF the mine. The
heat information obtainable Ia that
| they really found the Lost Cabin and
| the rich lead which they worked fol
several months. They wore out their
tools, and being unable TO do anything
more. determined TO return to civiliza-
| ton by descending the river on n
raft. A raft was built and loaded
with all the gold II would carry The
rest the men buried near the cabin.
Their intention was TO float &c
| the Yellowstone by night alone, and
| from there down by day and night,
too. The start was made but the
voyagers did not know that they would
have to pass the largest Indian camp
ever made in North America The
canp stretched up and down the river
| for more than three miles aud shell
| tered 5000 or 5000 braves An Indian
| dog saw the raft and gave the alarm.
| In their hurry TO escape the nton up
] set the raft and were made prisoners.