The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-08-17
THE LOST CABIN.
A Tale Of Hidden Treasure in the Cascade
Mountains, Not Over a Days Ride
From The Dalles,

Mountains, Not Over Days Ride
From The Dalles.
For long years search has been made
for Capt. Kidd's buried treasures on
the Atlantic sea board: but no one has
become wealthy thereby, and the
money has never been found. There
Is a story somewhat similar that has
been told in this vicinity for long
years. and is commonly known as the
Lost Cabin and the buried gold.
The facts, which were published in
the MOUNTAINEER about fourteen
years ago. are about as follows: Some
time in the 60'S a miner conceived the
idea of robbing the stage that usually
carried large quantities of dust from
Boise City to Owyhee. He watched
his opportunity when large amount
of treasure would be shipped by Wells,
Fargo & Co.'S express. and purchasing
a riding animal and pack horse. left
Boise City. ostensibly for the purpose
of going on prospecting tour in the
mountains near Silver City. His horse
was loaded with a prospector's outfit
and lot OF provisions. and his de-
plrture created no suspicion. Picket
ing his horses in clump of bushes
close to the road, he laid in wait at
the mouth of canyon. on the road be-
tween Boise and Owyhee, where the
stage usually arrived at dusk. and
awaited his opportunity. Presently
the NUMBERING sound of the Concord
coach could be heard descending the
grade. There was steep pitch before
the road entered the canyon, and the
driver usually "slowed-up" and drew
tight rein after trotting down the
hill. and this was the point where he
stationed himself. his face completely
masked and his trusty rife in fis
hand. AS the stage approached he
drew his rife on the driver, and
ordered him to stop and to throw out
of the boot the United States mail and
Wells, Fargo Co.'s strong box. This
was done Immediately, and the next
thing the robber did was to bind the
driver hand and foot and gag him.
There were no passengers on the stage
that day, and he had only one man TO
h indie. With his pick he broke op n
the box, after taking it away from the
road to safe place from observation.
and found over hundred pounds of
! gold dust. and large amount in
green backs. He saddled his horses
quickly, after putting away the gold
dust in convenient places in his pack,
and rode all night as rapidly "a he
could. The driver was found the next
day in the helpless condition in which
he was left. and from exposure to the
sun and lack of nourishment was de-
lirious for several days afterwards.
When he could relate coherently what
had happened the robber had placed
i'm
and the spot where he had committed
the theft. Suspicion fastened on his
partner, who was innocent OF the
crime that his comrade had committed;
but unfortunately was absent on that
day and returned on the evening of
the next. He was arrested, tried. con-
victed and sentenced to the peniten-
tiary for eight years. In the mean.
time the guilty man arrived at The
Dalles and spent several weeks in the
city. In copy of the Boise States
man he read an account of the arrest,
conviction and sentence of his partner.
Becoming suspicious that the auth4ri-
ties were on his track. and that the
sentence of his partner would lead to
his arrest. he left town with his ami
mails and went into the mountains.
After wandering around for some time
he found lonely cabin that had not
been occupied for years. and ap-
parently lad been the resort of some
trapper. Here he determined to hide
himself from the public, and not show
himself to his fellow men except when
it was necessary to procure provisions
from the city. He had carefully kept
his gold dust in the packs on his ami
mails and no suspicious had been
aroused that they contained anything
but. bacon and other supplies which
prospectors usually took with them in
their journeys. After making himself
as comfortable as possible in his
mountain home he looked around for
a place to bury the dust, and dug a
hole under the stump of tree and
there deposited the bags of gold. In
his purchases he had used the green
backs. which were largely discounted,
and intended when the excitement
had quieted dowr, to again visit the
haunts of civilization and live merrily
on his wealth. For several years he
passed the life of hermit, until his
conscience began troubling him be-
cause he had permitted an limo cent
man to suffer for his crime. and he de-
termined to go back to Idaho. S veral
years older than when he left and
changed by rough life he had led.
when he arrive' in Boise no one knew
him. His partner had nearly served the
sentence imposed on him, and he WAS
stricken with remorse. Soon after
wards he was taken seriously sick, and
Just before he died wrote full confess
sion of his crime. and described the
immediate place where the dust was
hidden, but not where it was in the
Cascade mountains. His partner was
pardoned out of the penitentiary. and
nothing has been heard OF him since
The Lost Cabin" and the buried
treasure has created great excitement
in this state and Id tho for many years;
but until recently it's whereabouts was
complete mystery. A few years ago
a young man il formed the writer that
he had found the cabin about twenty
miles from Hood River in the heart of
the Cascade mountains; but he failed
to find the gold. and we have heard
nothing from him since. Others have
spent months hunting for it; but their
search has been fruitless. We had
forgotten the story until last week,
when well-known citizen of The
Dalles Informed us that he helped to
remove the logs from the identical
cabin about fourteen years ago. and he
is quite certain he can locate the spot
where the gold still lies. In a few
days he intends making the trip. and
says he can ride there in few hours.
There must be nearly 5000 buried in
the spot, and he considers it well
worth a journey in the mountains.
So many years have elapsed since it
was stolen that if found now it would
be considered the same as treasure
trove, and would belong to the lucky
person. Further developments are
awaited. and in little while the mys-
terry surrounding the Lost Cabin"
may be cleared up and one or more
men be richer thereby.