The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-10-30


men and fearless fighters. Nevertheless
the Indians attacked them near the San
Saba river so fiercely that those left Of
the expedition after the fight were glad
TO get back to safety with their hair on
their heads. Since Texas became sep
arate from Mexico Few years have
passed that have not seen numbers of
eager searchers in the San Saba hills,
and their numbers are continually on
the increase. So far but one of them has
ever found any of these mines; and,
strange to say, his story of success is the
hardest-luck story of them all.
HIS name is Frank Hobson. He needs
no further description here than that he
is young man not given to reflection
before acting. of a venturesome DISPOSE
ton, typical rolling stone, but withal
OF a peculiar tenacity in striving to ac
complish every undertaking. Two years
ago he came to San Antonio with no def
mite object in view simply watching for
something to turn up or for chance to
turn something up. 1t was not long be-
fore he heard of the lost San Saba mines.
He had had some experience as mineral
prospector In his varied career, and right
then and there he determined to go hunt
for those mines and keep hunting until
he found them.
In these late days there is no danger
form Indians; the valiant defenders OF
the treasure have long since disappeared.
The location of the old mission church
is we'll known. It's four thick stone walls
still form conspicuous land mark in the
valley in spite Of war and fire, vandal
hands and the wear Of years.
Carefully collecting all the informa-
ton he could regarding the subject, Hob
son set forth on a systematic search. His
outfit was simple, and from the way he
harneSsed his paraphernalia to himself it
was not so much in the way as one might
suppose. There is as much art in pack
ing a man as mule. Everything he
could, he carried in three stout canvas
bags. He had few pounds of corn meal,
salt in tightly closed tin can, matches,
candles. coil of rope, gun, compass
end a prospectors hammer. When he
craved bread he made Johnny cake with
the meal, and he was Johnny cake ex
pert of the first degree. AS to meat,
there was game in the mountains and fish
in the streams. With fishing line and
ammunition no man in that country need
worry about the larder
With the ruins of the old mission
church as a center, he described circle
in the country around about, going care
fully and patiently over the ground with
in it's circumference. Then he described
another, and many others, with constant
ly increasing orbits. Every two or three
weeks he would appear at Menardville,
tanned, unshaven and in every respect
looking decidedly tough but the Menard
Williams were accustomed to the peculiar
tiles of treasurehunters and he caused no
special comment These appearances
were for the purpose of replenishing his
stock of meal and ammunition. The
practical value Of this method of search
can be readily appreciated 1t promised
patience lasted.
All through the hot summer months
he searched, and one day early in the
fall he was walking slowly up the bed Of
little creek seeking a prominent land
mark from which to locate his next cir
Gle. There were narrow bottom lands on
each side, covered with dense growth OF
scrub and prickly underground. Beyond
were huge hills strewn thickly with
powders and spotted with scattered
| growth of mesquite and scrub oak 1t
was the dry season and the creek was
but succession OF long reaches of gravel,
relieved by far-apart water holes. Hob
son had his head down looking for float
that is, pieces of gravel containing
mineral.
Turning a bend suddenly he heard
f1utter and chirping sound just in front,
and looked up barely in time to see
bunch Of wild turkeys disappear in the
bush. A wild turkey comes within the
catalogue of big game, SO putting aside
all thought of lost mines for the moment,
Hobson proceeded to trail them, forcing
%Io.,< ~,
A feather here, track there where there
was sand or soil enough to receive an i'm
preston, and sundry droppings fur.
nished indications sufficient to encourage
the hunter. Across the bottom he went
and then into a steep-sided draw that
divided the hills, up this a little way,
then up it's side along rocky ridge, and
down into another draw again up the
| side incline and into other draws. Fin
| ally he climbed difficult slope at the
head of gulch and entered into tumble
! of rocks and hills and scrub timber. In
| his eagerness he lost all idea of direction,
and after wandering around quite
! while in this stony maze he found he had
lost the trail of the turkeys also.
He now discovered that he was tired,
so, divesting himself of his accoutre-
ments, he sat down with his back against
a mesquite tree growing at the base of
| great boulder. He took a pull from his
| water canteen and looked idly about.
| There was crescent shaped hole at the
foot of the big rock which at once obtrud-
| ed itself upon his attention. 1t was bare
| ly large enough to admit an average
mans head and shoulders, and had
dark cavernous look that suggested pro-
| found distances beyond. From pure i'm
| pulse Hobson pushed his head and
! nearly half his body into the opening.
! An ordinary man would have hesitated,
thinking of snakes and "varmints' with
| teeth and claws, but Hobson was neither
cautious nor reflective and anything but
ordinary. He found the place opened
out within and his arms were free to
| move and feel around. Above was the
hard bottom of the bow1der In front
| and below he swung his arms into empty
| space. Further investigation disclosed
| that his chest was resting upon the edge
| of hole whose bottom might be just
| out OF reach or hundreds of feet below.
| Judging from the contour of the rim as
| far as he could feel it was circular pit
| about four feet in diameter. A wild
| idea came Surging into his brain. He
| backed out and began with feverish haste
| to claw away the loose soil and sand at
| the entrance so as to enlarge the opening
| Then he looked in again and lit a candle
| Sure enough, he was bending over
| round hole to which the feeble light
| showed no bottom. On it's sides, how
ever, were the certain marks of tools.
Hobson's heart gave bound so tremen-
| I01,c thnt J, If o1,