The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-27
HILDERRAND's LUCK.
A TrifiinG Accident That Came be-
tween Him and Millions.

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat.
Mining camps are replete with interest
ing stories of prospectors who have struck
it rich and of those who, after years of
unsuccessful effort, find themselves dead
broke in their old age because luck was
against them. while everybody believes
more or less in the existence of that some
thing known as luck " said Jean Decker,
formerly a resident of the Black Hills, and
one of the pioneers of that region, "the
prospector, who climbs over mountains
and trails along streams winding their de-
vious way through tortuous gulches, more
than anybody, is a believer that luck
shapes the destinies of all men. He will
tell you frankly that he believes in luck,
and is always prepared with what he con-
sders irrefutable arguments in support
of his belief If arguments fail to convince
he is ready to relate experiences by the
score, experiences of his own and of 9TH
ers, to prove that luck is behind all sue
cess or failure, and that luck good or bad,
is responsible for the success or failure
of all undertakings.
IL. F. Hilderbrand, little, wiry French
man. who drives an express wagon in
DeadWood is a firm believer in luck for
the greater number of the many years
that cause his curly beard and hair to be
so literally besprinkled with silver have
been spent in the mountains of the west.
II is luck that is responsible for the fact
that he is now driving dray instead of
living life of ease and enjoying the lux
uries and comforts that the possession OF
unlimited means make possible. Had luck
not been against him he would now be Mr..
Hilderbrand, ard not 'Hilderbrand, the
drayman.' 1t was luck that caused him,
more than thirty years ago, to stumble
against a mountain side in Montana, and
it was the same luck that caused him to
chin off a piece from a huge boulder he
found there, to find that he had struck it
rich for the boulder was quartz, and so
rich in gold that it fairly made his eyes
mop and his heart beat with rapidity That
threatened serious results TO ITS outer COW
ering He soon got over his eXcitement,
and, with the prospectors instinct began
TO look for the lead from which, the boul
der had sloughed off Luck was still with
him for he traced the lead and at once
began to open it, He had a partner and
the two worked hard, for, although quartz
mining was then merely an experience IN
Montana, they knew the time was COM
ing when placer mining would END ana
quartz mining would receive the atteh-
lion of men anxious for a quick way OF IN
creasing their wealth.
.,T'bev were poor and the supply of grub
was limited but they knew that there
we're nlenty of men in the territory VINO
would gladly stake them as soop as th e
learned of the richness of their md. SO
far Ali of their luck had been of the quail
ifv known as good, but change was 10
come and that soon. Ihelr luck was 1es-
tined TO undergo a change. In an unfor-
tl,nate moment they undertook to roll out
az the way the great boulder Whlch had
g1lided them to where fortune was await
- tbano whether it was this or some
thing else that caused their good luck to
change is not known, but Hilderbrand
believes that the attempt to change the 70,
cetion of the boulder offended the gent
that for years had guarded the hidden
treasures of the mountain, for the bout
der rolled over on to the arm OF his part
ner and so badly crushed II that II pc
came useless Being without money, they
had ia leave the place. Hilderbrand go
ing to French Gulch to seek employment
IN the placer mines there while his part
1e,. went to Helena to obtain surgical as
sistance. 1rt,.o...,..,,a -
gan to think less of the ma, ana Wneh
the stampede for Deadwood began he was
one of the first to join the rush, and luck
If the good kind aided him to locate a