The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-12-05
HOW HlLDEBRAND ESCAPED.
A Dako,s Man who Came WITHIN
an Ace of Being Rich.

1h hSC VI 11Clu& 1bbCH. -
Chamberlain, 8. D.. Nov. GA dis
patch from Helena, Mont, stating that
the two great mills Of the celebrated
Drum Lummon mine at Marysville had
shut down, is of peculiar interes. to one
South Dakotan. Since reaching the ], 800
foot level the ore in the mine is reported
to have been for the most part OF much
lower grade than heretofore. and the
mills were shut down for the purpose OF
exploring and developing the mine to
ascertain whether or not there are UNI
touched bodies OF valuable ore in suf-
fcient quantities TO warrant the re-
sumption OF work. During the past
twelve a the mine is said to have
produced s13,0o 900 in gold.
The South Dakotan to whom this In
formation was of peculiar interest is l..
F. Hilderbrand, why little Frenchman
who for a nupber of years drove an ex-
press wagon in Deadwood. because he
was the original d~iscoNerer OF the Drum
Lummon mine. Had 1t not been for an
unfortunate incident Hilderbrand
would today have been one of the rich
est men in the west.
The story, as told by Jean Decker, a
former resident of the Black Hills,
while on a visit to South Dakota from
his home at Butte. Mont. is illustrative
of the successes n reverses which fall
to the lot OF the prospector. 1t was
more than thirty years ago that Hilder-
brand stumbled against a mountain
side in Montana, and with the prospec.
tors instinct Clipped off a piece from a
huge bowlder that stood in his path. An
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Struck it rich," for the howlder was
quartz and SO rich in gold that 1t fairly
made the prospector's yes pop and his
heart peat with a rapidity that threat
cned serious results to Its outer cover
ing.
He succeeded in tracing the lead from
which the bowlder had sloughed off, an6
at onc he began to open it. He had u
partner and the two worked hard. They
were poor and their supply of grub
was limited. but they knew that there
were plenty of men in the territory whe
would gladly stake them as soon as
they learned of the richness of then
find.
But In an unfortunate moment the
two men undertook to roll out of the
way the great bowlder which had guild.
ed them to where fortune awaited them
Hilderbrand believes to this day thai
he attempt to change the location o:
the bowlder brought them bad luck, fol
the bowlder rolled owe onto the arm:
of his partner and so badly crushed IL
that 1t became useless. Being withou,
money they had to leave the place, Hi.
derbrand going to French gulch to seek
employment in the placer mines there
tvh;lo hfv ,ortnar uyopf +n Halana IN nh.
tain surgical assistance.
Years passed and Hiiderhrand grad
ually thought less of the find. and when
the stampede for the Black Hills began
he was one of the first to enter that re-
sion. He located a paving claim, and
after it had been worked ont he went
west, drifting from one mining camp tc
another, until finally he found himself
again in Montana. and II day he stood
once more gazing on the bowlder Of rich
quartz on which he had Toasted his eyes
years before.
The bowlder looked familiar, but its
surroundings had SO changed that Hill
derbrand was bewildered. In place Of
the little tunnel that himself and part
ner had dug out n quarter OF a century
before, he found a Monster hosting
plant raising rich ore from a shaft
hundreds of feet in depth, while in the
gulch Numbered and roared a monster
stamp mill. The bowlder had been re-
moved and occupied an Enclosure in
front of the fine building. Signs eau
tioning tresspassers to beware dangled
from the iron railing which surrounded
1t. 1t occupied its place of honor as
notice to the world that it was the iden.
teal rock hat had led to the discovery
of the falnous Drum Lummon mine,
and when Hilderbrand attempted to
touch it he was ordered away by a
Waterman who stood near.
After telling his experience with the
rock he was permitted to place his hand
on the bowlder and run his fingers over
the identical spot which marked the
place from which he had chipped off a
sample years before. Hllderbrand yet
wonders why evil fortune should have
followed and caused hin to abandon the
claim so hi "Old Tom" Cruise might
come along and locate it and sell it tc
the Montana Mining company at a price
that raised him from AFFECT poverty to
riches so great as to appear fabulous
to one who had always been poor.
Hog Cholera.
verminion. g. D., Nov. 2S.-Hog cholera