Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-03-06

1 tnelr numperS TO guard tho PROVISIONS
in the cabin. They set out at dawn one
| morning and returned in the evening
with many quarts specimens incrusted
with visible gold. Elated with success,
they started out again tho next day,
! but never came back. That was the
last ever seen or heard of them.
For two and a half months the soli-
tary prospector was, in the main, i'm.
prisoned in his hut by his four-footed
foes, and the terrible experience, to-
gether with tho mystery surrounding
tho fate of his comrades, told on his
mind to suchss an extent that when
found and rescued his reason had al
| most deserted him.
But there is still later intelligence
OF another fatal trip, About the mid.
die of February this year small
schooner sailed from San Francisco,
carrying. besides her crew, band of
eight men. They had with them tho
necessary provisions for several
months, plentiful supply of arms and
ammunition, and all the needful para.
phernalia for gold hunting; and more,
tho necessary timber for tho erection
of strong hut. Thus equipped, they
looked forward with impotence until,
at length, one bright morning they
sighted tho island, and later went
ashore. The vessel, having deposited
her living and other freight, set sail
and departed, the Captain promising
to call upon them on his return.
No timo was lost. The men at once
went about their respective duties,
and before shutdown a strong cabin
stood in the shelter of massive,
rugged rock. Casks were then filled
to overlooking and large fire erected
hard by tho door OF the hut. BY
nightfall NIL was in readiness, and the
hunters, sitting down to the evening
meal, awaited the coming of the
enemy.
They wero greeted sooner than they
anticipated. For very soon tho hill
side and tho lower slope appeared to
be alive with numbers OF strange,
ghostly things. At present tho flame
of tho fire was holding them at bav;
but it could not do so much longer.
owing to tho scarcity of fuel. Tho
hunters, realizing this unfortunate
circumstance, took up their rifles and
banged at every object in tho shape of
polar bear. But it could not Inst.
The fire went out, and the enemy,
quick to note this fact, shullled down
the hillside and forced the prospectors
to retreat to the shelter of tho cabin.
Throughout tho night the suspense
TO the inmates was horrible. Tho
monsters were smiling and scratching
on allsides of tho structure. At other
times or,toh on tho roof, threatening
to stave it in, WOULD Ton. them of the
arrival of additional forces, ana ut
other periods the grooming of the walls
suggested that with little more rough
handling they would topplo down.
Thus, excepting to sally out and fire
shots in the broad daylight, they were
kept imprisoned for five or six days.
AT length they nwoko one morning
to find the enemy gone. Leaving one
man ut tho hut to net in the capacity
OF cook, the whole band set out up the
small valleys to explore. On rounding
n bend in the rivers course, all intent
in their quest of tho yellow" they
were suddenly attacked by number
OF the ferocious bears. They seemed
to spring up from the bowels of the
earth or all sides, and, before they
could be either killed or dispersed
bore two of the prospectors to the turf
in death.
Returning to camp with their lifoless
burdens, the hunters were further dis
mayed. The cook was missing, and n
bear shutlled about the interior of tho
hut. 1t is needless to state that they
filled his carcass full OF holes. 4
search was at once made, but with no
happy result. Nothing was ever seen
OF their comrade again.
After this, as the days rolled bv in
peace, the men gradually relaxed their
vigilance and set about prospecting in
moro businesslike way. One morn
ing they went out in two parties. Two
OF tho band started In ono direction
and the remaining three In another.
Ihey hoped thus to economic time,
their object being to find some suitn
BILE spot where later all might work
together. Vain hope. They were
never to meet again. Toward sun
down the larger company returned to
camp. tired, but happy in tho knowl-
edge in having found an alluvial patch.
But as the hours wore on and their
comrades came not they became
anxious and went in quest of them.
Daylight the next morning found them
still out searching the valleys; night
came on tho scene and still they
hunted. But nothing of the missing
men was ever found.
The island seemed full of mystery
nothing less than n veritable death
trap. A gloom only too terrible crept
over tho hunters, and they desired to
go back to civilization as soon as some
vessel should come within hailing dis
lance and speed them over tho waters.
The chance was soon afforded them.
A few days later the schooner that
brought them hither arrived in the
anchorage, and at once sent bont
ashore. The hunters, with their out
fit, were taken ON board, and the YES
sci sailed away. They arrived in San
francisco the middle of September.
Thus the gold fields of the island