The Saint Paul globe., 1897-12-05

was, young Hardin, who had the faith
in the gulch, that his father had. was
not only not crazy, but was an unusual
ly level-headed man. ROtherwen ex-
amined the surface indications which
old jim Hardin pointed out to him,
and was favOrably impressed by them.
Then, too, he believed i'm the Hardins.
and the upshot of it all was that he
promised to see what could be done
about raising some money for the old
man in Chicago.
This was no easy task. Chicago men
With money were not exchanging it for
an old Black Hills miners gold bricks,
Young Hardin was sent for to come
to Chicago and was told what Delaney
had done The son of the old miner
could hardly believe his ears. The only
thing he seemed to realize was the
fabulous fortune that was all but with
in his fathers grasp. The possibility
that no gold might be found never Oc-
CURED to him for a moment. This i'm
pressed itself upon those who had con-
sented to invest money in the scehme
and they resolved to go ahead come
what might.
That was in the early part OF the present
year. Soon after that the machinery neces-
sary to carry on quartz IN ming was ordered
and shipped to Two-Bit When the first ma
chinery arrived, old man Hardin nearly did
go crazy for joy. That for which he had
all through the years was about to become
fact instead of an old mans dream. When the
mach merry was all on the spot, the question
to be determined was where the first shaft
should be sunk. Old Jim knew, he said,
exactly where to begin. but before he would
tell he wanted to have look at every man
who was to engage in the work. When asked
what that was for. he said
I've stood guard over this property Tor
twenty years. Men have come and gone,
but I've stayed on. and now that something's
going 10 happen, ! want 10 know that every
body around here is en- the square / can tell
the men l want as soon as | see them. -
Accordingly all the miners and all the
bosses had to be Inspected by Old Jim. All
but two passed muster, and they had been
employed to superlntend parts or the work.
The old man wouldn't have them under any
consideration, and two others of his own
selection were substituted. The wisdom or
his judgment may have been proved by the
fact that one OF these cast-Offs is now IN
robbery.
When the mining crew was finally selected
old man Hardin indicated the place where
work was to be begun and the first shaft was
sunk on April l3 1891. Some one recalled
that work had been begun on the thirteenth
of the month and remarked that jim IIardin's
usual luck would follow the DEVELOPMENT OF
the mine. To tn Hardns only reply was:
There never was a fine field OF corn that
crows didn't croak over. Never mind the day
of the month. Two Bit will prove that there's
luck in thirteen yet"
Two months later. on June 49, peanut"
rock was struck and the first positive indica-
ton Of ore was found. On Sept. 13 the follow
ing dispatch was sent by James d. Hardin Jr.
to Mr.. Delaney in Chicago:
Rich ore struck. Assay. thirty-one TO ton.
Vein now more than twenty feet thick.
On Oct. 13 samples of ore taken from the
mine were sent to Torrey & Eaton. assaycrs
and meta,lurgists Of Sterling, y. j., whose
New York Office is al "a Cortland street. Two
days later they sent back the result Of their
assay which was as follows:
Sample of ore marked No I, pyrites. con
tains 1.J0 ounces Of gold, which assayfd $Jl
| =flTr thAaTa
Two Bit gulch is no longer despsed by the
miners in the Black Hills. TWO of those who
left their claims there years ago for others
| are richer today than they were then. The
man who stuck there is a millioaire now,
| and his holdings could not be purchased for
love or money. He has already paid back
those who advanced him the money to de-
yeIop his properties. and Lucky Thirteen" ."
| as the mine is called is yielding up its
wealth TO make easy the last years OF old
| Jim Hardln's journey down the s-ope.