The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-06-19

~ a esiisa "t 6hs ~ P IS
Leg Smith" mine.
Smith ,safter whom it was named, was
a California trapper before the discov-
cry of gold in that state. In the fall of
1885 he joined a party to hunt on the
banks of the ella river, where fur ami
mails were reported to be very plenti-
full. Shortly after their arrival Smith
had the misfortune to suffer com
pound fracture of one of his legs, the
bone being crushed in such a manner
by a huge mass of rock as to render
ineffective the crude knowledge of sur
gerry possessed by his comrades. He is
accredited with amputating his limb
with an old saw and of soaring the
bleeding stump with a red-hOt ramrod.
Incredible as it seems, there are men
who say it is a fact. They trapped up
the east bank of the ella river for some
distance before they crossed, but how
far up is, unfortunately, not known.
The location of their ford would be a
key to the lost wealth. After crossing
the river they continued on westward
for the purpose of exploring the then
unknown desert. The second or third
night after crossing their pack animals
strayed away from camp and their
half-breed herder, whom they had
brought with them from Santa Fe, took
their trail. He returned late in the af-
ternoon with the animals and his pock-
cts full of dull, yellowish metal He
reported having found the animals sew
eral miles to the southwest, feeding
around the base of some small hills.
One Of these he climbed to take OBJ
servations as to the location of the
camp and found a quantity of the met
al along the sides and on the summit.
Gold, it must be remembered, had not
yet been discovered in the west and
placer gold was an unknown metal. At
ter trying it with fire and their knives
the trappers, being illiterate, pro-
nounced it brass, not knowing that
that metal was a composite. They tried
it in their molds and found that it made
lead was running low, they decided to
send a detail to the hills the next day
to lay in a supply. This was done and,
according to Peg-Leg, who accompan-
led the detail, three little dark-red
hills were literally covered with the
metal, some of the chunks being so
large that one man could hardly lift
them" In a short time the detail had
picked up all the metal that could be
carried without any ap-
parent diminution in the supply. The
detail returned to the camp and the
next day was employed in making a
large supply of bullets, as there was an
abundance of Indian signs and the red
skins gave evidence of becoming trou-
blesome. The day following the party
took up its line of march along a we'll
defined Indian trail, their experience !
them that it would pass by
some water hole farther on. They had |
hardly got well under way when they
were attacked by Indians and a run
ming fight ensued for the entire day.
But as few of the Indians were armed |
with old rifles, the majority having
ances, bows and arrows and clubs, the |
rappers had little difficulty in keeping |
hem off. While passing a high clay
quite along the trail bullet whizzed |
~ Peg-Leg's head and buried itself in |
he sun-baked clay. From curiosity |
oeg-Leg dug it out with the point of |
lis knife and found that it was yellow |
METAL, similar to those the white men |
we're shooting. After Marshall's dis
'overy of gold Peg-Leg compared that
Ind with the yellow metal" in his pos
essiOn, and then he realized that the
brass" was virgin gold, and
hey had been shooting it at Indians. |
1t the time of the discovery of gold in
california Peg-Leg was a confirmed
runkard and was well along in years.
lie sold his brass" nuggets and soon
wallowed the proceeds, and then made
everal Intellectual attempts to return
lone to the three little dark red
ills" Later he had no difficulty in
expeditions among his &C
uaintances who had seen his gold and
card his story, but he could never re-
urn to the spot. The last time he
etched up at the river, and, giving up
he search, he returned with his dis
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