The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1898-02-03
OLD HORNS PEAKS LEAD.
The Lost Mine That Cost George
Skinner His Life.


MOT long ago a party of mining
IN men gathered at one of the princi-
pal hotels in Denver to discuss mat
ters and things of interest to the min
ing business. Some of them had made
large fortunes in mining, and not few
had had actual experience in prospect
ing and its many hardships. The con-
vcrsation naturally turned to the early
days of mining in the state, and. after
several incidents of interest had been
| recounted, one of the party drew from
| his pocket a buckskin bag. from which
he produced large gold nugget of
considerable value, and in appearance
unlike anything usually seen in that
part of the state.
This nugget" said he, has n his
| tory which to me is extremely inter-
esting. Its possession cost one human
| life. besides years of hardship and
| anguish. The exact spot where it came
| from is unknown to man. and ] con-
| fiGently believe many years will elapse
before it is known.
I'm the early part of the year 1850,
when the country generally in Colora-
do was in it's primitive form. inha bited
for the most part by coyotes and red
skins, and before its natural attractive
ness had been marred by money-mak
ing contrivances, 4 lone prospector set
out from Denver to explore the then
uninhab bited region in the vicinity of
tine Greenhorn and Sangre de Christie
ranges. in the south-central part of
the state. some 200 miles from Den
yer. No one knew who he was or
where he came from-few questions
were asked in those days regarding
mans antecedents. 1t was sufficient to-
know he was there and one of them.
AT the place where he bought his out
fit, however, he gave the name of George
W. Skinner, and said he was outfitting
for trip to the Sangrc de Christie coun-
try. Besides paying for what he pur-
chased he deposited with the proprietor
of the store sum of money which he
did not care to take with him to the
mountains, saying he would call for it
when he returned in the fall.
Several years passed by, and moth
ing was heard of the lone prospector.
The beautiful West Mountain valley,
which lies at the foot of the Sangre
de Christie, was the home of German
colony which had come from the east
and settled there. Very little prospect
ing was done by these pioneers, as
they found their time too much taken
up with caring for themselves and fam
lies. One day early in the spring of
'6S 4 middle-aged man drove up to
one of the more pretentious-looki
rancho houses in the valley and asked
TO be housed for the night. His re-
quest was promptly granted, and, after
the evening meal, when the family
were ranged about the fireplace anX-
ious for news from the outside world,
the stranger told them the nature of
the business which had brought him
to that part of the country
''He came from Illinois, he said, and
was in search of missing brother,
whom he had traced that far and was
very anxious to find. The brother had
left home to come to Colorado in the
early days of the western fever, since
which time nothing had been heard of
him. Becoming alarmed at his contin-
ued absence. he had come to Colorado
in search of him, and upon arriving
at Denver had learned from friend of
his who was in the grocery business
there that a man by the name of Skin
ner had bought a bill of goods from
him early in 1860, giving the Sangre
de Christie country as his objective
point, and had left a sum of money on
deposit which had never been called
for. He had therefore made his way
to the valley in hopes of finding some
trace of him. The following morning
the German accompanied Mr.. Skinner
through THE valley, but not one of the
residents had ever heard tel of such
man as he was in search of.
''Mr. Skinner, somewhat discouraged
by the failure of his mission, procured
the services of an old hunter and guide
and started into the mountains in the
hope of obtaining some information
Some months were thus spent without
finding even trace OF the man for
whom they were searching, and as he
summer season was rapidly drawing to
close, Mr.. Skinner and his guide start
ed for the valley, where they proposed
10 winter, intending TO take up the
search again in the early spring. They
camped one night just at the timber
line on the eastern slope of Horns
peak. near what had apparently been
at one time the camp of prospector.
Mr.. SINNERS curiosity prnmnfed him
to make some explorations in the gath
,ring twilight, and while removing
some of the brush and debris that had
evidently formed the floor and roof
Of the cabin, be found an old leather
pocketbook, partly rotted away and
carefully tied up with wire Worn out
with the travel of the day he put his
nd In Ii. L,c...l.ot Il