The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18
LOST PLACER OF THE FLATHEAD'

Somewhere round here lies Doc Al
bert's placer" remarked Frank. as he
fried a painful Of deer Ever over the
camp fire and pushed the coffee pot
nearer the glowing embers. I had kill
ed the deer whereof tha liver was a
part. and ! can see the whole thing
now. First. the cracking OF brush aud
dry sticks as the buck came through
the woods. then his big brown eyes
gazing at me in mild wonder. and then.
bang.
We were camped out IN the beauti-
full Swan river country. up in North
western Montana and had just got
into camp after a most successful days
hunt. our camp was an ideal one. be-
side a snow-fed trout stream. vita the
mighty Rockies towering above us. A
row OF black tail bucks swinging by
their gambrils from an adjacent tree
and the MD of a silver tip bear lying
ear by were mute witnesses OF our
prowess. The whole country is dense
ly wooded. and lovely unnamed lakes
slumber at frequent intervals in plac-
hA eNeths NV ~ ''fNhS " Aa' AtA
est. Green islands. wooded to the va
ter's edge. dot the surface Of some
of the larger lakes. and tall grasses
and faded water plants. gorgeous in
autumnal coloring. girdle them with
a fringe OF beauty.
Our party numbered three. Tom.
who In a lawyer In Butte. was engaged
H. .stt-- ri. xt-t--h - A.. ..xgs
err was manufacturing 1apjacks. when
Frank made the foregoing remark.
Frank Is an old-timer. and is a pros
pector. hunter or trapper. IA the fancy
takes him. We had often heard stray
rumors about this lost placer. and the
fact that We were now In its neigh
borhood reused our interest at once.
Later or we searched for IL ourselves.
but. as Kipling would say. that e an
other story.
II was with Doc when he found the
diggings.' continued Frank. but tho
I've gone back and hunted high and
low for 'em. yet | can never locate the
exact spot again. There's a big for
tune waiting the fellow who strikes
them once more. ~Somewheres OF that
canyon over there they lie" As he
spoke Frank pointed to a canyon APP
~parertly about eight or 10 miles long
with the tltdT n~tduuudTitIE VI tue
south fork of the Flathead river flow
ing through II and terminated at the
further end by a densely wooded noun
tain much cut up by gorges and ra-
vines.
The deer liver was by his time
fried to a nicely. the fragrant coffee
was cooling and / had a tall pile OF
f1apjacks glowing on n tn plate. so
the hour was suspicious for "A story.
In a few. very few minutes. we reach
ed the pipe filling stage. and rs the
tobacco smoke curlcd upwards we list
ened to our comrades tale.
you see. II was this way and
Frank started on his story. In the
fall of the year 1876 ! was one OF n
party OF four prospectors who were
out in this country hunting for placers.
There was Doc n myself and two
brothers OF the name OF Connolly. Ed
and Pat. After leaving the Dearborn
country we crossed the main range
Of the Rockies by way OF the Cadotte
pass. working up the tributaries OF
the Blackfoot i've until we were well
up into what is now called the swan
river country. where we once more
crossed the Rockies and Travelled down
n the south fork of the Flat
head. If you remember. 20 was a
devil of a year for Injun roubles hut
we four didn't know nothing about
that. In 20 Custer n his men were
wiped out on the 25th OF June over
on the Little Big Horn. and all that
fall there were bands Of Injuns stray
Cling over the territory. robbing and
numbering heneve they had a show.
We had been out In the hills since the
beginning of June, but so far had
found little or nothing In the way 81
gold and hadn't seen no Injuns. IL
was along in September when we got
into the country and ! can tell you IL