The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-27
CRAZY MANS HUNT FOR GOLD.
4 Romance of "a Mining District In
Colorado.
sd. Louis Globe-Democrat.

ST Louis Globe-Democrat
Mining regions can turn up more pecu-
liar facts and romanceS and SuperStitiOnS
than any other localities in the world, for
the reason that all classes and conditions
of men bump elbows with one another in
a booming mining camp, said N. q. Hard
eSty, of Denver.
Last summer there was boom at Mhis-
key Park, q mining district near Column
bire, Col, and there was rush of miners
and prospectors to locate claims. During
the excitement man or the name of Mar
tin pushed out several miles ahead of Whis-
key Park and while prospecting one day
found a pile of rocks that attracted his at
tention on account of the peculiar way in
bore the appearance of having been piled
together by the hand of man. Martin start
ed TO investigate. and he removed but few
rocks until he found an old shaft This
shaft had been abandoned and the top COW
cred with this pile of rocks 1t was evil
had covered the shaft as the rocks bore
pick marks. The SHOWS of many winters
had been. melting in the mountains and
washing down debris that had almost filled
this shaft to the surface. Further investi-
cation proved that this old shaft had been
sunk on an extensive lead, and that II had
been filled and abandoned after much
money had been spent in development work.
Near by was also found a large pile of min
ing timbers, rotted down partly to a dust
heap but still showing signs of having
been carefully stacked. 1t was estimated
that it would take at least thirty years for
a pile of mining tmbers to rot in this way.
Therefore the conclusion was drawn that
this mine had not been worked for thirty
years. Then the questions arose: What
was the name of the mine? Whose prop
erty was it? Why was IL abandoned? Did
this old shaft lead to great riches?
''Of course, the accidental discovery of the
pile OF rocks the finding of the old shaft
and the pile of mining timbers created
much gossip throughout the district The
old-tme miners. sitting around their camp
fires at night, revived the story of the lost
Komstocker, and it is an interesting story
of the pioneer days of Colorado. 1t is a sad
story of a poor, lonely Swede in search of
gold The name of this Swede is NOT
known. He made his appearance In
cifc Railroad was completed. Everybody
considered him TO be slightly daft and he
was the butt for the jokes of the rough
miners and frontiersmen. He was called
the crazy Swede' He was a believer in
spiritualism, and as he had been an old
that the spirits had Informed him that he
would be the discoverer of a mine far
richer than that lode. He thoroughly be-
lieved that he would find another 'Kom-
locker as he expressed ii in his ole Olson
dialect The Swede had saved several hum
and he purchased a pony and camping out
iii and disappeared in the mountains 10 the
south. While he had never been in that
section he declared that the spirits had
given him secret information All he would
tell was that the spirits said he would find
a rich gold mine far TO the south of
Rawlins. toward the Hahns Peak country
In Colorado where gold had been newly dis
covered. The Swede dropped out OF sight,
and he was almost forgotten in the rush
and change Of the pioneer towns.
But the Following spring after the Swede
had been absent one year he came into
Rawlins one day. and his pony was loaded
down with bags OF rich ore. He was ex-