The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-19
A PETRIFIED NINE.
4 PrOspectOr with PetrIGed Glare
Tells This Tale of PetrincatIon.


From the Jerome (Ariz), Hustler.
! prominent citizen of Jerome related a
most strange and weird tale to "the Hus-
tier" man yesterday, and vouches for the
truth of the story. He claims TO have re-
ceived his information from the prospec tor
who discovered the strange phenomenon.
He is going out with the prospector next
week TO make further explorations and to
stake out mining claim to hold the prop
erty. The taGe of the petrihed mine is as
foiiows
While out prospecting for copper proper
ties on a grubstake layout last month
Jim" Plecute wandered far into the re-
cesses of a dark canyon forty miles east
Of Jerome, and pitched camp for the night
The next MOI ming he went out prospecting,
and while wandering around suddenly
came upon a log cabin. Entering 1t he no
ticed two miners seated at a table, SEEM
ingly in the act of eating breakfast. He
addressed them, but received no response.
Thinking something was wrong, he walked
up to them, and was Mortified to find that
they were stone dead-petrihed. The tin
plates from which they ate. the frying pan
and the coffee pot were petrifed also.
Judging from appearances they were
transferred from human beings to the
state in which Plecute found them In a
jiffy, for one Of the stone images held a
fork in his stony grasp, with small piece
of venison on ID as he had cut ii TO put il
in his mouth. The fork and venison were
turned to stone just as the man had open
ed his mouth to receive the food. Every
thing within the cabin was petrifed; the
flames we're turned 10 stone as they leap
ed up in the old-fashioned Fireplace, and
stood up red and brilliant, but cold as ice
cry article within the cabin was In the
same condition. Upon closer inspection
Jim" discovered that the very logs in the
house were stone.
Leaving the place, the prospector passed
on up an old trail, and had only gone
short distance when he discovered signs
of ore. There was a huge iron dyke ex-
tending up the mountain, and where he
stood was a break in It. Copper-stalned
fragments of rock were lying about as
though they had been put there by some
one, but no signs of tunnel or shaft were
visible Pfecute concluded 20 sink a shaft
where the break In the dyke was 80 he
went back after his burro and outfit.
Three weeks OF steady labor had been
put in on the prospect without striking
ore. and Jim" was on the point OF quit
ting when a most peculiar thing happened.
He had put I'm three shots. two wedges and
a Iifer fired them and let himself down on
a rope into the shaft, when, to his horror,
he found that he had shot the bottom out
of the shaft. Holding his candle in one
hand while he grasped the rope with The
other to balance himself on the slight rim
over which he gained a meager footing, he
discovered a ladder suspended down the
seemingly bottomless shaft AS the lat
ter was securely fastened, he cautiously
descended il. When he had gone down
about 100 feet he came to a tunnel or drift.
Following that short d-4ance, he came
suddenly upon three miners In the breast
of the drift Although he heard no sound,
they seemed to be intently engaged In
drilling; one sat holding a drlll while the
other two held their hammers suspended
In the air. He addressed them, but re-
ceived no response. Then the horrible
truth broke upon him-they we're also pet
rifed. Close inspection proved that the
three men were certainly in the same con-
dition as the occupants Of the cabin.
Jim Plecute examined the surround
ings. and found that the hammers and
drills were all turned 70 stone. A watcn
In one Of the miners pockets had also been
petrihed The time was shown by the
watch to have been 7:45. Whether morn
ing or evening, Of course he could not tell
A tick was pelrihed IN the watch, while
the hands were I'm the same condition.
Thoroughly frightened al the spectacle
before his eyes, Jim" hurriedly left he
uncanny place, and as he climbed the lad
der he heard petrified bird on a petrifed
limb singing petrifed song.