The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-10
THREE CLAIM JUMPERS
All of Them Filed On the Same
Mining Claim.
WHICH OF THEM WINS?
One Man Cana Near Losing His Life
in the Adventure-An interest
ing Question for the
Courts

They are telling pretty good story
on a couple of Chicken Flat claim jum-
pers and the names of the jumpers
would have been given to the reporters
no doubt if their friends had not been
properly seen" Before the newsgathers
learned of the affair
On the night which divided 1898 from
its successor, the men were in the
mountains back Of Walkerville, each
conscious of the others whereabouts,
vet both out on the same mission. One
reached the log Shaft house about 1890
O'clock, gun in hand and location blank,
duly filed, in his pocket. He settled him
self comfortably in one corner of the
shack and waited the coming of the
hour when he should post his notice
and depart.
Half an hour later the other man
walked in and sat down in another
room. Not thing stirred. The night
was clear and raw. The first man knew
that he had company, the other knew
not that he was being watched.
The late conner filed his pipe and en-
joyed a smoke while he waited. The
fragrant smoke filled the first man with
a desire to smoke, too. He was handi-
capped sadly Stronger became the
aroma and stronger his desire to take a
draw from his corn cob, but what could
the poor man do? He must be content
with smoke second hand. The suspense
now began to tell on the first man. His
muscles yielded, his limbs relaxed and
his sliding heel struck an old powder
can. and then the later conner jumped
to his feet and cooked his rifle prepar-
atory to sending a bullet through the
brain of the bear or mountain lion or
whatever the noise might be.
No. backed out Of the door through
which he entered and took up a posi-
ton on the dump. No. 1, noticing his
stranger companions move. slipped
through another opening in the shack
and stood up against the corner of the
house.
He pulled his blank and tacks from
his pockets and fastened the paper to
the logs of the shack AS he pushed
the last tack in with his thumb No. 2
, appeared around the corner, and what
took place after that is best told by
the mems friends in Chicken Flat.
No shot was fired and not a word
was spoken for Is minutes after the un
ceremonious meeting. Recognition was
complete al first sight.
No. 2 had posted his notice Just be-
fore going around the corner where No.
1 stood. He claims that his location is
valid while No. 1 holds that his is for
the reason that he was first on the
ground, even if the other fellow did post
a minute before ne did. It was not yet
II o'clock. t-.t,..
They walked together down the gulch
a distance of so yards, and sat down on
a rock and reflled their pipes. No. 1
listened to No. 2 while he described his
sensations upon hearing the noise made
by the knocking over of the powder
can by No. /.
While arguing the legal phases of
the question involved, third man ap-
peared on the dump, stepped inside of
the shaft house and nailed his notice
Of location to the inside wall and re-
appeared on the dump. 1t was two
minutes past T. o'clock and Nos. l and
blocked at one another The third man
began to retrace his steps homeward
when he was surprised to hear his
name spoken by one of the men who
sat on the rock. The three men walked
home together. and by the time they
reached McFadden & Burts place a
mutual understanding had been arriv-
ed at, and as far as the jumpers are
concerned they all figure it that they
made a profitable trip into the noun
tains. Who wins?