Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1899-09-28
difference was noticed, perhaps, more


than any other man in the crowd.
''Well, among the men saw one
strange, sad face, Drowned by the sun
and yet intellectual in every lineament
"a face full of kindness and wonder
fully sad. 1t was the most attractive
face that had ever seen, and dare
say that even the most intellectual man
in all that throng of people must in
stinctively have said, at first sight OF
it: Here is a wonderful character
81 could scarcely look away from the
man-that face. He, too, seemed to
look much at me, although doubtless
from widely different reasons from
those attracting me toward him. His
hands were hardened and his clothes
were such as the miners wore. His hair
was dark, and yet streaked with gray.
I believed him to have been man who
had seen at least so years of life and
just as much of sorrow.
eve did not speak--we simply looked
at each other.
ION the day following I was again
mingling with the men-not now as a
general observer with little interest in
anything-I was looking for face.
After weaving in and out among the
men for more than an hour suddenly
came face to face. with the stranger
again. don't know why I looked for
him; don't know why he spoke to me
when we met, but do know that our
meeting brought about the discovery
of the richest zinc mines in the world.
1t caused to be written one of the most
interesting and important chapters in
the history of the great west.
eve sat down together, as if by COM
mon consent, although neither of us
had said as yet more than good morn
ing.' For moment neither spoke.
Then he inquired if was detective.
replied that was not; that / was
simply passing through the country on
my way to Indian Territory. I asked
him his name, but he pretended not to
hear me. I asked him where he lived,
and he looked away and began talking
of the prospects of finding ore where
the men were working. 1 was more
than ever interested to know something
of the stranger with whom had met,
and made repeated attempts to as
certain his name or. residence-all with
the same unfruitful result. -
sWhen he spoke of the geological
formation of the place, where the
greater part of the work was being
done, I realized in a moment that he
was a man of high culture. His Ian
guage was pure and beautiful. He
seemed, moreover, to be a profound
scholar, especially along the line of
geology. He did not try to bewilder
me with long geological terms, but
talked so simply about everything, and
yet SO learnedly, that almost fancied
that he was looking into the very
ground as he spoke. AS we sat there
talking a great crowd gathered about
us, and we became the observed of all
observers. The stranger, for such i
have always called him, although he
proved to be a most beneticent friend
to me, said that the people took us for
rich mining promoters. He expressed
the opinion that they were digging in
the wrong place to find mineral. He
seemed very positive in his views. DO
you KNOW said he, that this country
has regular geological formation, and
that rocks and mineral are in place here
just as much as they are in the great
camps of the Rocky mountains? Even
though mineral has been found here
only in pockets, there is one law gov
erning all the deposits, and things have
not occurred here by chance, as most
people suppose
'We separated, after talking for per-
haps two hours. On the following day
I met him again in the crowd, and we
sat down together as before. noticed
that his eyes were red as if from weep
ing, and his face seemed very sad. He
did not talk much, but looked away,
as if to avoid my gaze. It was evident
that he had sustained great grief, and
determined to know more of his his
tory. Atthis time said but little, and
he soon arose and walked away from
the crowd. After awhile he returned,
and this time it was quite evident that
he had been weeping.
'He sat down beside me and asked
him if he had received bad news from
home. At this he looked away, and
made no reply. could not get him
to reveal even so much as suggestion
as to his past, excepting only as his
scholarly conversation proved him to be
man of great learning.
"'This is not the place to Dig he said,
rather impulsively. Il know the place
to dig, and it is quite a distance from
here
"'Can you prove to me that this dis
trict has regular geological forma-
tion? 1 inquired. "A formation which
may be traced and the location of min
erals accurately determined?'
4 CAM was the laconic reply.
cat this time belief came to me
that the man was trying to enthuse me
with his mining talk for the sole pur-
pose of obtaining money from me. 1
therefore resolved to be cautious. i
asked him if he would show me where
rock was in place in the district, and
where might myself trace an absolute
geological formation at the surface.
After studying moment, he replied