The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-27
he HAS GOLD IN A WELL
Lucky Find Made by a Home
stake Woodhauler.
DISCOVERED BY CHANCE
1t Is SUPPOSED to Have Been Originally
a Prospect Hole - Located Near
the Old Thompson Placer
Diggings.

Anton Dejardines, wOodhauler who
lives in Homestake gulch, was in town
yesterday showing his friends a few
particles of gold which he says he
hoisted out of his well the other day.
If Anton tells the truth he has prob
ably a better we'll than anybody else
in the gulch. He said that the water
is getting very low in the well and
that often the bucket scrapes the bot
tom when dipping the water bringing
up Il handful or two Of gravel. The
other day he "panned' the gravel just
for fun. as he put it. and was much
surprised to see the particles of gold
which he now displays.
The hole is only about 10 feet deep"
said he. 1T was there when l took
possession Of the cabin two years ago.
There is water out in the willows that
l use in the summer time, but it is
frozen over now, so l use the well,
which l think was originally a prospect
hole"
Anton's cabin is situated near the old
Thompson placer diggings, which were
worked in 1885 by small company
of Butte leasers, who did not succeed
in making any considerabl BILE amount of
money The ground is spotted" and
is known to have yielded a pot of gold,
but it was taken from pot holes,' as it
We're.
It is not doubted that the woodhauler
found the gold in the well and that a
rich pot" is there. Anton has staked
off a claim embracing the well and eX-
poets to sell his team and wagon in
the summer and go to the Paris ex-
position after he cleans out the bot
tom of his well. He came from Paris
10 years ago, and when he left he told
his brother, who is in business there,
that he would return a wealthy man.
mo you WON'T said the brother.
"Once you find yourself in America
you will never get out Of it. You will
always be a rover
II told him that he didn't know me,
or he wouldn't say that" said Anton.
and then he related a dream he had
when he was preparing to embark for
America.
II had dream that impressed me
profoundly. l am the youngest of nine
boys, and have always held out fond
hopes CT becoming rich. l was never
idle a day in my life, always doing
something. / dreamed that I was ship
wrecked on the high seas. There was
no drinking water on the wreck. / was
dying of thirst. ! fell asleep and
dreamed. I dreamed that l was dream
ing. There was a deep hole and in it
was a yellowish liquid. l procured a
bucket and with a rope lowered it
into the hole. I hoisted bucketful of
the yellow water to, the surface and
eagerly polled my face into the vessel,
but before l could touch my lips to
the fluid it had turned to a solid mass.
I attempted to lift the bucket, and was
startled by it's immense weight
could not bulge it. It was solid gold.
This vision fitted away and found
myself again on the wave splashed deck
of the wrecked vessel. 1 was still
thirsty, but could see nothing but the
briny eXpanse which surrounded my
terrible plight. I was then dreaming of
the dream l had about the bucket of
gold. I threw UP my hands in despair
and screamed. Ny brother poked my
ribs and I emerged from my dream
and found myself covered with per-
spiration.
I'm a few days I sailed for America
with a merchantmen and when six
days out we encountered a terrific gale.
Our ship was buffeted about on the
savage waves for As hours and we
was on the verge OF mutiny when, hap
PLY, ship was sighted. We were
towed into port.
THE dream which came to me in
my former dream came again while
We We're lost at sea. I saw the same
well and the yellow liquid. I drew a
bucketful out Of the hole, but it con-
gealed as soon as it reached daylight
Nov, you see, I went to the well the
other day to get a drink. I. hoisted
some yellow stuff out of the hole. I
couldn't drink it. found it to be gold.
My dream has come true"