Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-01
THEY LOST A TON Of GOLD
Bad Luck Which Followed
Three Miners From Con-
federate Gulch.
THEY FACED MANY PERlLS
Getting Into Civilization The, Fall
Victims to the Wiles H
Smooth Robbers.

"A Large Sized Jag which WAS Ksspon-
sibie fer Separating Thorn From Ineir
wsaith-Failsd to See tho Boxes which
Were Put Aboard at Omaha.
"It was an even ton of gold" said
Bob Harwood, that Long Williams,
b. Dingee and Clute Mullen took out
of Confederate Gulch in "a. And when
| recall their experiences in getting it
East, where they expected to live hap.
, PLY ever afterward, I'm reminded OF
the sprinter who ran hard, but STUN.
bed mt the tape, and thereby lost his
money and the race.
"Of course. they knowed they had
job before 'em, for the Sioux was bad,
and SO was the Blackfeet Moreover
there was the ride down the Missouri
and in boat of their own making
And, besides, that, their ton Of gold
weighed over 1000 pounds-for they
wasn't cheating themselves-and n
ton of most anything honest weight is
a pretty big handicap for one to make
speed with in gon' through hostile
country. However, a party similarly
burdened had got through all right,
and KNOWN this fact they didn't hesi.
tate a minute about followin'. Long
Williams seen to gettin' the grub: Il.
Dingee hired the escort and Clute Mul.
len made his chief worry to rent the
teams and weapons. And thus
equipped they started out for Boston,
at the head of the Missouri in the late
fall OF Ga
AT Benton the escort turned back.
Long Williams hated to see 'em go.
Now says Clute, we can say
without lyin' that our troubles is
tt.
Jams and B. Dingee agreed.
After numerous hardships and
hairbreadth escapes from Indians, the
voyagers reached Sioux City, where
they found the steamer Deer Lodge,
belated on its down the-rlver Journey,
because of disabled machinery, and
was there tied up; but with everything
fixed again, it was on the point of re.
sumin' its trip to st. Louee. So the
boys were Just In time. The luck OF
the thing made 'em feel so good tina,
after seeing that their gold was
slowed away in their big stateroom
they started In to quench everybody's 8
thirst, including their own.
AT Omaha neither Clute nor Long
could see the town for the haze. As
n for b. Dingee. he was out and out
: blind. SO none of 'em took particular
t notice Of another passenger gettin'
J.. aboard at this point nor appeared to
see the half dozen boxes, similar to
i their own, that he had the deckha
carry up to his state room. Nor did
the boys know when the Deer Lodge
touched at Nebraska City, where some
50 of the passengers and a box or two
~ left the boat: and at st. Joe all three
II were a-snorin' in their berths. Yet, al
IT. l-II-
o fellows and all the other boxes parted
n company with the steamboat. and
g neither Chute, nor Long nor b. Dlngee
). was present to say good-by. But in
passing LeavenwOrth the boys walked
Z up. The first thing they seen was
B. their boxes, looking Just as natural as
l. life, and standin' right there where
It they'd slowed 'em.
!. Then they caught glimpse Of a
4. big sign stretched along the river
% bank, saying that teamsters for Den.
YER was wanted. And seein' it, and
u despite their feeln' at the tme-for
r their heads ached terribly-they
glanced at each other and grinned.
y For all had skinned mules or whacked
= mules at one time or another. and
> seeing the sign brought the recollec.
ton back.
n "I reckon says Long Williams.
r glancin' sideways at the boxes, that
O with ton O. gold at our fists we'll
+ not apply. But what was the name o.
= that camp, and. moreover, when are
we to get to st. I.ouee? And they went
o out to look up the steward, get q few
t eye-openers, and incidentally to find
!. out
$ Now. az the steamboat was ap
i'm 7 ha
y y TO one Of the boxes to get some dust
they owed the steward B. Dlngee
prled off the lid and stared while
Long and Clute stepped out to see the
stateroom number. thinkin' they'd got
into the wrong place by mistake But
no, 1t was theirs all right Then they
. all went to prying Off lids, and the rae,
d ket they made brought dozen people
g to their door Then Long Williams,
e seein' that the last lid was Off, says In
l. a terrible voice:
- Hang me. II they hain't stole our
gold and give us scrap iron. and he
. glared about him, ready to kill tn,
y first one that denied it, For 1t was the
o plain truth, and everybody could see II
II "Well, the upshot of 1t was that,
q there, with the spires o ST. Louee in
sight, they put back in their yawl up.
stream for st. Joe and Nebraska Citc
J. where they wanted to find the jolly
S fellows who, the captain said. had got
@ of ut tlem points with boxes similar
+ to theirs. But they never found EN-
n Yet they put in the winter huntin
:, round like moles. And then. spring
u comm. they remembered the big sign
at Leavenworth. Then Il. Dingee
says:
Y "'well. boys. it's bulls again
q "'And Confedente' says Clute
where I've still got a claim to divide.
u "Amen,' says Long Williams, and
n their caravan pulled ont.
c Now. seen 'em all over at Con
V federate that same fall. They wa.
!. minin', but they wasn't gettin' no tor
, O. gold. They had had their shy at n
~ heap O. money, and fortune seldom
U pats the same men on the back twice