The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-24

cation of claims at Bartons (now
Nead) gulch, on the Upper Ruby, in
the winter of 1866. The stampede &C.
Cured from Alder gulch. One hundred
and eleven claims We're recorded, and
all the selections above the discovery
shaft the stakes were set in the snow
and were washed away when the
freshets of spring carried off the
landmarks James NJ. Sipe, board
ing house keeper, was the recorder.
He got 1929 for three days work re-
cording the claims. and has the dis
tinction of being the only man who
ever made wages" in Barton's gulch.
To be elected recorder of new min
| ing district was frequently far better
than to be the locator of the best claim
in the diggings, especially if the Off
cial coupled with his clerical duties the
vending of a few kegs of Jersey
lightning" wherewith to maintain the
excitement at top notch while any
chances for a location remained. A
tent, pitched in convenient contiguity
to fallen tree, furnished ample office
room, while the tree itself supplied all
the desk that was required, as well as
the fuel necessary to keep the 1ocators
from freezing while their claims were
being duly recorded, provided that the
consumption of the lightning just
referred to was insufficient for that pur-
pose.
The story of the discoveries at Ban
mack, Alder, Pioneer, Last Chance.
Confederate and scores of other places
which have poured millions Of dollars
into the worlds Golfers Of gold has
been told SO often that is familiar to
Montanans. 1 merely wish to illustrate
some of the peculiar phases Of human
nature superinduced by the conditions
described at the outset, and show the
stage of gullibility which man can ar
rive at when animated by a spirit of
reckless adventure. l cannot better do
this than by relating the story of a few
of these stampeders In the early days
which had no result contributory to the
worlds wealth, but only brought dis
aster or ridicule upon those who par
| ticipated in them. -
During the winter Of 1865 several
hundred Of the people of Virginia City
were made the victims of cruel hoax
which was perpetrated by registering
| lot of west siders. who were on their
way to the territorial capital to at
tend the meeting of the second session
of the legislative assembly. The party
was travelling on horseback and, en-
route, two of it's members made a
wager of a wine supper and trimmings
for the crowd that they would cause
a stampede from Virginia City without
bringing in report of the discovery
IF gold diggings. 1t was stipulated
that the affair should be kept pro
found secret until it had been fairly
sprung in Virginia and that the other
members of the party should faith
fully aid in carrying out the scheme.
On reaching the gulch they began
spreading a report that two bands of
Indians one Of Pend d'Oreille and one
of Bannaclzs Cat that time sworn enc
mies) were encamped on either side
of the Stinkingwater below Peter
non .r'S oh nd on
their war paint and holding war dances
preparatory to engaging in big bat
tie. Arriving at Junction, four miles
from Virginia, the party, consisting OF
about a dozen, separated into squads
and the two principals rode into town
and began the circulation of the story.
They were soon followed by num-
Der of gulch miners, bearing exagger-
ated reports of what they had heard
about the ma tier BY the time the re-
mainder of the west side crowd ar
rived with confirmation of the news
the Virginians had become worked up
to the highest pitch of excitement.
Some expressed solicitude for the safety
of the few settlers and ranchmen in
habiting the valley: others who bad
previously participated In Indian fights
along the Platte were anxious to en-
courage the rival! redskins in the 1aud-
able endeavor to wipe each other out.
intense curiosity to see how an Indian
battle was conducted. When, there
fore, later report declared that the
yells Of the savages could be heard
from the mouth of the gulch and some
shooting had already commenced, 1t
needed but a word to start the excited
men of Virginia on the road to the
impending battle ground. This was
given by some of the west side jokers.
who hastily commanded that their
horses be re-saddled and bridled and
ordered the preparation of luncheon,
which they averred they stood in great
need Of before starting on account of
the long ride they had made before ar
irving Before they finished their re-
past every man in the city who could
secure a mount was in the saddle and
hustling away to the Stinkingw
Merchants, editors, lawyers, doctors,
miners. gamblers and hoboes We'd with
each other in the mad rush to be first
at the scene of savage carnage, and
500 of virginias best and worst citi-
gems mingled in the wild scamper
which the bambooZled crowd made
down the gulch that day. After IL
mile ride on a bitterly cold day they
found instead of two warning bands
of hostile braves. less than half
dozen tepees of decrepit DUCKS ana neg
carly sqnaWs.
smaller scale which occurred as the re-
suit of a practical joke in Bozeman
in 1869 The hoax was perpetrated by
some young men about town who,
without adequate fear Of editorial Ven
geance, inflicted it upon Horatio N.
Mcguire, the talented editor of the
Bozcman Pick and Pillow. Mcguire was
a man of exceedingly sanguine temper
ament and vivid imagination, easily
imposed upon. These young men had
been on a fishing excursion on one Of
the tributary streams of the Gallatin
river. They decided to present a mess
of trout to the editor. Previous to do
Ing so one Gus Callahan, of the party
proposed to salt" the fish, which he
did by plugging two' small nuggets into
the entrails of two of the fishes in such
a manner that they would be found
when the trout were cleansed for cook
ing. The scheme succeeded, and when
Mrs Mcguire found one of the nuggets
she was surprised beyond measure and
Mac" was called in to see the find.
Further research of course 0PNelODa1