The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-17
Saline County Man Thinks He
Has Gold.
His Mine is Located In the
Smoky Hills.
THE ASSAYS ARE RICH
The Indians Tell of a Famous
Hidden Treasure.
Red Men Secured Precious Metal
For Ornaments.

Salina, Jan. 1.-THE Union says:
Thomas Mullen. the man who struck
gold on his farm near the western line
of Saline county, was in Salina today
with his wife. Mr.. Mullen was the first
settler in the town of Brookyille. He is
well-to-do farmer and now lives in
Ellsworth county, a mile and a quarter
from the Saline county line.
While digging a well on his farm in
December he struck rich gold bearing
rock. He had a fine looking specimen
with him today. He says the quartz
has been tested by w E. Sheriff, Geo.
Seitz and H. w. Nunamaker, three
Ellsworth experts, and the results prove
that it is rich in the precious metal.
Mr.. Mullen has arranged to have assays
made. He says the gold bearing rock
was found in gravel IA feet from the
surface. He went down 81 feet, but the
supply of gravel was not exhausted. 1t
is the opinion of Mr.. Mullen that the
gravel runs down to bed rock
Mr.. Mullen says he is confident that
rich silver mines exist in the hills along
the Smoky river, and told interesting
stories to a Union reporter to support
his belief. He said:
In 1868 a man stopped at my house
one night. The next day he went pros
pecting in the hills along the Smoky
river. Before he went away he told me
that he had been looking for a silver
mine, but didn't find it. He then stated
lIidl ID years before ne 0aQ Deen cap
tured by the Indians in Nebraska and
taken through Kansas. The Indians
stopped along the Smoky river and dug
big chunks of silver from the banks of
a stream They used the silver to make
rings, bracelets and ornaments. The
| place where the silver was found was
marked by the head of wolf cut about
| u feet high in bank of sandstone.
| The man returned to the hills along the
| Smoky in an effort to find the VOLTS
! head, and thereby locate the silver
mine, but he failed
! Continuing, Mr.. Mullen said: ''In
/ 1873 an Ohio man came to my place and
! then went prospecting in the hills. Be
/ fore he left he told me that he Travelled
/ along the Smoky Hill in 1849 while on
| his way to California with a party of
gold hunters. One day while the party
| was camping along the Smoky Hill the
| Ohio man and companion found rich
| groupings of silver on the banks of a
stream. The metal was so plentiful
| that large pieces could be dug from the
rocks along the stream Directly above
| the spot where the silver was found
was a VOLTS head cut in sandstone. The
party OF men first thought of working
in the mine, but the Indians were so
thick that they&rhanged their minds
and went on to California. The Ohio
man said he made his fortune and re-
turned 10 his home state, but thinking
of the silver mine on the Smoky he had
retraced his steps in effort to locate
| it, but did not succeed.
III 1914, SAID MT Mullen. "a survey
or named Woods from eastern Kansas
called at my place. He was also look
| ing for the VOLTS head and the silver
mine. He told me that an old white
man who lived with the Pottawatomie
Indians told him about the VOLTS head
and the silver mine. The old white man
informed Woods that the Pottawatomie
! Indians made regular trips to the
! Smoky river for the purpose of getting
| silver with which to make rings brace
| lets and all kinds of ornaments The
/ metal existed in large quantities. The
| old White man promised to tell Woods
| exactly where the mine was located,
/ providing Woods would be on hand
| when he was ready to die.
after I heard this said Mr.. Null
! len, 4 asked Woods to go with me to
| Burlingame, where the old white man
was then living with the Indians,
| Woods consented, but when we reach
! ed the Indian camp the old white man
| was not there. He had gone away on a
| three months hunting trip.
we tried to get some information
| from the old Indian chief but he
| wouldn't give US anything but grunts
| We had taken out a jug of whisky
/ some bologna and crackers. We asked
! the chief to take a drink, but he re-
! fused and grunted ferociously. When
we offered him bologna and crackers we
| struck him where he lived. He took a
seat and devoured bread and BOLOGNA
| until he SWelled up.
THAT was in 1874 and ever since then
I have beer looking for the VOLTS head
| and the silver mine. I have not been
! successful yet, but l expect to be- said
Mr.. Mullen as he bid the reporter good
| day.