The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-03-08
About the Coded Strip.

80
wealth waiting for the miner in the Two
Medicine connt,y. The writer, about
1893, secured a piece of rock which had
Deer given to r. Morgan, of Robare, by
old Big Nose, a prominent Pies a Indian.
Big Nose was considered to be the head
chief of the Piegans, and was a great
friend of the whites. He told Mr..
Morgan that he had picked this rock up
In the Two Medicine country himself,
and that there was a whole mountain of
the same kind Of rock. This piece of
rock was sent to Helena, and was assay
ed there. The returns showed $500 in
gold, and some silver. John Nonroe, of
the Blackfeet Reservation, showed up
occasionally with the same kind of rock,
and he said he found it in the Two Med
icine country. These samples, which
showed up III or twice every year,
proved a veritable gold mine for both
Big Nose and Monroe. More than one
employee of the Indian Agency thought
he had the thing "dead," and orders on
Kipp's store were always forth coming
upon demand. Many a sneak was made
into the mountains to head off the other
fellow, but they always made a s1.eak
back again. The lead has never been
found to this day. Old Big Nose could
show you exactly the mountains where
tho CJlnnnCnd lonl woo ,ryhno 1kr%.l:..
some prominent ridge 20 miles from
the mountains, but when asked to go
there, always had an excuse. I do not
think he ever attempted to show any
one where the alleged mine was, al
he had promised Mr.. Morgan to
put him or Monroe made the trip now
and then with some new found sucker but
somehow, always got off the trail, hence
results. Since the strip opened their
has peer no fancy specimens brought in
rom Two Medicine, and we have always
wondered where this rock came from.
Shorty White Grass told the writer
once that he knew where this lead was.
He said he with other Indians was up
Two Medicine with Maj. Baldwin when
was Agent. During the trip this
edge was accidently discovered, but was
Immediately covered up by The Major.
Shorty caught a glimpse however, OF the
wealth, and declared that twas Gust
solid bed of gold" He wanted to
guide me to the spot, but | refused, as L
lid not like to cheat the Major out Of
lis prior right.
An old p~rospectCr, who has been follow
.ng the business for 20 years or more,
me that the Strip has not been
p~rospected yet, and hat what little
scratching has been done was by a class
IF men he calls "Field Glass P~rospectors."
They camp at the mouth of some canyon
TO which camp they return every night,
hey follow the main trails, and stop and
gaze for hours through their glasses at
some imaginary lead, still sitting on their
lorses. He says there are men who have
all these mountains, and have
never set foot on the ground after leay-
ng camp. He also calls them horse
pack prOspectors. There are mel who
20 onto the Strip. ride around q day or
'wo, and then leave, c~ureing the country.
lnds saying cit is 90 good" / have seen
men myself turn back when right in
o. the promised land. The spring
he Strip opened, shortly after it would
appear in some paper that Mr.. so and so
lad returned from the Coded Strip, and
lfter investigating and prospecting the
Strip thoroughly, he had arrived at the
conclusion that there was no mineral in
he district, and the whole thing a fraud.
Not al the mines are in the Swift
Jurrent district. In the country tribu-
airy to the St. Mary's on the west and
outh, have been staked numerous
and they carry rich mineral. To
learly every case they are thought to be
'xtensicns OF the Bulls Head, Cracker
nd Josephine leads. A few locations
lave been made up Cut Bank and Two
ledicine, but nothing startling as yet
las been Shown up. Rboro arc claims
n Badger creek, and Little Badger. It
; reported that these two creeks are
promising well, and we can expect to
-ear most any time Of a genuine STAN
ede to thaC section.
Some very amusing stories could be
about the different runs made when
he Strip was opened. Many a hard
ace was IAN in nrdor RI eooov. Ia