The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-02
AN INVOLUNTARY GOLD CURE.

Forest and stream

Forest and Stream
Out in Colorado there are a great many
rich ores that present the gold in certain
chemical combinations. which nothing but
cyanide viii break down and liberate the
elemental gold. Under such conditions the
prospector has to be somewhat more of a
mineralogist than when his search is con-
nned 10 placer, quartz and gravel gold. In
at the back OF Pixies Peak there was a
camp OF half a dozen prospectOrs for they
had found good line of country rock and
were working out in all directions. Z regret
to say that very many OF these adven-
furious miners are heavy drinkers. and the
men in this camp were no exception. What
Is worse. they had an abundant supply of
the stun, and every night after their ex-
hausting labors above the line of 10Dyo feet
OF altitude they gave a close imitation of
q debauch. All this time they were feeding
on bacon and salt pork and canned goods
once In a while Just by way OF variety.
But one day member OF the party sighted
a heard of deer. and the next day he took
a day of with his rife. saying il was about
time the camp had some real meat-some
OF the fresh kind. Well. he brought back
a deer that day and they cooked IL and
had IL ready for dinner when the others
got Dack That venison went just TO the
right spot, and the camp unanimously
agreed 10 this mans being authorized 10
keep them supplied with fresh meat After
dinner they brought on the demijoh and
filled up all around. IL was no difficult
thing for that crowd TO pour the stun down
the trouble came Immediately afterward.
One gagged. another choked until the tears
streamed from his eyes-all were in diff
ficulties
Who's been monkeying with this whis-
KY said one as soon as he could get his
voice.
First time / ever knew whisky TO 20
back on me-" said another.
They decided TO give IL another trial. but
il was no go When they got IL TO their
lips they couldn't get IL any farther. They
not only did not want il. but they had an
aversion TO IL. This went for several
days, getting worse every day, and they
were getting so beastly sober that ii
Ike making new acquaintance all around.
At last they decided To send one of the
party In TO Colorado Springs to consult a
doctor. The way they figured IL out
that as they were all aff1icted in the same
way one patient would be just as good as
the bunch, and when the doctor had found
out what was the matter with him and
given him prescription all he would have
TO do would be TO buy six times as much
as was ordered, and then there would be
enough to go around. Just TO be sociable.
this fellow packed i'm one of the deer that
they had been living on. Well, he came
back without much satisfaction. but plenty
OF medicine OF one sort or another-at any
rate, the druggist told him it was a good
deal better. In a few days who should
come chasing up TO their camp but the
doctor. The upshot of the whole matter
was. that the doctor had found himself af-
fected the same way. but as he was an
Eastern man IL didn't SO much matter in
his case. He did some chemistry on the
venison that was left him, and ne found
the meat damned full OF gold chlorides.
That made everything plain. Instead OF
venison they had been eating a regular
Jag" cure. and now they couldn't drink
But the medicine man had plenty OF
''savey"-a heap more than the prospectors.
Under his direction they trailed up the
runway OF the deer and finally found the
place where they had their licks-for you
know deer must have something salt To
lick. The prospectors had been looking
for sylvanite and the teilurides; they had
no idea what gold chlorides looked like.
and they had passed this place over a
dozen times not worth much the
tap OF hammer. The deer had been steadi-
Is licking the outcrop until they were fair
ly charged with the gold I'm it's chemical
combination, which passed into the men
who fed on the Venison. To-day, / am
glad to say, tina; is one OF the best propo-
sitions north OF Cripple Creek