The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-27

London Sketch.
They were hunting-after a fashion;
that is to say, not anything with life in
it. They were looking for minerals, not
animals; their quest was for gold and
silver, preferentially the former, but
certainly not grizzlies. They knew form
liable specimens of the last-hamed were
sometimes encountered on the other side
OF the lake among the mountains, which
some pious French-Canadian had called
after st. Mary in days that were not SO
long ago. but which already were for
gotten. But on Shadow range, on which
they had been camped for several days,
go silver-tip," that fiercest king of
beasts, had ever been seen. At least,
that was what they said in the little
mining town on the further side of Sha-
daw lake
Shadow lake was an expansion of Sha-
dow river, suHen. angry flood which
hurled itself through the ramparts of
rock on the north by a black, roaring
canon. The general direction of the
river was from northeast to southwest
as was that of the lake. Save when it
was high noon. and not even then ex-
cept at certain seasons of the year, the
waters of both river and lake were con-
stantly darkened by the shadows from
the bank-shadowS of pine and CEDAR
shadows of the masses and peaks of the
mountains. now Pickering and quiVering
like flame in the wind, now steady and
motiOnleSs, as a vast picture set in u
frame, when the air was still. Mystery.
romance, grandeur dwelt in lake and
river alike. The scene was such as would
have delighted a great painter or great
poet.
? The mountainous regions, long, desolate
and solitary as a desert, through which
Shadow river and lake flowed, had re-
Gently been declared by competent au-
thority to be highly mineralized," and
there were stories to be heard in all
the humming centers OF the West with
regard to several of its mines, some gold
some silver, which were turning out YER
liable bonanZas. And this territory, too
was now being prospected by men from
TIany lands. The St. Mary ridge had
been the scene of two or three rich finds,
but, so far. the Shadow range had re-
fused to disclose its secrets-if it had
any 1t was, however. the opinion, uni
Versai and Interchangeable, of the town
at also called itself St Mary-that the
SHADOW would yet be shown to be the
rleheSt range in the country
Dye reckon the Almighty pitched
met thar pile O. rock" asked Madison,
the keeper of the Palace hotel (the Pal
ace consisted of a two-story shack
OF weather boards and shingles, "pitch-
ed it right thar, and built the whole
Snow O. nothing but unadulterated
stone? No, not much! 1t amt reason
able
This was the simple creed of the place
It's belief, its hope, its gospel. St Mary
1elt II the Shadow proved a deIusion
ana snare, then the bottom might as
well fail out of everything, and thu soon.
er the better. Its faith in it was Stub
born, and the complete failure hitherto
OF al the prospecting expeditions which
mad explored the range had not sue.
ceeded in diScouraging it.
Another party was organized. the back
ers thereof being Pete Small ("LittIe
Pete, they called him, though he was
slx-feet-two in his stockings-the humor
or mining camp. like murder. will out)
VINO ran the general store; Madison, the
before mentioned hotelkeeper; Red Will
son, the deputy sheriff, and Mike Mon