The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-12-16
LOST MINE LEGENDS
EACH MINING STATE AND COuN-
TRY HAS ONE OR MORE.
PR0SPECTO2 BELIEVES THEM
It Is One of the Things That Spurs
Him to Energy-Silas F. King
Spent Money to Find One
Near Butte.

The last issue of the Virginia City
tiole on lost mines and expresses the be-
lief that the legend is myth of the first
water. The article is as follows:
| There is not a mining district from
Mexico 10 Alaska that has not legend
/ Of a lost mine. The popularity about all
these lost mines is that Invariably they
| are of richness almost SURPRISING be-
| lief; the rock fairly glitters with gold.
/ The popularity about the legends is that
| they are believed. All miners have more
| or less faith in them, and if the truth
! We're .cld, rather more than less. The
| prospector who has not hunted for such
lost treasure is no real prospectOr. He
simply is man out Of job, roaming the
nils for exercise. He may think he is
prospector but unless he nave implicit
faith in the existence of a lost mine
sJmewilere mine that will make him
muitimiliionaire within the year-he is
mistaken. Faith in the unattainable is
what keeps the real prospector alive. He
may locate a good lead. but in his in
ner1nost consciousness he knows that he
can find that marvellous rich lost mine
the next time he is in the neighborhood.
Legends Belong Everywhere.
These legends belong to no particular
age. country or cline. They are known
in Australia as well as in the Rockies;
in Africa assfWell as in Mexico: to the
ancients as we'll as to the moderas. How
many men have thought they could To-
cate the lost mines of Solomon if-but
always that insuperab.e 'if?" Sir John
Mandevi!e located them in China: Mar
co Polo had them placed in Japan, and
each had adherents. Marco Polo, by the
way, never was in japan, but he said he
knew that the houses We're rooted with
gold and TIE streets paved with it. 1t
was the story of Montezuma's gold that
led to the conquest OF Mexico, and then
the mines whence the gold came We're
loss Moatezuma ransomed himself for
six millions in gold, and after the gold
was collected he was killed. 1t was the
story of the gold to the southwest that
led PizZaro to Peru, and after Atahualpa
had paid as~h!s ransom room full of
gold, some $14,000,O00, the tragedy of
Mexico was repeated and Atahualpa was
killed, and then, too. the richest mines
were lost. Since the conquests of Mexico
and Peru innumerable quests have been
made fer those lost mines. The gold
of the Incas must have come from some
mine, and the known mines never could
have produced it. These lost treasure
houses are somewhere in the Andes, and
some day they will be found.
Prospectors Believe in It.
The Potosi in Bolivia produced over
$4,000 900 600 between 1545. and 1885, but
this gold came after the lost mines were
lost Chile has her lost mines, and so
has Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.
Are the Central American states free
10 N.Y. I'D
more numerous there than anywhere
else. Not season passes that some
traveller does not return from Mexico
with wondrous tale told him by the
natives Of rich minerals in the interior
mountain fasthesses. .California is pro-
life with such stories. No prospector
lives that does not believe in the lost
placer diggings where gold may be
scooped up by the shovelful, diggings
that have been thrice found and thrice
lost Every state has it's own particu-
lar pet lost mine. Montana has num-
Der Of them.
Looking for It in Madison.
The richest lost lead of Madison coun-
sy is one that never was found to be
lost. That is somewhat of an Irish bull,
but it conveys the meaning. It Is known
that the placer gold Of Alder gulch came
from some free gold lead that was worn
away by glacial erosion. That lead, or
that series of leads, is somewhere in the
hills of Alder gulch. 1t is lost. but may
be found some day.
The Highland Mary is Madison coun-
tvs particular lost mine. Somewhere |
over in the Madison range away back
in the Cos prospect was discovered, To-
Gated and for time worked with most |
gratifying results 1t was the Highland !
Mary. The locator brought several |
sacks of ore over to Virginia City and |
interested some of the mining men in his |
discovery. The ore was rich with free |
gold and had every appearance Of having |
come from a good sized lead. The pros |
pector never divulged the exact location |
Of the lead, and after he was drowned In |
crossing the Madison river, all trace of
the mine passed away. and although I
prospectors have sought for It and some
have claimed to have found It. the High |
land Mary still belongs to the category |
of lost mines.
silas King Lost One.
Silas King of Butte tells of a man COM |