The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-01-08

less intended to purchase.
The story goes that he wrote back
TO them that he had a good thing
where he was, and that unless the
matter was very important he prefer
red to remain and do further work on
che prospect. A short time afterward.
however, he came out of the noun
talns, presumably for the purpose of
procuring supplies or placing himself
In communication with his partners
and one afternoon he was seen ap-
preaching the ranch above mentioned
Near the house was a large gate,
which it would be necessary for NC
Dougald to open anu enter before he
could approach the house. His friends
watching from the doorway saw him
ride up to the gate and start to dis
mount At this time someLn4ng
frightened the morse and he wheeled,
throwing his rider head foremost to
the ground. Unhappily, one of Nc
Dougald's feet, which were shod with
heavy prospector's shoes, caught in
the stirrup and the frightened horse
started in wild career across the
prairie, dragging the unfortunate man
to death in few minutes.
The secret of McDougalds mine
persisted with him, unless, forsooth,
some enterprising fortune hunter shall
stumble on his shaft or tunnel, or
whatever workings he may have
started in order to develop the prop
erty.
1t is said that the gentlemen who
QUILTED or grubstaked McDougald
have made many offers to locate the
site of his discovery, but SO far their
efforts have been fruitless. Some of
his old camps have been found, and
these were identified by the broken
cupels and other discarded assaying
apparatus laying around, but his main
camp, the one from which he started
on his fatal journey, has never been
found, and it is the opinion of many
men in that section of the country
that when that camp is found, close
to it will also be found McDougalds
lost mine, and in all probability it
Will NC III CIS UOSS WHICH 10
bisecting the main range of the Rocky
mountains from the headwaters of
Big river on the west, to Birch creek
on the east.
Through the main range at this
point there is a pass known as the
Birch creek pass, and when the pre-
liminary survey or reconnaissance of
the Great Northern railway was made
it was attempted to find suitable
route for the line through this pass.
The surveyors found a great many in
dications of mineral, and the engi-
neer in charge made a rough map of
the country, with view to exploit
later date.
1t proved to be impossible to find
suitable route through this pass,
and the line was established 25 or
80 miles further north. The engineer
who made this map was never able
to carry out his scheme and the map
itself is said to now be in the posses.
sion of Major Steel. a well known
resident of Helena.
Those who searched for McDou-
gald's lost mine probably made the
mistake of limiting tneir explorations
to the east slope of the main range,
while it is likely that the hardy Ole
prospector himself had overcome all
of the difficulties incident to crossing
the range in that vicinity, and had
finally struck it rich, not on the head
waters of Birch creek, but over the
range on the headwaters of Big
river.
This theory is supported by the
fact that other prospectors have
found exceedingly rich pieces of
float. one prospector having found a
mass of rock as large as an ordinary
writing desk and rich in golds silver
and copper in one of the little tribu-
taries of Big river, and almost oppo-
site where McDougald yentured into
the mountains.
Some day the lost secret of McDou-
gald's mine may be revealed, and
there is many an old timer and pros