The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1909-04-17
A Spanish Bar Story

AuioHS lIie lloSt pIoililc STORY te.ieIs
of the early days of Clear Creek county
were Commodore Steve Decatur, John
Nj. Dumont, and John NJ. Scudder, the
former of who whom died many years
ago in Custer county. Dumont and
Scudder, however, are still among the
living, both residents of Denver. The
old Commodore, who had wonderful
memory and never forgot story, re-
lated one of the early days in Spanish
Bar, giving John NJ Dumont as the
original author of it. He said:
Among the first comers 10 the Bar
was a little old man who looked more
like an Egyptian mummy than human
being. He was always very successful
in his mining operations and made and
boarded up large sums of money He
appeared to be of Hebrew extraction,
yet he never told any one where he was
born or that he had any relatives. The
burden of his talk was that he had al
ways been miserably healthy; that he
could not get sick and die as other men.
One day one of the miner men told him
lIldL IL Ile "dDLSp " ulS, dtdu oulS
enough, TO go to Missouri and build
him cabin on the bank of one of the
sloughs, drink the slough water and
he would shake himself to death in
double-quick time. The idea took.
The old man gave a farewell to his
friends on the Bar and started for the
Missouri river Several months after
he left one of his friends on the Bar
received letter written by an aman-
uensis, stating that the old man was
shaking right royalty. A short time
thereafter, another letter was received
stating that the little old man was dead
and while living had employed him and
paid him also, to take his body to Span
ish Bar and there bury him among the
mountains in a certain spot that he
designated on map of his own making
The gentleman arrived from the Mis-
souri, river with the body. The map
was consulted and the spot that the old
man had designated for his last resting
place was easily found. Two miner
men dug grave and the inhabitants of
the Bar assembled to pay the last sad
farewell to one of their number who
had always been a generous friend.
After all had assembled, the coffin lid
was raised to take last look at the
dear mumified face of the old man.
There was no one present who had a
prayer book containing the burial ser
vices. One of his enthusiastic friends,
however, procured demjohn of cordial
perhaps it was old Bourbon, proposed
that they clink a parting cup to the
memory of their ancient friend. While
the cups were being filled several of
the crowd noticed placid smile on the
countenance of the corps, and just as
the mourners were raising the cups to
their lips, the corpse sprang from the
coffin, stood erect among his old friends
and said, "Boys, I'll smile with you. !"
Now whether it was the revivifying
effect of Colorado air, or sniff of the
vapors of the hot soda springs of Idaho
or the aroma of the cordial that
brought the old man back to life, each
one must determine for himself. The
old man had been in a prolonged trance
The traditions of the Bar say that after
a season of feasting and rejoicing over
this strange event the old man panned
out some of the dirt that was dug for
his grave, and it proved to be very rich
in gold. The old-timers still living on
the Bar say they can point out the very
spot where the grave was dug and from
which the strange old man sluiced out
half million dollars in gold.
: The traditions of the Bar further say
\ that shortly after the commencement
of the great Rebellion the old man be-
gan to talk great deal about the pro-
liabilities of being killed in battle. SO
one day, it is surmised that he cashe
his immense fortune and left for the
front and never returned Whether he
fought in the ranks of the Blue or the
Gray, none of his old friends ever
found out. Knowing and shrewd ones
asserted that before the old man left he
made a map of the section Of the coun-
try where his cache was situated and
sent it to a prominent member of the
Republican party with instructions to
open it and use the wealth there con-
cealed for campaign purposes provided
he did not return by a certain. time
From the lavish expenditure Of money
for this purpose by certain politicians
it il presumed the old mans wealth
has been literally distributed. .-Ex-
change.
R. Allison, ever to the front IN