The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-18
BARNEY HUGHES DIES
At WISDOM
MAN WHO WAS ONE OF PARTY
WHO DISCOVERED ALDER
cULcH PASSES AWAY.

Barney Hughes. pioneer OF Mon
tana and one of the members of the
party which discovered Alder guleh.
is dead at Wisdom, Mont. Mr.. Hughes
was In his 9sd year and until a few
days ago was hale and hearty. He
attended the annual meetings of the
Society of Montana Pioneers until
1906 when failing health compelled
him to remain at home. During his
last years he was an inmate OF the
Bcaverhcad county hospital and il was
there he died. He will be buried at
Wisdom and his funeral will be held
under the auspices Of the Society Of
Montana Pioneers and the BeaScrhead
County society.
Discovery Of Alder.
The death Of Mr.. Hughes recalls the
story of the discovery of Alder gulch
from which vast sums of gold have
been taken. In 1868 an expedition set
out for the Yellowstone. In one party
were Governor Hauser. James Stuart
Mr.. Boswicks. George Ives, John Van
derbilt and dozen others The 9TH
er party was composed of William
Fairweather. Barney Hughes, ii. +.
Edgar, Louis simmons. Mike Sweeney
and two others. The parties were TO
meet by appointment on the Sinking
Water. but through some misunder-
standing they missed connections and
while the stuart party We're camped
on WISCONSIN creek the Fairweathcr
party passed by them unobserved and
continued to point 10 or II miles
below the present city of Billings
Here they We're set upon by a band
of Crow Indians and taken captive
The Indians held them in confine-
ment three days and then after turn
ing out their horses told them to
hike" On the 2sth day Of May.
1853. the party campcd In Alder guich
n short distance from what Is now the
site of Virginia City. After they had
prepared the camp all of the members
of the party save Edgar and Fair
weather went in search of game
While they were gone Mr.. Edgar took
gold pan and went to a point where
Fairweather said he had seen some
bedrock sticking out. Fairwcathcr dug
up considerable diff and Edgar pro-
ccdca to pan IT, While he WAS thus
engaged, Fairwcather. who had been
n former Californian. exclaimed that
he had found sead, his term for
n gold nugget. Yes. and have found
about thousand replied Edgar. who
was busy panning gold. After the
dirt had been panned and examine
ton made of it. II was found that Ed
gar had gold to the value Of 81 in his
pan and Fairweather had nugget
worth approximately si.sc They
washed two more pans Of dirt which
came to sia. The next day they
panned si6o Of the yellow metal. They
remained at the camp one day and
decided that all should 20 To Ban
mack, keep perfectly quiet about their
discovery, secure provisions and re-
turn to work their claims. Tom
Cooyer. however. who was "A member
of the party. felt so elated over the
discovery that he whispered the news
to Col. sam Mclean. who was after
ward the first delegate from the ter
rltory Of Montana to congress. and
the news spread like wild fire. Soon
II was on the lips of every person in
the city. Watches were established
50 that the members of the party
could not get back Ia their discoe-
cry unaccompanied. Finally con-
ference was held and II WAS agreed
that the members of the party should
escort the citizens of the city to the
discovery. The discoveries We're to Sc
iect two claims each and the balance
should be left open TO the rest of the
crowd. The first claims should never
be jumpable but III least one days
work a week should be done on the
others.
Heads the Party Back.
With this understanding Edgar
Hughes, Fairweather and the others
led the way into Alder gulch. and In