Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-14

n every mining camp In the west
there are rumors Of one, two and
sometimes three lost mines in the i'm
mediate surrounding country. One Of the
most widely known Of these is the ia
nous Lost Cabin mine in Wyoming.
The following is its story:
In 1870 a Frenchman came into Dead
wood, s. D., in pitiful condition. He
was suffering from lack OF food and
clothes. His legs and arms were severely
cut by thorns and buck-brush and chap
arral. His feet were almost bare. In
his hat he carried half dozen gold mug
nets that were worth from $25 to $50
apiece. He and a party Of three others
were prospecting on creek in the Big
Horn range in Wyoming. They had just
established camp and discovered rich
placer "diggings'' when they were set
upon by Indians and all, save one. were
killed. After incredible hardships he
reached Deadv God and told his tale OF
gold and adventure, verifying his stories
by showing his nuggets to the open
mouthed bystanders.
sDeadwood was at that time full Of min
ers and prospectors. and for days and
weeks after his arrival, outfits could be
seen leaving town. taking southwest
ly direction toward the Big Horn range.
Fully 200 men decamped during the sum-
mer Of 1870 for the supposed new Edo
RADIO.
The new "digeings" were to be located
by log cabin that the Frenchnan had
built near the rich pay streak which
they had discovered.
In the early fall the searchers began to
come back. footsore and disappointed.
None had been able to find the log cabin.
To this day In the early spring one can
occasionally see a prospector and his
packhOrse or hurro silently winding
their way up the mountainside, and one
unconscioualy comes to a stop. wonders
at the perseverance Of those in whose
the prospector luck in finding "the
Lost Cabin minc."
In the early sos an emigrant train COM
posed of homeseekers pulled up for the
night in what IL now eastern Oregon,
While the men of the party we're busily
engaged in pitching camp, one Of the
women picked up a blue water bucket
and went In search Of q spring. She wan
dered quite a distance from camp, keep
ing a close watch for likely looking
watering places. Presently she found a
spring and stopped to dip a pail Of water
when she noticed some pretty rocks" In
the bottom Of the spring. The pretty rocks
were yellow and lawfully heavy" and so
interested her that she forgot the water
and picking out some Of the largest ones.
put them in her bucket and carried them
to camp. Upon her arrival one Of the
men placed one of the pretty rocks
upon a wagon tire and with q hammer
proved that It was malleable.
But even after this simple and almost
conclusive proof Of gold, the members OF
the party decided that 1t was "Mormon's'
or fools gold" Because OF the unrest
among the surrounding Indians the emil
grants hurried Oh westward to their des-
tinatiOn.
The woman. however. kept one Of the
pretty rocks" and years afterward used
it as q weight to keep the door open dur
ing the summer. One day miner CHANGED
to call at her home and noticed the rock.
He picked 1t up and pronounced 1t pure
gold. He questioned her closely and she
explained where 1t was found as best she
could.
The miner told his friends and the story
spread like wildf1re. 1t were better that
the nugget had continued to serve in the
humble capacity Of door prop, for hum
dreds have looked. and men are still look
ing for 1.-The Blue Bucket mine"
:.
Another lost mine widely known among
miners and prospectors is the French
mans Lost Lead near Kerby, Ore. In
the early pioneer days a Frenchman
named Bellis started .'muleback' from
Crescent City. on the coast. to Grants
Pass. ore. His course lay over the old
government road then the only means of
travel between the two places.
One day, during the course of his jour-
ney. he came unexpectedly upon an In.
dian camp, and being. as he supposed,
al LA To-