Rocky Ford enterprise., 1912-08-30

awaits some ones finding, is one
concerning which ! have sought
the exact truth for the several yeare
that I have followed this fad OF col
iecting treasure-trove data. The pub
lication of the story or stories about IL
may bring to light the men who can
say definitely what IN what However
any man who cares to set out after IL
In businesslike manner may turn
himself into multi-millionaire be-
tween Christmas and Fourth OF July.
This much ia certain: somewhere
on the upper reaches of the Missouri
river lie four large barges. lost In
1866, laoded TO their utmost capacity
with gold estimated in amount from
sd0o0.0o0 to s25,ooO.000.
Just at the close OF the civil war
some rumors of the finding of gold In
the Black Hills of Dakota and Mon
tana drifted into the towns on the
border of civilization in the northwest
II seems odd to think that fifty years
ago that region was n frontier, but
there are hundreds Of old Indians now
living on the reservations who then
were fighting braves and fifty years
ago they had never seen white
mans face
In the spring of 1866 some old pros
pectors In the back drift from Califor-
MIA found gold in one OF the tributaries
OF the Missouri, said now to be the
north fork OF the Cheyenne. Why IT is
no more certain will appear. Others
of thier ill< "smelled" the discovery
and band OF no more than forty
drew into the region, making won
derful strike the richest that has ever
been made on America soil according
TO all accounts. The strike was made
In what is now called Deadmen's
Gulch, named to suit the story, but
called in the old records Federation,
Desperation and Starvation Clutches,
The gold was alluvial, washed down
rom the northern lodges, now being
worked by the rich Caledonia Qaurtz
Mine Company near Deadwood. The
gravel banks and Cats were ineSpres-
sibly rich with II and all summer the
forty men toiled feverishly, extracting
an much as they could before the win
ter should descend upon them, shut
n their fish. game and vegetable food
supply and drive them to civilization,
wealth Of the Black Hins and the re-
malnder OF the auriferous region would
become public property.
When the ground froze and they
could work no longer they cut timber
and made four large barses OF shallow
draft and on them laoded the gold In
provision boxes, and mule and deer
elins made into raWhide sacks Even
then they were compelled 20 leave
some 81 st behind because the barges
would not carry It.
The hostile Indians who had not
dared attack so large a party in the
mining camp with its excellent de-
feuses and those who we're apparently
on friendly terms with the miners now
took a hand in the game. After the
hardy forty had reached the Missouri
and had negotiated a portion Of its
distance they tied up one night, not
long before Christmas They were at.
tackled by e large band OF Indians,
who massscred every living soul, sank
the barges and took all their belong
ings except the gold. OF which they did
not know the value Some accounts
hold the Blackfeet responsible, others
the Ogalala.
How the news ever got TO the world
cannot say. save as the Indians told
~ Il and friends OF the dead men
traced them into the country from
which thew never came out. Gradual.
" the story took form and II set the
prospectors wild They ranged the
region from the Bad Lands to the Big
Morn river for twenty-seven years and
t6pn came the great discovery in the
Black }lins
Tho gold let behind at the point OF
embarkHtion was finally found old
workings which showed the vast
quantities taken ont by the forty pros
pectors were discovered ana for a few
years a torrent~o allnvial gold poured
ont OF the Slack Hills. Then the whole
thing settled down to the stsid and
regular quartz proposition.
The Kansas City Star some years
ago printed circumstantlal story
stating that younG Indian student at
Haskell had told q professor that his
father was one or the braves IN the
massacre. knew where the barges were
sunk and was stin living on the reser
walton Il may he that the river has
changed its course and left the barges
under a thin layer OF gravel, easily ac
cessible on dry land. The way to find
the treasure is TO trace down the sto
ries, locate some OF the old Indians
and induce them to locate the spot
and point it ont from memory. Il
should not be dIIlcUit
In 1853 there was lost IN The Bay oi
Islands at the mouth OF the st. Law
rouce river, the good ship Primrose
with a store oi gold ana silver snd
scwolE- aboard her The exact amount
OF hen treasure rs unknown, but ii