Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1912-09-11


awaits some ones finding, Is one
concerning which have sought
the exact truth for the several years
that have followed this fad OF col
lecting treasure-troye data. The pub
lieation Of the story or stories about II
may bring to light the men who can
say definitely what is what. However
any man who cares TO set out after It
in business-like manner may turn
himself into multl-millionaire be-
tween Christmas and Fourth OF July.
This much Is certain: somewhere
on the upper reaches Of the Missouri
river lie four large barges, lost in
1885, laoded TO their utmost capacity
with gold estimated in amount from
$4,000 to s25, 100000.
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 nifty years
ago that region was 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 1t is
no more certain will appear. Others
Of thier Tx "smelled" the discovery
and band of no more than forty
drew into the region, making a won
derful strike, the richest that has ever
been made on America soil according
10 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
from the northern lodges, now being
worked by the rich Caledonia Qaurtz
Mine Company near Deadwood. The
gravel banks and fats we're inexpres-
sibly rich with It and all summer the
forty men toiled feverishly, extracting
as much as they could before the win
ter should descend upon them. shut
off their fish, game and vegetable food
supply and drive them to civilization,
where the knowledge Of the vast
wealth Of The Black Hills and the re-
mainder 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 barges Of shallow
draft and on them laoded the gold in
provision boxes, and mule and deer
skins made into rawhide sacks. Even
then they were compelled to leave
some Of 1t behind because the barges
would not carry It,
The hostile Indians who had NOT
dared attach so large party in the
mining camp with It's excellent de
lenses and those who were apparently
on friendly terms with the miners now
took hand in the game. After the
hardy forty had reached the Missouri
and had negotiated portion Of itf
distance they tied up one night, moi
long before Christmas. They were at
tackled by a large band Of Indians
who massacred every living SOUL sanl
the barges and took all their belong
ings except the gold, Of which they die
not know the value. Some accounts
hold the Blackfeet responsible, others
the Ogalala
How the news ever got to the worlt
cannot say save as the Indians tol(
Of It and friends of the dead mer
traced them into the country from
which they never came out. Gradual
ly the story took form and 1t set Thu
prospectors wild. They ranged tn,
region from the Bad Lands to the BIZ
Horn river for twenty-seven years ant
then came the great discovery in thu
Black Hills.
The gold left behind at the point o
embarkation was finally found. Oh
workings which showed the vas
quantities taken out by the forty pros
pectors were discovered and for a few
years a torrent Of alluvial gold pouret
out Of the Black Hills. Then the who'll
thing settled down to the staid an
regular quartz proposition.
The Kansas City Star some year
ago printed a circumstantial stcr
stating that a young Indian student a
Haskell had told a professor that hi
father was one Of the braves IN tn
massacre, knew where the barges wer
sunk and was still living on the resel
walton. It may be that the river ha
changed its course and left the barge
under thin layer Of gravel. easily az
cessible on dry land. The way to fin
the treasure is to trace down the ST.
ries, locate some Of the old Indian
and induce them to locate the spc
and point 1t out from memory.
should not be difficult.
In 1859 there was lost in the Bay {
Islands, at the mouth Of the st. Law
renee river, the good ship Primros,
with a store of gold and silver an
Jewels aboard her The exact amour
Of her treasure Is unknown, but
must be vast.
Full of wild romance is the stor
of the Devil Duval's Horde" on Ii
top Of the Rocks Of Perez on tn
Gaspe peninsula, only about twent
four hours ride by train from Ne