The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1913-03-15

How do you know"
Because | am a Brown man"
college fellow. eh?"
The man from Brown pressed his
claim. and an appealing message was
sent to the university. Professor Hill
responded. He examined the ore and
agreed to erect a smelter The min
eral wealth of Colorado was first un-
covered by chicken, and the state
was saved by professor. afterwards
United States senator.
The Last Chance.
In the spring of 1854 there was
stampede from Alder Gulch to the
Kootenai in British Columbia. Four
men. named Cowan. Stanley. Miller
and Crab. started north. and while
crossing the Prickly Pear Valley in
Montana. learned there was no use in
going to the new diggings. This in
formation was given to them by Jim
Coleman and his party. who were re-
turning. They debated together and
concluded to go back to the states.
They could not agree OF the route
they should follow. The Cowan par
ty wanted to try new trail over the
mountains Coleman insisted that 1t
was but a game trail The other
thought not So they parted.
Finding it impossible to get over
the mountains. the Cowan party re-
turned TO the valley.
Let's pan this gulch.' said Cowan.
Its the last chance before we leave"
1t was about shutdown when Cowan
made that remark. He filed his pan
with gravel In the gathering dusk
his partners watched him. Idly smok-
ing.
The light was fading fast and Cow
an was hurrying the work. He had
removed the coarse gravel and was
well down to the bottom OF the pan.
AS he hogan to shake It to rid it Of
superfluous dirt. and take In fresh wa
ter he shouted:
We've struck 1t bigger'n all out
doors, We can own all of Montana"
In an instant his partners were at
his side Four breathless men watch
ed the final operation. In the bottom
of the pan were several fiat pieces
of gold AS the dirt was thrown out.
more and more of the yellow stun
appeared. Altogether there was about
eighteen dollars worth in that pan.
They worked by camp fire. They were
wild with joy.
They were rich beyond their widest
dreams. They fired their revolvers
and talked half the night as they
planned thier future. They had made
history in washing that pan, for Last
Chance Gulch was to have a popula-
ton of more than ten thousand before
the SHOWS of Christmas fell. and the
nuggets found in that pan were the
first of s140.000,000 that it was to
yield to the gold hunters. Helena.
Montana. now stands on the place
where that discovery was made.
A Murderer's Legacy.
A great mining camp was discover
ed because a murderer escaped from
Jail While evading arrest he STUN
bled on gold in the sands of a range
of black mountains. Pursued by off,
GERS of the law and hunted by warlike
Indians, hungry and weary. he gave
himself up. To the warden of the
prison where he died he gave two
quilts of gold. and made rough map
showing where he found the yellow
stuff. They began an invasion of the
country. which was an Indian reser-
walton. Men died in the search for
those mines. Wild Bill organized an
expedition in 1872, and spent the win
ter in the Black Hills. fighting red
skins. He was forced out in 1873 by
the military In spite of a Gordon of
soldiers and hostile Indians. prospec-
tors risked their lives, for they found
ore worth 5000 toni The Indians
ceded their lands to the government
and the rush commenced in 1876.
Within a year there were forty thous-
and people in the gulches. Deadwood
is located on the spot where the fee
ing murderer found his little nuggets
II the keepers of the jail had not
been lax. the half-breed Renseler
would not have escaped. And IL he
had not escaped and been pursued.
the wealth of the Black Hills would
have been unknown.
Finding Pleasant Tombstone.
A prospector left Fort Huachuca.
in Arizona
sT am going out to find a million
he remarked
You will find your tombstone, The
country is alive with Indians"
Better tombstone than poverty"
A few weeks later he uncovered one
of the greatest silver mines ever open
ed in the southwest. viii y he named
the Toughnut. He called it the Tomb
stone District Several millions of
dollars were taken out just under the