The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-05-11

the ITObptClOF W MS puiips WIG" h'S
old prospector If he has been hiyed
up all winter, feels that he must get
out into the hills again; and, believe
me, all nature seems to smile inviting
" to him, for the buds are beginning
- swell, the small streams are ruh-
ming bank full, the robins are thinking
of nest building, and there is an aroma
in the air that makes one think of
pine trees and sagebrush, snowbanks
and flowers. and even the humble
burro feels the fever in his veins and
would willingly join his owner In a
long jaunt IL the way led to smiling
meadows on the tops of high noun
tains; for even the burro Is sensitive
to the awakening influences of spring,
and, like the true mining man. when
the season arrives, is not satisfied I'M
III he Is out in the hills.
III is now nearly ten years ago."
continued the prospector, " that !
started out on long prospecting trip
into the wilderness range, for ! had
been spending nearly all of the winter
at the little mining camp near the
mouth of Apologize canyon. Your
mother was with me at the time and
we were as happy as could be, for the
weather was clear and balmy while we
both believed we would find bonanza
in the region for which we were head
ed, as | had been told by an old min
ing man that he had once run across
a ledge that looked good to him, some
four years before, but that 1t was
nearly night and so he did not pros
pect it as he was in hurry to get
to the end of his journey. The first
night out we camped near little
spring and the tender grass growing
on its banks was very appetlzing to
your mother, who had been on dry
feed all winter, and who felt the need
of change of diet as | did, for | had
been doped on boarding house hash so
long that | had become somewhat dys
peptic and fairly crayed ham and
eggs, sapjaeks and black coffee, all
of which / prepared for my evening
meal before turning in for the night.
In the morning we started out early
and had covered about 10 miles when
we found our way blocked by high
ridge that overlooked a deep canyon,
the existence of which had never been
known by anyone in that section; and
yet 1t was not over 80 miles from APP
plegate. and 1t was the general belief
that the whole region, for miles
around, had been thoroughly pros
pected years ago. The country look
ed good to me, however, and SO ! de-
cided to make camp and stay in that
locality for a week or more. With this
in view, | began looking for a suitable
spot, and was surprised as well as
amazed, in going around large boul
der, to find the remains of an old
stone cabin, the walls of which had
fallen down in places, while but little
was left of the roof and chimney. The
old and, judging from the weathered
pieces of ore scattered around on the
ground, the builders of the cabin
must have discovered bonanza in its
near vicinity Down below the old
camp / found an old arrastra, but,
look as careful as / could | could not
find the mine workings, Not even a
trail was left to indicate the location
of the mine and | had almost given up
my search when ! stopped to rest, one
day, under the shade of stately look
ing pine tree, the only one for more
than half a mile, either way, around
me. The tree seemed somehow out of
place to me and | wondered, as |
looked at it, how 1t had ever taken
root so far from it's fellows. This
thought led me to examine, more
closely, the formation around the tree
and believe me, was considerably ex-
cited when l discovered that it was
all practically new made ground and
that the tree was growing 50 near the
mouth Of an old tunnel that had been
caved in for many years, that it must
have sprung from a pine cone dropped
on the dump, soon after work had been
discontinued at the mine by its mys-
terious owners, for no one, within the
memory of the oldest inhabitant of
Applegate, had ever known of the ex-
istence of producing mine in that
part of the range, 1t was not long be-
fore | had moved my camp to the old
mine and the next day / began the re-
opening of the old tunnel, For a week
! labored before had made much of
an impression, as the ground was
heavy and full of boulders. After
moving the surface debris, however !
succeeded in getting to solid forma-
ton, where | found the tunnel clear
and almost in perfect condition, as it
had been driven through solid rock
for distance of 200 feet at which
point it had cut assure that was
about three feet in width, and which
disclosed every indication of continu-
ity and permaneney, although there
NOTICE