The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-09-12

A Nol11tR IEGEND OF 4 lost
~ mine has emerged from the
musty past to tempt the Gu
pidity and stir the adventure
Gus spirit of those to whom the lure
or gold is ever beckoning back to the
Wilds and who chafe under the slow
and unromantic process of acquiring
wealth through the recovery Of base
metal from low grade ores Although
the history of the west does not re-
cord that one of the traditional lost
mines has ever been found, the search
goes on unabating, each succeeding
expedition having new and more def
mite data to guide them to the myth
ical mine, Bleached bones on the
desert and decayed human remains in
the mountain fastness are mute evil
dences of failure and tragic death of
the adventurous gold hunters, but the
possibility of such fate does not de-
ter others in the search, while ever
lengthening time lends enchantment
and fascination to the enterprise.
because there is no profit in produc-
ing the coveted metal has not dis
couraged the seekers for lost mines,
and within the last few days an out
fit has gone into the Clearwater
country in quest of lost placer dig
gings of unquestioned richness al
most within the confines Of the Coeur
d'Alene district, and yet In section
so remote and inaccessible that the
search for 1t lacks nothing in ro-
nance and hardship to give it place
in the long list of lost mines that stll
lure the credulous and adventurous.
Lost Placer on cayuse Creek.
The old camp of Moose City is sit
uated on Independence creek trib-
utary of Moose creek, which in turn
finds its outlet in Kelly creek, until
recent years known as the middle
fork of the Clearwater. Way back in
the eos Moose City was a flourishing
placer camp, having been discovered
by the overflow from Pierce City,
which continuing on found the rich
Cedar creek diggings just across the
divide into Montana. After the rich
easy-to work ground at Moose city
mad been exhausted, those restless
gold miners sought new fields and
the population was reduced to a few
who were content with smaller pay.
few years saw the old camp prac-
tically abandoned Following the
Coeur d'Alene gold excitement. stor-
les of good ground still remaining at
Moose City attracted the attention of
placer miners in this district, one of
whom was Dick Cunningham, who
was subsequently sheriff of this coun-
~. He went to the old camp and To-
'ated much Of the old ground, and up
to the time of his death a few years
ago devoted his energies to the con-
of a long ditch to provide
water to work the ground profltabIy
md on large scale 1t was while he
vas thus engaged that Dick Cunning
nam heard the first story of the lost
placer OF Cayuse creek, about IA
years ago, and by him it was told to
William Fable, of this city, who has
ground adjoining the Cunningham
property at Moose City, and who re-
,ently returned from the camp with
| party who had spent a few weeks
,uting in that wild and rugged coun-
ry.
The Tale of Trapper.
1t was IA years ago that q lone
wandered into what was
'nce Moose City and claimed COM
'anionship with Cunningham, the SOL
tary inhabitant of the once populous
amp. 1t is needless to say that he
vas welcome guest, for the loneli-
hess of the mountains becomes at
lines oppressive even to those who
seek and love their solitude. The
proved to be a trapper
whose occupation necessarily carried
lim far away from the beaten trails
md the haunts of men. Cunningham
'eing miner, the conversation of the
'isitor naturally drifted to recounting
lis observations in the remote sec
ions covered by his traps that might
interest seeker after gold. When
lie told of what he had seen on Cay
lse creek, Cunningham, genial and
'pproachable man, yet at times some
what stolid, was perceptibly interest
I'd and the story made a lasting i'm
PRESTON He resolved to go to the
'lace indicated by the trapper when
lie had completed his task at Moose
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