The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1919-11-27


possession about 10 or 20 pounds of
very rich samples Of rich blue quartz
While back in the hills Hughes was
never heard Of. 1t was the consensus
Of opinion at that time that the sam
pies had been secured at the Little
Giant mine at Warren, being identical
with that ore From recollection Hugh.
es had been grubstaked for a years
prospecting trip in the section named
by two Spokane mer, named Wallace
and Jorgenson. to whom ON his return
in the fall Of the same year he stated
he had located two claims, the Bonanza
No. / and the Bonanza No. 2, which
were situated mile north of the gov
eminent trail where it passed through
the Chamberlain Basin. The same
samples were exhibited that Hughes
had displayed while in Florence. The
following year, when the time arrived
to return to the claims, it developed
that Hughes declined to take his grub
stakers into the locations unless they
put up further funds, which they de-
clined to do. These men have made
frequent visits to that locality, the last
being several years ago. At that time
they had with them kodak picture
Of spot on a steep hillside which
showed considerable work had been
done, ard an old windlass could be
seen at the mouth of a shaft They
asked IL could take them to place
resembling the picture, which I did,
but the place was south Of the govern
ment trafl where it passed through
Chamberlain Basin, instead Of north.
We searched the entire country, and
nothing could convince the gentlemen
that this was rot the location made
by Hughes. We had sunk shaft
some % feet on this claim and had
also built short flume; there was
also q swamp at the foot Of the noun
tainside. They had me stand at, the
shaft entrance In order that a COM
parison with the picture could be made
1t certainly was taken right at that
spot and was used to excite the min
ing men with whom Hughes came in
contact. 1t was all fiEe,- with the ex-
ception of the rich blue ore.
Hughes was a very spectacular
character in the early days and was
known to most all the pioneer citizens
Of Spokane at that time; he could al
ways be seen exhibiting specimens Of
rich gold-bearing quartz, but would
never divulge where they came from I;
he never produced anything; grub
stakes seemed to be what he was after.
The picture referred to was presumed
to have been taken by either Hughes
or Swami, supposedly partner.
"About two years prior to this visit
Of Mr.. Wallace; when returned to
this property in the spring of the year
to do. the development work, it was
found that the cabin had been destroy.
ed by fire and quite a piece Of adjacent
territory had been burned over. On
making ar Investigation location
stakes, which were partially burned
were found, and on one there remained
a piece of the location notice that had
been placed there during my absence
The notice bore the imprint Of Spokane
printers. Apparently the claim had
been jumped, but no additional work
had been done, however. At another
time Wallace escorted an attorney
named Scott and wife to the place and
made another search.
"The story Of the lost mine,' while
very plausible in some respects, does
not hang together when mining men
who were liz the country at the time
give it their attention.
''In tht first place, what proof Il
there that Swami was killed for thu
purpose Of robbery of the gold takeI
from this mysterious source? Oldes
residents have no knowledge of an,
investigation ever being made after tn,
bones CT human had been discovered
in an old prospect hole along the trai
between Dixie and Elk City, to prov
that the remains We're Swans. l
seems identification had been made b.
some dental work. The fact that tn
Jensoh's have been working their CLAIM
for the past eight years, that the PROF
erty is very rich, and have made n
new frds, would bear out the theor
that the entire story Is a hoax. Tn
picture was undoubtedly taken to mis-
iead the men who had grubstaked tn
mysterious Hughes.s
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10 DRIVE OUT I. W. w.
Occur d,Alene. Idaho n1a.. 90 m,