The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-12-12
pROSPECTORS
FIND SKELETON
Fullblood Plays CHASTITY
Joke on Wealth
Hunters
OR WAS IT WARMING?
White Men Quit job Seeking
Prize When Confronted
Remains

TAHJsQtAH, Dec. ll,---Sofnc
miles down the Illinois river where
,be clear waters OF n moun,ain
brook flow into the larger stream
more arc rugged and picturesque
huffs of dark colored rock. The
formation suggests the presence OF
valuable mineral and for that rca-
sn several prospectors have visited
the place during "a number of years
mast bat none have succeeded In To-
eating the deposit Of lead, silver or
whatever valuable ore may or may
NOT be hidden In the bluffs. Some
al the pruspectors believe that they
nave como very near finding the
ZineraI and 1t is possible that In
Eme 20 come d!ligent effort Will be
made by those who have heard the
stories related concerning the min
,ralog.yal resources of the hills. But
In the meantime there are those
who are even yet wondering whether
the Indian who told whore the min
eral might be found was Joking or
whether he in his subtle aboriginal
way made a threat.
A man who several years ago
spent a considerable portion OF his
time In digging. blasting and pros
pect.ng In tho hills finally direct.
ed his attention to the rugged val.
ley through which flows the little
stream above mentioned. Day after
day he sought but found nothing.
Surface Indications were promising
but try as best he could he ever
failed 10 locate the real stuff" and
thereupOn decided to as kone of the
..adlan citizens of the region to tell
him where he might probably find
the coveted mineral. Because of
his extensive acquaintance among
the fullblood Indians the prospcCtor
believed he would experience no
difficulty in drawing from any one
OF them the facts concerning the To-
cation OF "thc rich mine of the
hills" So believing he approached
o.c OF the soft spoken natives who
for many moons had lived amid
the picturesque valleys near the Illi-
nois. To this native the eager
prospector stated that he knew
there must be n very rich deposit of
valuable mineral somewhere in the
vicinity OF the black bluffs and
would Ike very much to have given
him the e4act location. AS is we'll
known the fullblood Indians are not
given TO telling where there are in
d.cadOns OF mineral deposits. They
seem to think that the old-time GUS
tom OF letting such things severe
ly alone should hold good in this
day and time. But the Indian in
question seemed perfectly willing to
be Interviewed and after a short
converse uon stated that he would
tell where "something good" might
be found and without u great deal
OF trouble, Thereupop he proceed
cd TO give careful direction as to
where a certain big tree might be
found near the rocky banks OF the
mo,ntain stream. dig down in
the ground near the roots of the big
tree, said the native, "and you will
IND what you so badly want.
Thereafter he lapsed into silence and
seemed interested In watching the
blue smoke as it floated upwared
upward from his pipe. The pros
pector was overjoyed. He concealed
his pleasure as best he could and
went his way, soon to roturn.
In company with another man to
whom he had confided his success,
the seeker after mineralogical
wealth made his way back to tho
vicinity of the black bluffs. 30 h
men carried implements with which
to del 'e in the earth and they lost
no time in seeking the big tree.
soon they found it and began to
a!s' With pick and shovel they.
aIIer eNpending good deal of ell
Dow grease and perspiration. made
q good sized hole Of some depth.
oS1 they su up sed success would
c'IRn thei" aHors and rich speCi-
mems would be u ,dght to the light
oi day. They redoubled their efforts
and threw out dirt and gravel at
great rate, and then, just as they
reached the conclusion that u short
distance more would seward their
llgglng, bone came into view.
ihls was somewhat disconcerting
Dut they woi ted oI and after
lew more shovelsfrh had been tossed
ou' lhey TIM - up tneIr hands IN
eonsternati - Exposed TO view in
me bottom " the hole was a por-
uon OF human skeleton. Hastily
covering the ghastly object from
view the discounted men made
Sulok lime in getting away from the
ohey spot and have never re-
sumed operations in the vicinity OF
me black bluffs.
Dld the Indian know that the
skeleton reposed near the foot OF the
o1's Tree? II so, how came 1t there?
vas some venturesome fellow tum-
eled mo the hole he had dug in
o!son" years, by those who OPP
psed his prospecting, or did the ma
W merely know that someone had