The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1920-10-22
GOLDEN JACK AND
THE JEHOSHAPHAT
WHEN A HARD ROCK MINER
AND A MINISTER WENT INTO
THE MINING GAME
Pyrites of Iron, Scattered About the
Mouth Of the Shaft, Taken by
Preacher for Pure Gold and Which
Was Followed by the Sale of the
Mine.

More than a score of years ago a
clergyman from the east came to
Montana on family business and in
cidentally to write little life in
surance. He spotted a cashier in
bank at Miles City as good sub
ject and made life a burden to the
business man by the persistent man
ner in which he endeavored to in
duce him to take out a policy for
100000.
Jack Lee, otherwise known as
Golden Jack" then an optimistic
prospector of Maiden, appeared on
the scene and a plan to shift the
persistent attentions of the "sky
pilot" from himself to the prospect
or occurred to the cashier. He took
the preacher aside and confidentia1ly
informed him that Golden Jack"
was a mining man of immense wealth
and was open for insurance. The
clergyman was eager to be introduce
ed and on that being accomplished
at once began to talk insurance to
Jack and tried to impress upon him
the awful consequences of not hav-
ing his life insured.
Golden Jack" replied that he had
something over in the Black Butte
country that could give life insur-
ance cards and spades and come in
six lengths ahead. He talked hole
Underground and a ledge of free
milling gold. The cashier, knowing
that Golden Jack" had some good
prospects, said so. A day or two
later saw the man of God and the
uncurried man of the plains saddled
and bridled for Black Butte. To
listen to Golden Jacks story, he
had done $500 worth of sinking on
that claim-gone deep enough to see
what the rock was worth. Lying
around the mouth of the shaft was
a lot of rock that glistened in the
autumn sun like gold. The preach
er's eyes started with establishment
and Golden Jack" with his heart
full of mammon, of pyrites of hope
and chloride of expectations, began
to undervalue the rock.
"Is 1t gold? Real gold?" shout
ed the Rev. o. S. Hinsdale, then of
Moorhead, MINI.
"Well, you can see for yourself
The mine is for sale If you want a
piece of it, or want it ALL" replied
Golden Jack"
According to the original locator,
the clergyman then quoted the Scrip
lures as follows, kneeling on the
ground: Seek We first the kingdom
of God and all things shall follow
Amen. Guess I'll write to Maria and
tell her we've struck it at last
"Better put up little dough
hadn't you, before you write Maria?"
innocently interjected Jack. He got
$500 down for half interest.
The outcome was the organization
of the Great Jehoshaphat Gold Min
ing & Milling company, with a CAPT
tai stock of $1,000, 000.50. The ex-
ira four-bits was an idea of Jacks
and was thrown in for luck. Jack
and the preacher were the whole
thing in the Great Jehoshaphat.
They devided 81 per cent of the stock
share and share alike-and made
the remaining $499, 000.24 treasury
stock to be sold to the church mem
bers in Minnesota who wanted to
get rich quick.
Most of the minority stock is still
in the treasury and the denouement
came also too soon for either party
to the whole thing" to unload. The
good clergyman discovered that "all
is not gold that glitters" and that
the bright stuff glittering in the
rock was plain pyrites of iron.