The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-04-01

6Clucl dAu Nucic liOui rPCoi oANC1
the fight took place. The third was
!, found some rods from the others anC
near it was a gun barrel, consider
, ably bent, and as it was detached
from the breech it is reasonable evil.
Gence that the owner was endeavor-
ing to escape and being overtaken,
fought good fight in his efforts to
stand off his assailants. The barrel
of one of the other guns was also
bent, as if it had been in hand to
hand encounter. The guns are all muz
zIe leaders one common rifle and
the others of the pattern used by
the army prior to the adoption of the
ibreech leaders. One bears the stamp
&c. s. A. III" the other is Harper's
Ferry musket with the date Of 1881
on the lock.
"Mr. Harlan reported his discovery
on his return to Challis and party
went out to examine the battlefield
and gather up the bones. Other relics
of hard fought battle were found
scattered around such as gun caps,
rifle balls, cap box, fragment of
cloth resembling corduroy, and the
butt of pistol. There were also sew
eral steel arrow heads picked up
near the skeletons, and broken and
daoovi,, o orrorr- oboffc DC u-eIl nc a
broken bow. There has been nothing
found as yet that throws any light
whatever upon the tragedy that &C.
Cured In that lonely camp years ago.
Some of the party who assisted in
. gathering up the relics are of the
belief that the unfortunate ones who
composed the Inflated expidetion
were killed by Indians about Is years
ago as it is known that a party of
miners left Warrens diggings about
that time to go through to Salt Lake
but they never reached their destina-
ton. They were last seen somewhere
further down the Salmon
There is more than ordinary inter
est attached to the discovery of these
bones. Aside from the mystery con-
nected with the destruction of the
outfit there is added the not unreas-
enable belief that there was woman
in the party After making an exam
ination of the different skulls found
Dr. Pickman pronounced the one with
the teeth containing the gold filling |
as that of female. The beautiful |
and symmetrically formed teeth, the
size and shape of the skull bones, |
confirm this belief. All the bones and |
relics taken to town are in the cabi- |
net of Mr.. Felix Rheinbolt where
they are open to inspection.
Who the members of the party were |
and at whose hands they met their |
fate are mysteries that may never |
be solved. So long time has elapsed |
since the occurance and there being |
no permanent settlers in this section |
of the coustry at that time, it is only t
a matter of conjecture as to the time
and manner of their destruction. Up |
to withis a. few years ago it was very
common for prospectors and emil
grants to be swept away by the red
savages that then infested the whole
Salmon river country. They had both
red men and road agents to contend
with, and sometimes these went hand
in hand together when the occasion
2 union of the Two forces
of land, pirates. Bones alongside the
sTaiI were not uncommon There IS
nuch in theory that the party in ques
lion was surprised by Indians, either
while in camp or while making their
way across the valley to the hills be-
yond; but when. all the cireuns sances
Herewith are taken into
we think the most rea-
ionable theory is that road agents
lid the work. In the prosperous days
Of the placerminer it was a very com
non thing for small parties Of miners
after having accumulated largely of
dust to leave the country for other
fields, going out of the mountains by
he shortest trails. It was nothing
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