Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-07-22
a. OF the Six Dnopeuso Alder GMh and It's Fabulous Treasured but Tue Pofnd; Bill Fr- ~
W. uehnD Died Pemhs; Hy Faulty Title to Frisco Property Cost Barney Hughes a Fortune WN

he wished to buy, paid a lawyer &l75 to
investigate the title, was told that it was
good and paid over his money. A little
later he was told thai his title was abso-
lutely worthless n he was unable to
recover his money.
In 1868. only five years after he had
been present at the discovery Of gold in
Alder gulch, and where in a few months
he had washed out his $4,000 in dust.
he was back there without a penny. He
never succeeded in r%ecouping his for
tunes. although he remained a miner
and prOspector until his death in the
early part Of the present century. His
last days were spent in Beaverhaed
county where during the summers, even
when he reached the advanced age Of
four score years. he would wander among
the hills and ravines OF the Big Hole
Basin washing a pan Of dirt here and
turning a rock there, in his life long
search for the elusive yellow metal. The
real estate which he thought he had
bought In San FRANCISCO Is now in the
heart OF the city and worth millions Of
dollars.
Thu story Of the discovery Of gold in
Adler gulch has been told and retold,
but at that it is always new. Each Of
the men who were in the original party
of six has told his story and hundreds
OF those who came later have retold
those stories n embellisehed them with
details and particulars which are Of
absorbing interest.
Barney Hughes, 1t is probable, related
the story less frequently than any Of his
companions. for history has it that he
was a reticent man given to talking but
little about himself. His story of the
events leading up to the discovery Of
gold differs In no essential
from that Of the others OF the party but
contains details which were passed over
by most OF them.
Hughes was born in Ireland in 1927
and when IL years of age emigrated to
New York City, where he remained until
he was ~ years old. At that age, filled
with enthusiasm for adventure and
wealth, he was drawn by the stories Of
the golden west that came floating into
the eastern states.
Hughes crossed the plains to Cali
fornia IN 1854 and became a %prospector.
He remained in California for four years,
having only Indifferent success, and in
1858 settled In Seattle and then into
British Columbia, where he remained for
two years. There he first met George
Ives, who was hanged by the Montana
Vigilantes q few years later.
Leaving British Columbia. he came into
the Bitter Root valley and spent the
winter Of 1861-62 at Florence and in the
summer OF 1852 started for the Big Hole
basin country. From there he followed
the Salmon river down to Pioneer gulch
below in the present state
Of Idaho. then the Oldest diggings in the
territory.
In August Of that year, reports reached
Pioneer gulch Of a rich strike on Grass
hopper creek, where the town Of Bannack
was established. and he, with many
others, moved into that locality.
There he met Bill Fairweather. Tom
Edgar, Bill Sweeney and Harry Rodgers.
The six of them formed a congenial party
and finally decided on an expedition
into the Yellowstone country in search
Of gold, the following year. In prepara-
ton, they left Bannack on January IA,
1853, and went to Deer Lodge to outfit
and spend a part Of the winter. On
March % they packed up and left Deer
| Lodge for the Yellowstone country, aim
ing to strike in about the Gallatin
river.
On the morning OF May /, they found
themselves surrounded by a war party
OF Grow Indians greatly outnumbering
them, and considering resistance useless,
they surrendered peacefully and were
kept prisoners for three days before they
finally made their escape.
According to Hughes their ponies and
almost everything they had In the way
of food was taken from them by the
Indians, who, however. had left them