Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-05-04

pack train, four-horse teams hauling
lumber or merchandise, men in buggies,
-buckboards n descending the river in
boats, or on log RATS. And one Red
river cart drawn by a mule and a COW.
All impelled by the magic power of
Imagination and moving into the Bad
Lands in the general direction Of Big
Dry creek, but converging on a point
where an old rubber boot, a rotten piece
of plank, and three microscopic particles
Of gold had been found. Fortunately
the weather was fine and there was no
physical suffering. The mental suffering
came as an aftermath.
Townsite of Alexander
The barren country along the bed Of
Big Dry creek, was, for a time, the scene
of great activity, which was named Alex
ander City. Alexander City was destined
to become the metropolis Of a vast min
ing region, and its broad streets and ave-
nues extended for miles into the Bad
Lands and the Imagination of the real
estate man.
One tent in Alexander City was used
as a shrine, and the sacred relics were
kept there on exhibition. When new ar
rivals reached the city. they were led to
the shrine and allowed to gaze in awed
silence upon the old rubber boot, the
round. smooth stick, and the rotten piece
of plank.
A number of prospect holes were sunk
to bedrock along the creek. but nothing
like pay gravel was found. In less than
q fortnight after the stampede reached
the creek, every n was waiting, in
silent expectation, for the inevitable; it
came like a clap of thunder from a clear
sky.
Some men are from Missouri, others
are born with a questioning or scientific
attitude OF mind. This sort of men ques-
| To- --l H. e.
granted. They delight in throwing cold
water and wet blankets, or shattering
beautiful visions and cherished hopes.
One of these cold -blooded skeptics stood
looking at the sacred relics. He picked
up the piece of plank and with a pocket
knife scraped away the incrustation of
rust from the head of one of the nails
which held the cleat. Then q cold, NOR
liant laugh gurgled in his throat, the
cleat was nailed to the plank with wire
nails, and wire nails were not in ex-
istence in 1871.
News Of the appalling discovery spread
up and dow the creek like wild fire,
and the boom collapsed like a pricked
toy balloon. Within an hour after the
skeptic exposed the fraud, men were roll
ing their blankets and packing their
horses. The next day q cavalcade Of dis
gusted men was stampeding back to civ
HfNhAt NAAA a0AACAket ONt0A 49, WV
more sleeps, Alexander City had passed
into history; nothing remained of the
m-egalomania dream but a row of pegs
which marked the course of Main street.
The whole matter was treated as q
huge joke by the participants. On the
discovery post of one claim the owner
left this couplet:
The Big Dry gold was our only hope.
Our only hope is gone, we're broke"
Another man with a sense of humor
left this note on his claim w named
this claim the Pauper's Dream, and the
pauper is still dreaming"
One man who evidently realized he had
made q monkey of himself by joining the
stampede, tackled this notice on the
trunk of a big cottonwood tree: ITO all
whom it may concern: l hereby locate
the right-of-way up and 10y this tree"
1t is told of a German who walked in
from the railroad nearly 100 miles, carry
ing his blankets and provisions on his
back, that he arrived at the New Ell
Dorado" just as the bubble burst. AS he
was trudging back to the railroad, he
was overtaken by a man in q buggy; the
man invited him to ride. The German
shook his head. II don want to ride"
he said, in a cold, strident voice. Then
rolling his eyes up at the man in the
buggy he said by way of explanation,
I'll learn this damn Dutchman some
thing"