Montana oil and mining journal., 1935-07-27

| posedly worthless claim. While it never
became Spotted Horse, or indeed 4
! horse of any other color. she Is saiunoa-
| ed to have sold it for enough to supply
her simple needs for as long as she
lived
When trouble hit the mines. hard
times we're reflected everywhere There
was the Collar mine on the Tar slope
OF the JudithS Tt was the leading
silver mine and when it failed 70 pay its
miners they headed down the road with
blankets on their shoulders. Most Of
them we're glad to work for their board
on homesteads in the valley that win
ter and, as Maiden was also on the
downhin slant, money was pretty tight.
There was plenty Of pay dirt left IN the
mines, but 1t was too expensive to take
1t out. Harry Kendall and AL Slough
made money cut Of tailings at Maiden
after the mines were shut down and.
when he finished there, Kendall and
another partner, Joe Wanderlin, who
was Tom Murray's "sidekick" in Castle
days, discovered the mines that later
were called Kendall.
There we're many small placer mines
around this last discovery. One OF
them was owned by two brothers. Buck
and Bill Buchanan. MIR. Murray tells
a story about Bill. He was coming
from Fort Benton one time, had made
fire and was cooking supper when he
noticed that blaze had crept away
from the fire and was making q naua-
ing path through the dry grass toward
the forest. Bill had pan Of bacon In
his left hand and a pancake cooking IN
another pan in his right. He hurried
to the fire and commenced pattfng
out the little flames with the pans.
They persisted in running ahead Of
him and he kept following with the
pans. When he finally sat down TO eat
his meal he was IL miles away from
camp
The oId-timer OF Lonesome hollow
read what had written solemnly and
then said, Nice bunch Of fairy gtO-
r1es you've gathered together"
I said, Indignantly, FAIRY stordesl
These are all true incidents which have
been told me by perfectly reputable
people. You don't think George Evans
on Thomas Murray would stretch the
truth, do you2"
For answer, he grinned, handed me
back the manuscript and remarked. II
could tell 3 story Just as good as them
yarns I been around a little myself"
could you2 Wen let's hear IT,"
craed, reaching for q pencil. ssIf ft,g
good III put it right here In the story
Old-timer sat down, crossed his knees
and gazed at the ceiling reflectively.
Well, maybe could tell You about
one time was lead mining for SC. Joe.
we was down at the 600-fo0t level When
!. - a.ts' aWIn q snowstorm came up and pretty
near buried the town. The wires were
al broken, the cages wouldn't work and
neither would the Compressor 81 we
aiont have fresh air except a little
that got down the main shaft. we All
out there and sat around wait
ing IOr somebody TO rescue us but they
never did. We were there nine davz
and were getting powerful hungry -
We decided to kill the Italian. since he
was the latest one Of the bunch. and
COOK him for square meal. Wed no
sooner Inan got through killing him
nan someone said II we made fire
70 COOK him we'd use UP all the re-
naming oxygen in the shaft and prob
ap!y smother. Wen, the boys was pretty
ven oiYioed about the subject. Half Of
en- were Tor leaving things as they
we're ana saving the air, even ii thev
starved to death, and the other haif
we're Tor cooking the italian and diving
Adppys
We sat around beside the body for
nree days, trying to decide what "a
70 and things were getting bad. we
lad lot Of fist fights between the
COOKERS and the conservers and tf1e s1Ir-
1vors were lying around binding IN
heir wounds. One man had gone
razy and we could hear him Scream
ng and shrieking back there in a stone
ma Il didn't help our peace OF mind
lone. had Just enough tobacc0 "a
make one last plpeful and I had been 4
aying 1t religionsly for the time when
Just couldn't stand it any longer. "a
low took it out and filled my nine
nd struck match-when. -zowiel An
heard was big bang and felt ulv--1
elf shooting through the drifts on
op OF the shaft and on up into the
lue winter sky. When / came down K
landed ON the roof Of the BOARDING I
oelse, which was sure providentiaI be- II
alaSe / was nearly starved by this time
was the only survivor in that terrible
line catastrophe
There was silence fn the room afke
be story was finished. Then / saE
Wen, there are places ia the woE
here folks wOalld believe that sby
nd other places where they'd fe
0u rubber medal for it for winayisB
'orth and let everybody make hem
wn decasfon~ So here Il Is.