The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-06
GOLDEN
PHANTOMS
Fascinating
Tales of ,a,h.t v,,,a,
Lost Mines e-xu
CHERRY COW GHOST
DD you ever hear OF a hauntet
~ mine?

erer. made enough out or u 10 buy
a nice little house and an orchard.
where he tried 10 settle down and
spend his days In comfort. But
Mike. Ike the rest OF the breed
known as prospectors. could not be
happy Ia such a setting. He would
wander away without a word and
disappear FOR weeks and months.
only to return again. weary but
happy He had been OF prospect
lng-hunting FOR another Cherry
Cow.
During his absences young
man named BIZ Richards. who
lived nearby. would take care OF
Mikes place. He did this just as
gesture Of frIendliness. because
he liked the old fellow. and when
Mike was at home be would re-
gale Bill with tales of wonderful
mines and their equally wonderful
treasure.
lie had many good words TO sny
for the old Cherry Cow, as well,
and be enjoyed telling about the
days when he had several men
working there. taking out some
mighty good lookIn' ore-yes. sir :"
But the ore had run out. and so had
Mikes interest In the mine.
one fall morning. seeing no
smoke rising from the little house
In the orchard. Bill went over 10
Investigate AS he had suspected.
Nike was not there. but letter
lay on the kitchen table. and this
was unusual. Picking Il up. BIZ
saw that IL was addressed to him.
lie opened II and read the mis-
spelled scrawl within:
~Dere BIll--Tm OF on a trip a
long one this time II don't come
back In a " you take the phase
and everything got its all yures
this Is my Will. Mike"
Bln was touched. He knew the
old man mean, II. but be hoped
that cold weather would hnd him
In his little house again.
Winter came. and spring. Then
the rumors OF a ghost began 10
spread about Someone had gone
up 70 the abandoned Cherry Cow
shaft. and had seen a shadow that
alsted out OF sight and could not
be found again. A miner who
passed that way after dark report
cd a strange light that seemed TO
shoot straight out of the shaft. A
cowboy who rode By said that his
horse had snorted and SHE'D as he
passed. though nothing was to be
seen or heard.
Aroused 10 suspicion by these
stories. BIN Richards went up TO
the Cherry Cow 20 investigate. lie
found nothing but the shaft from
which Mikes modest stake had
come. with the rottlng boards that
had once been a shaft-house lean
ing above II. He called. wondering
n his eccentric old friend could
possibly be about, but a scoldlng
blue-jay gave him the only answer
he heard.
The years went by. and no one
knew what had become OF Nike
Church. At last. urged by his
friends, Bill produced the letter.
and while II was not legal will.
since no other claimants to the
estate were found II became Bits
property.
But now the Cherry Cow was
avoided by everyone who had bust
ness up that way. No one wanted
to be frightened By a ghost. and
even the strong-mlnded who
claimed there were no such things
as ghosts saw no reason for going
near the mine. At last an eastern
er came to town, hunting for a
mine, and wandered up TO the
Cherry Cow.
He liked the place. Although
Nike had always contended that
his ore had been a stray pocket. the
newcomer said he believed that he
could find a vein. He became so
enthusiastic that the stories OF the
ghost merely amused him. "I7l lay
that ghost" he promised, "I'll take
the spell right of the Cherry Cow"
And so he bought the mine from
BIZ Richards. He hired a small
crew OF men TO clean out the shaft
and unwater the sump.
But before long one OF his men
came TO him. THE waters down a
foot" he told the easterner.
There's something down there
the Mexicans won't 20 on mucking
out-they're afraid to touch IT,"
"Tu 90 down myself and see. It's
that fool ghost, 1 suppose, that's
got them worried. Well, | don't
want any ghosts around here" And
be hurried TO the shaft.
They knew that II was
what remained OF Nike because
they found his old-fashioned watch.
The burial was informal and hasty.
| for there were only bones and
shoes and a few shreds Of clothing
left. The Mexicans quit, OF course,
and Ii was some days before en-
American crew could be hired.
Bill Richards went up alone and
said a little prayer for Nike at
the grave. And the ghost never