Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1938-01-01

Idaho. These waters bear his name as
q sort of a monument to this second
discovery.
Later he was a familiar figure around
GibbonSviIle for many years. Men now
more than so remember him well as
he looked when they were kids re-
member his saying very often: son,
there's gold in those hills II we could
be after finding it," Though years had
narrowed the breadth of his brogue,
his accent was still Enthusiastically Irish.
The time of Barney Hughes arrival
in Big Hole is not exactly known. He
was among those who placer mined In
the Pioneer diggingS on the old road
between Wisdom and Gibbonsvllle. He
and Lucian Eby, who spent a great
while in this section, were partners.
Together they worked the claim x, on
Ruby creek, now owned by Ben Van
Houten. In 1887, they built the cabin
in which MIR. and Mrs. Van Houten
now spend their summers. 1t was well
constructed. 1T would be If Barney had
anything to do with it," an acqualnt-
ance readily remarked 1t is in very
good state of preservation. The logs
were carefully peeled and matched. In
one end is a fireplace, still quite as in
tact as when the stones gathered from
the adjacent creek bank were built
into it.
Today Barney Hughes and Lucian
Eby possess an outstanding similarity
in the fact that mention Of either name
always evokes similar comments from
old-timers who knew them, such as:
"Lucian Eby was sure a fine old
fellow, so honest, reliable and depend
able. His word was as good as his
bond" and Barney was good old
guy never a word with anyone, or
about anyone; and as honest as me
day is long" Barney was not witty,
Just kind and quiet" said an old-timer.
Il liked to talk with him when I was
a kid. He was clean and intelligent
He was just a grand old guy"
At the beginning of this century this
quiet little man, riding toward the hills
on his white pony and leading his little
brown mare, packed with his provisions,
was a familiar character in the Big
Hole. Undoubtedly he panned dirt on
every creek and tributary on the west
searching for a bright and beautiful
CLEAN on the bottom of his old iron
pan. Big Hole, however. has never been
very prodigal with its mineral. If here,
it is carefully hidden from these opti-
mistic knights of mountain streams
and rocky hillsides At the same time
Big Hole has a way Of leading on with
4lNulCdDAOALos
For many years, however, Barney
PANIED out enough for his humble
needs. j. P. LoSsl, a pioneer merchant
in Wisdom, tells Of buying gold from
him often. He always seemed to have
money enough to get along. His food
was always the plainest His clothes,
though always conspicuously clean,
were often patched upon patch. He
was very handy with the needle.
Whether or not Barney Hughes
/ grieved deeply over his losses, even
those intimate with him never knew.
He revealed very little of the inner
man and seldom displayed any emo
ton. Frank Wilke, now living In Big
Hole, remembers the time when his
mother gave Barney a sack contain
ing dozen eggs. The old man was get
| ting a bit shaky and In tying the sack
on his pack saddle, he let it fall to the
ground on the opposite side of the
morse. Barney wrung his withered hands
and exclaimed over and over, MY eggs,
my. eggs" in unfeigning grief He had
lost probably one hundred thousand
dollars. Whether or not he grieved &C.
coroingly will forever be a mystery
1t made the writer very glad TO know
that he got break with the eggs, how
ever, Mrs. Wilke had them SO wei
packed that not one was so much as
cracked.
Naturally this old-timer was often
asked why he never married. To this