Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-08-12

mountains, that magnificent range
that is part Of the great backbone
Of the continent in northern Wye
ming and Montana, hidden away
where the prOspectOr's searching
eyes for almost century have
failed to find IL, lies the Old Lost
Cabin mine 1t is perhaps the most
famous as well as the most myster
ious lost mine" in America. 10 has
been discovered, lost and rediscOv-
cred no less than a dozen times.
Time after time through the years
newspaper stories have appeared of the
Lost Cabin mine, purporting to de-
scribe it and its general location, but
none of these were ever based on any
thing of authentic nature, being the
work of imagination and following along
the lines of the many legends Of lost
mines that are common in the Rocky
mountain region, where there is no
doubt that enormous quantities Of gold
are stored in the hills waiting to be
uncovered by some lucky prospector's
pick.
How it received It's name of the Lost
Cabin mine, or how such rich body
of ore, a gold mine, with a cabin at
tachment could be so utterly and to-
tally lost as never to be found again,
has never been told.
Allen Hulburt, a quiet, sensible citi-
zen of GAINESVILLE, Wis, was bitten by
the gold fever like a great many Others
and in October, 1849, made the journey
to the Pacific FL Dorado in California.
He spent a number of years in Cal
ifornia and finally worked his way
north into oregon and then into WASH
ington. In the spring Of 1868 he was in
Walla Walla broke.
By some means he and two other
prospectors and gold seekers, Jones and
Cox, secured an outfit, probably grub
Staked by some citizen of Walla Walla,
and with six horses and a months pro-
exploring and prospecting trip on the
eastern slopes of the Rocky mountains.
They eventually reached the Yellow
stone river and floated down 1t on a
raft to the Big Horn river where they
made camp on an island in one OF the
widest portions of the United States
where the country was full OF hostile
Indians.
They knew nothing Of the geography
of the country, travelled mostly by
night, and the range of mountains that
doomed up before them one bright
morning had neither name nor loca-
ton for them.
Into these mountains they went, pan
ming and prospecting, and striking
better pay the farther they worked up
the canyon or gulch they were travel /
ing. At last their prospecting showed
them wonderful rich streak and they !
sunk shaft to bedrock which was only /
seven feet down and panning from the
grass roots from five cents to dollar
The gold craze was upon them, they !
had plenty Of powder and lead and the |
country was full of game and they de- |
termined to stay there all winter not
withstanding the Indians were thick on |
every hand and they began work fran
tically to prepare for long winters
stay.
They whipsawed lumber, built a dam
across the creek, put up sluice boxes
and sluiced from morning until night
until winter closed in on them. Their
cleanup was about 500 per day per
man. Cox, Jones and Hulburt each had
almost half a bushel of nuggets and
gold dust.
When winter closed In and the water
froze preventing further work Of taking
out gold, they whipSawed lumber and
built cabin surrounding it with q
the legend which has been lost so many
times They cut hay for their horses
and prepared to go through the winter.
In the early spring, as soon as the
water was running in the creek, they
were at their sluice boxes and taking
day Hulburt returned to the cabin for
some purpose but had hardly gotten
out Of sight when he heard rifle shots |
from the creek and saw Cox and Jones
killed by the Indians.
He managed to escape being found ,
and after the Indians left crept from
his hiding place, gathered together a !
few necessities he could carry, packed
his knapsack full of gold and hurriedly !
left on foot fleeing for his life. The !
Indians had stolen the horses. Along
the trail they had come into the noun