Year: 1877

| + or many years tnere mas Deen living
in the Walker River Range of noun
tains a man named AlgernOn B. Grant,


who very rarely sought the haunts or
habitations of white men. His ostensi-
BILE occupation was prospecting for pre-
cious metals, but the fact of his long
and uninterrupted residence in these
wilds pointed to the fact of non-success
in that direction. Mr.. Grant was in this
city few days since, and the following
is an extract from his wonderful and in
teresting history: Heis a native of Bour-
bon County, Kentucky, having been


born there in 1925. He was sent to


Harvard College where he graduated in
1876, second in his class. In 1851 he
was admitted to practice in the Supreme
Court of Kentucky. He enjoyed lu-
crative practice in that State until the
breaking out of the rebellion, when he
entered the Confederate service, receiv-
ing commission as Major in one of the
Kentucky regiments. In the mean time
Grant had married and gathered little
family around him. These heat that time
had taken TO theSouthern portionof Ken
lucky, and placed them under the pro-
lection of relatives.


When the war ended he pictured to
himself, in rapturous delight, the happi-
ness that would fall to his lot when he
could once again look upon the faces of
hisloving wife and dear children. He took


passage for Southern Kentucky. Upon


arriving at the spot where his hopes and


happiness were centered, there awaited


him mass of charred ruins. The
strong man dismounted from his horse
and sat down upon the ground weeping
like a child. He learned that about


year before the close of the war small


band of struggling troops had infested
that portion of Kentucky, and that the
| family of Grant had been murdered,


and the incendiary torch was brought into
play. In the early spring of 1866 he
engaged passage in a mule train which


was then crossing the plains, and after
ward arrived in hisState, and etnigrsted


to the most extreme southern end of the
Walker River mountains, where he has
been existing ever since, only at rare in
tervals seeing the detested face of 4


white man. 1919,


A number of the Walker River tribe
looked up to him with great reverence,


supposihg him to be endowed with
supernatural powers. Abott Two months
ago one of these Indians, who had been


the recipient of special favors at the
hands of Grant, desirous of exhibiting
his gratitude, requested our hero to ac-
company him ON two days ramble
through the mountains, and he would
show him a cave wonderfully rich in
gold and silver, What direction of the
compass the party followed, Grant is
reluctant about revealing. At all
events, after travelling two days and a
half, our hero and his companion ar
rived at dusk one evening in a narrow
canon, or motintain gorge, inciosed on
either side by rugged, steep mountains.


In this vicinity, the Indian said the
cave was located. A camp fire was
.lighted,l and while Grant was soeking
supper his companion went in search OF
the exact location of the cave, so that
no time Motld be lost finding it in the
morning. The Indian feturned with
Joy imprinted upon his copper-colored
features, and impaired to Grant the
satisfactory tidings that he had found
the cave without difficulty, and thatnot-
withstandihg the darkness which then


prevailed, the interior of this wonder
ful vault was as light as MONDAY. AT
an early hour next morning, after trav-
cling in this canonswhich is many miles
in length, for an hour, or little less, the


indian pointed to pile of granite of
| immense Weight, stacked up against the
cragged side of a monster mountain, and


told Grant that by removing the boitl-
ders an entrance to the cave could be
effected. The two men Immediately set
to work at their herculean task, which
occupied nearly two hottfs. When the
obstruction was removed, all that could
be seen was an opening leading into the
mountain, of dimensions only large
i en0tigh to admit the bodies of two largely
developed men; bit the interior was as
dark as Erebus. Grant ventured into
this opening to the distance of ten feet,
but the intensity of the darkness pre-
cluded him from seeing his hand before
his face. He cried out to his companion
for some burning sagebrush, which was
Immediately thrust into the cave, but.
strange 10 relate, this artificial light
would not illuminate the darkness.


Here was nice pass. Grant emerged


from his subterranean visit and con-
suited with his semi-savage companion
as to the most expedient means to be


employed in the emergency. 1t was use


less to seek for gold or anything else in


so dark a place, where artificial light


proved of no avail The Indian then re-


peated his story of the illumination


which he saw the preceding night


Although this yarn sounded rather inn


probable in the ears of an intelligent
white man, yet the Indian was so earnest
and sincere, to all outward appearances


that our hero decided to remain and de


termine whether there was any truth II


his companions fabulous narration
The men returned to the campingg grounc
, of the previous night and brought theil
\ traps to the mouth of the mysterlou
\ cave. 1t seemed as if that day nevel
: would draw to close, so great wa
Grants impatience; but as twilight wa
, approaching slight glimmer was dis
cernable at the mouth of the vault
|, vet the blackest darkness mortal eve
beheld was still holding sway therein
But gradually, as night was falling, al
unnatural light was making itself appar
ent, and at nine o'clock that evening
ray of brilliant MONDAY light shot ou
,, from the opening of that wonderful sub
terranean passage. For the first time il


many years Grant gave vent to shou
! of delight. The Indians tale of seem
ing fiction and improbability was true
The sight was so grand, So wonderful
!, :, and so magnificent, that for few mc
ments Grant stood rooted to the groun


by combination of terror and admir-,


ton. After a while he and his compaI
t ion entered the cave, but the light ws
SO piercing and brilliant that for fe'
n seconds the pair could see nothing; the
is vision seemed to be lost, but gradual
l. their eyes became accustomed to tn
% unnatural brilliancy of light, and tt
y sight which met their eyes no persC
l. can depict. The walls and ceiling I
g this passage were covered with burnishe
: gold and silver, the bulk of which cor
J. prised thousands of tons. Grant relat
re that the first sight of these treasur
ir terrified him, but after regaining b
le self-possession, he and the Indian mat
s. a tour of exploration. The cave