OCR Text |
Show Phalltons Phaiitonis PhaiitonisF1SCIN4tTIiJG CSoldenPhaiitOBBis GoldellPhalltons GolileiiPhaiitonis CSoldenPhaiitOBBisFASCINATING Goldell Golileii ; FASCINATING F1SCIN4tTIiJG FA CINl\TING CINl TING \ TALES TALESOF TALESOF TALESOF OF LOST M MINES lUll'E lUllE MINESw Il ' ES ESAw Aw w M N u Du Ito D " CdHhn Idltlu CdU1ya ; , J , A . , . 1 n T { at'sonLETTER " ntson at'son atson ntsonLETTER ' ' .on on . LETTER IN THE WALLETctI WALLET " ( ( T AM searching for or mblother my m\ m \ blother brother bi other . " "I I ctI "IAM ctIAM i ' The 'he he ! ' speaker speal.er spealer . had h'1tJ h1tJ ' dlh dilvcn driven en up to toa toa toa a tarmhou farmhouse ! : > e in WetIount'lln Wet 1Vet : \ Mountain \Iount'lln Iount'lln Iountlln ' valley valley'it \ valleyat al1e , tlie the " Sangie Single ( > de Crl Cristo Cristorange Cristorange 'It It ' ' the foot of 1ngl ' ) to torange range In Coloi COIOI Color ido 1110 ulo , and \ was wis 1.S 1S . t.llln tllln telling tclhnd ( . . ; his hisstory hisstory hisstory story to tlie the farmerHGeorJe farmer"Geore farmer farmer"George "George George HGeorJe "Geore Geore " ? came C'1me C1me cane ' West Wect : in 1SGO lSGO 1SG0 clght eight clghtyears eightyears eightyears years ago , " h hp he ( > continued , " "and and " aftcr after aftcrhe afterhe afterho he left our home in Illinois Ilhnols \ " we e hearl hearrl hearlno hearrlno heardno ( no moic mOle more of him I ' am 'lm lm im very verv , erv anlOUq anctous anlOUqto anctousto anxiousto , to find out If he Is 1 ' alive h v ( > or dead de'1d de1d deed ' I Imet Imet Imet met a grocer in Dem Denver er \ who ho said 8'1ld 81ld ' th1t that th1the thathe tliathe he sold George a bill hm hill of goods th'lt thlt that th'lt'fear thatyear tliatvear ' 'fear fear year ' , and tliat tll'1t tll1t that ' mblOther my m\ m \ blOther brother bi other left some somemone somemoney somemoney mone money , ) In his care c'lre clre ' , , saving swing that th1t heoule he \\oule oule would wouldnot \ wouldnot ] not need it in the mount uns lms and 'lnll lnll ind ' that thathe thathe thatho he would come conic back hac ] . for It in the f'111 f111 fall f'111but fallbutlie ' fallbut but butlie "lie lie l1e " ne\ ne never neer \ er returned returneel All I can C'1n C1n ' learn learnfurther learnfurther learnfurther further is that th'1t th1t ' lie he hea \\a a \ was < ; he headed lietcled Hlt 'd d = ' foi for thece these thecemountains thesemountains thesemountains : mountains " The fanner f'luner fluner farmer ' shook shool . tils his head hp1.d hp1d . 'I I ' I do donot donot donot not l.no\\ l.no know l.nonn l . now \ any nn anything thing about 'lbout lbout ' it , " he s1id salt s1id'but said'but saidbut ] 'but but ' jOU you you must mut ' ) St1 stay here tonight , anl1 and anl1In andin andIn In the morning \ we vya \ e vv \ will 111 ill seeto see to " to'Ihe ' ' The 'Ihe Ihe 'he he nest next morning Skinner SI.lnner SIlnner . and 1nd ' his hishost hishost hishost host w \ went ent tht thu tbiniigh oll on ; h the thf ' v \ valley alley 'lsl.ing lsl.ing lsling asking askingquestions 'lsl.ingquestions ' askingquestions . questions , but no one l.ne lne knew . " an any ) thing thingabout thingabout tilingabout about Ills his brother At l1 last < ; t Sl.lnner Sllnner Skinner Sl.lnnerdecided Skinnerdecided Skinnerdecided . decided to ; go f0 up Into the mountllms mountains mountainson mountllmson on the chance ch1nce tliat 011t that he 11e might find some sometraces sometraces sometraces traces of tire ml missing . , mg man m1n and to this thisend thisend thisend end he hired ab'1JIde a , b'1JIde b1JIde ( ? ' uidc ulde ' and 'lnd lnd spent cpent : the thesummer thesummer thesummer summer ' " wandenng wandering nndelm aho about t , fo11o\\ fo11o fo11oIng following followingevery followingevery \ " Ing Ingevery every likely HI.ely HIely . leid Ie id but , without thout ! successAutumn successAutumn success successAutumn Autumn came C'lme Clme ' It \ was as time to re return return return turn to the v \ valley 'l11e l11e alley ' , } " On the way vcgy W'l Wl ' , } Skin Skinner Skinner Skinner ner and his guide camped c1mped c'impecl cimpecl ' one night nightat nightat nightat at timbcrllne timberline on tlie the eastern e'lstern elstern ' slope of ofHorn's ofHorn's ofHorn's ofHorns Horn's Horns ' peak pe11 . Np'1l Np1l Near Neailiy ' h b3 stood tlie the re remaIns remains remains maIns of a cabin c'1bln c1bln ' , and Skinner Sl.inner Slinner . Idlv idly Idlve idlyexplored idlyexplored e explored plored the long deserted place , find findIng finding findIng Ing nothing of Interest but an old oldle'1ther oldleather oldleather le'1ther le1ther leather ' ' " wallet a11et , wound around with withwire \ withwire ith ithWlre Wlre wire This he put Into his pocket to tobe tobe tobe be examined eamIned , at leIsureDuring leisureDuring leisure leisureDuring During the night a snowstorm com corn commenced cornmenced cornmenced menced , and In the mointng morning mOl nlng the two twomen twomen twomen men packed pached hurriedly ' and 1nd st'11 st11 started ' ted for forthe forthe forthe the theaUey \ valley \aUey aUey Thea11et The \ wallet \\a11et a11et was forgotten forgottenfor forgottenfor forgottenfor for the time being but sometime someltme later laterSldnner laterSkinner laterSkinner Sldnner Skinner remembered his find , and care carefU11y carefully carefully fU11y fully opened It Its contents c3used caused c3usedbls causedhis causedhis bls his heart he'1rt he1rt ' to leap , for it ' " was as 1letter t\ t 1\ 1 n \ tletterwritten \ letter letterfltten letterwritten letterwritten \\fltten fltten written \ \ by hy his brother Geol Geoige George ge about aboutsic aboutsix 51 sic , months month ' ) after he left Illinois'the Illinois 11I1noIs IllinoisIhe Ihe 'the the ' 1 ' he let letter tel related that th1t George had hadfounll hadfound hadfound founll found a ' " wonderfully onderfull , } rich mine IIe He IIewas Hewas Hewas was planning plnnnlng a trip to ' the settle settlements settlements settlements ments " to : spend cpend the \ winter Inter outfitting outfittingfor outfittingfor outfittingfor for the next ne\.t ne.t ne .t t ' \ . spring sprmg \ wlien when hen he p1'1nned p11nned planned plannedto p1'1nnedto ' to return to the mine . . . Realizing fiealtzIng thp the thpha7'1rds theha7irds theha/ards theha ards ha7'1rds ha71rds ha7irds / ' of tr1 travel \ el through the moun moon mountaIns moontains mountains taIns George had h'1d h1d liad ' given the 10catIon location 10catIonof locationof locationof of his mine in tills this letter , which heas he lie \\as as was wasleaving \ wasleaving asleaving leaving In his cabin c3hIn , ' and 'lnd lnd also ashe1 askei ashe1th1t askeithat askelthat th1t that 'lm lm ' anyone gnvone one \ who 110 found it should notify notifyhis notifyhis notifyhis his brother in 11I1nolsShInner IllinoisSkinner Illinois 11I1nols IllinoisSkinner Skinner ShInner said nothing about 1bout Ins hIs dls dis dlscover discovers discovery cover covers , } ; but as soon as spring sprmg C1me came C1mehc camehe camehe hc he \ went ent to his guide of the previous previousyear previousyear year e'1r e1r ' and said s31d tha tliat that t lie " was 'lS lS ' an anxious anclous lous to tobegin tobegin tobegin begin his search w \ where " \ here It had h'ld hld hid ' been beenbrol.en beenbroken beenbroken brol.en brolen broken . off-at off at oft-at oft off - at the old cabin on IIorn's IIorns Horn's Horns IIorn'spe'1k Horn'speak Horn'speak Hornspeak Horn'speakIhe ' pe'1k pe1k peak ' pe'1k'lhe peakThe ' Ihe 'lhe lhe The locationas location \ was \\as as not hard h'1rd h1rd ' to re3ch reach reach.but reachbut . , hut but \ when hen the they arrived , they found e\ e ev eer everything evcry \ " er erything , } thing changed ch'lnged chlnged ' Sno\u,1I Sno u,1I u1I Snow Snowblidcs \ slides , es had hadpeeled hadpeeled hadpeeled peeled the face f'lce flce ' of the slope ; trees had hadbeen hadbeen hadbeen been carried awa away , great gre'1t gre1t greet ' rocks roc1.s roc1s . had slld slid sllddown sliddown sliddown down and others from above abo\"e abo "e e ' \ " had tal.en talen taken tal.entheir takentheir takentheir . their places p1'1ces p11ces ' . . Nothing remained rem11ned remglned as It Ith1l1 ithid Ithad h1l1 hid been , and the cabin C1.bln C1bln . had h'ld hld ' dls'lp dlslp disap dls'lppe1red disappeered disappeared ' pe1red peered entirelySkinner entirelySkinner entirely entirelySkinner Skinner \ was as greatly gre3tl disappointed disappointedStill disappointedStill disappointedStill Still , he lie thought thouht . ; , . lie he might find some something something something thing more in spite of the ch'1ne ch1ne chine channelmade ' . ; . , made in tlie the scene , and so he lie and the theguide theguide theguide guide spent the entire enhre summer at 1t the thepl'lce theplace theplace pl'lce pllce place ' ! In n tlie the liope hope of finding some somefm somefurther somefurther fm further ther trace of Geor George Ceorhe e or of loc'ltln locltln lociting locitingthe locatinsthe ' the mine But fall f'lll flll ' came C'lme Clme cane ' again ng"tln ngtln ag'tin agtin " ' , , and andthe andthey andthey the they , had h1d learned le'1rncd le1rncd leirncd ' nothing They TJ1\ TJ1 Tlrev TJ1re ( ' \ re relUltanth reluctantav reluetantly lUltanth luctantav started st'lrted stlrted ' backThey back o'lcl olcl backThey ' . They followed follo\\ed follo ed \ .a a n . dilfeient dlJfelent different ioute loute route frum from frumthe fromthe fromthe the one the they had taken t1.1.en t11.en t11en . . befoic before befol e , and tht the thetrail thetrail = ' hul11ed trail led them ' along 1long the face f1.ce f1ce . of a steep steepprecipice steepprecipice steepprecipice precipice It \ was as a dangeious dangeinus langei < ous pl'lce pllce place place"rocks placerocks ' ' " ' rod.s rods rocks . loomed 100l11ed high above aboe abo\ abo \ e them and the thebottom thebottom thebottom bottom of the gore gorge gor , ; e w \ was 1S is ' far f'lr flr fir ' belo\\ belo below belowwhile belohile belowwhile \ while \ hile the footing " was 'lS lS ' n'1110 n1110 nanow narrow ' " and In Insecure Insecure Insecure secure One of tlie the p piekbuiros 1.1 11 ick ( . . 11m bm ros beg'ln begln begin beg'lnto beginto beganto ' to plunge and nud rear renr , and finally t1n'1lly t1n1lly ' It fel1 fell fel1of felloff felloff of off ( the trail , rolling do\\ do down don doyen \ n Into thp the thpdepths thedepths tlipdepths depths below belo\\ belo belothem \ themAs themAs theni them theniAs As soon ab a1 as > the they could safely s\felv s felv sifely ' \ do so soSI.lnner soSkinner soSkinner SI.lnner SIlnner Skinner . and 1nd ' the guide climbed cllmhed do\\ do doII down downto downto \ II IIto to get the anlm ania anlm1 animils \1 1 rl \ s pack P1.c P1c pick . ] " . , for the burlO burro burlOItself burroitself burroitself Itself had h'1d h1d hid ' been killed l.med lmed . In the fall f'1lI f1lI ' As Asthey Asthey Asthey they approached nppro1.ched nppro1ched . the dead lIe1.d lIe1d deicl . animal anlmal the\ the they theysavv the1W theysaw \ savv < : ; 1W two skeletons sl.eletonc sleletonc . ; , one of n a man anll and anllthe andthe andthe the other of a burro winch whIch hd h \ id \d d 'tp tp iP 'tpp11 iPparently ' apparently p11 parently entb been heen there for yearsIt yearb year years yearbIt It seems a coincidence too ' apt 'lpt lpt to bl be betrue betrue true , but when the tine ai al ar tides tlcles titles stre strew strewnabout " II it IIabout itabout about were collected , a book bool " was "as as found foundI1mong foundamong foundamong I1mong among them \ which hlch pi proved 0\ 0 0ed \ ed to be Georgl Ceorgi GeorglSl.lnner CeorgiSkinners GeorgiSkinners Sl.lnner Sllnner Skinners . s diary dl1ry , , ' and 'lnd lnd showed showeJ shovel that the thesl.eleton theskeleton theskeleton sl.eleton sleleton skeleton . must be that th1t of the missinc mlssln missing missingminer , ; ; miner The diary rcfcll refened referred ed to thl the thewallet thewallet ' "allet allet wallet " left In the cabin , and anl1 It Itb its : . l'1st l1st last l'1stentry lastentry lastentry ' entry was apparently apP1.rent1 apP1rent1 . written the da\ da day dayafter da'lftel davafter \ 'lftel lftel after ' Geoige GeOlge George left tlie the mine The Tire C'lIUP ClIUP ciillP C'lIUPIng ciillPing campIng ' Ing outfit \ which hlch had hind been p1c1.e p1c1e packed . on onGeorge's onGeorge's onGeorge's onGeorges George's Georges ' bm burro ro lay 1a3 la strewn stren stre\\ stre \ n about where wherethe \ wherethe here herethe the anim aninnl anim1 anirnrl \1 1 \ had h\d h d hid ' \ fallen fnllcn , and consltlel consider consltlelable considerable consldeiable able gold goIt1 lu lay lav , } nearby ne'1rby ne1rby ' , showing th'11 th11 that thatGeorge's th'11Geore's thatGeorge's thatGeorges ' Geore's Geores George's Georges , ; ' death de1.th de1th . bad h'ld hld had ' been ulcldental accidental ulcldentaland accidentaland accidentaland and tliat thnt that no one had hJd ever eel e\ e \ el come collie ncros across acrossthe acrossthe the body botly bOll ) until tlie the day 1Y , nine j sears searslater vcar vcarlater car . later Inter , \ when hen his brother brothlr made OJ'1de OJ1de ' tlie the dl5 dis dl5cove discoyer3 dl&coyery dlcoyery & cove coyer3 . , George Skinners Shlnne's Shlnnes : ' bonesCle bones \ were \\Cle Cle In Interre Interred Intorred terre terred " where "bple bple tliev they lay , and his brothel brother brothelreturnel1 brotherreturned brotlieireturned returnel1 returned to Illinois The ne\t ne t ne\.t ne.t .t next \ ' . .ummer ummer urumer . Miinmerhe .ummerhe urumerhe he e'nme enme came ' back bucl . ' attracted 1ttrnded ittractcd by iJv the Idea Itlea of offlndlnJ offindinti offinding flndlnJ findinti the lost mine and nnd for serclal several severalyears serclalyears seveialyears years lie he spent some time In the senrch search senrchbut searchbut searchbut but the snovvslide snowsllde snowslide had done its worl work worktlioroughjy workthoroughly . thoroughl.v thoroughlv tlioroughjy . , and the Lhe gold remains rem.1lns rem1lns . tlld bid tlldden bidden lildden den to this diy dry 1y |