** Lost Gold At The Dead Man's Mine ** A Miners Journal **

[GhostMiner]

June 29   2002     Part Two

 

   We all were sitting around the table when the towel uncovered the jar. It had quite a bit of gold in it for sure. I asked Jacob what the gold weighed. He smiled and said 50 ounces on the nose. We all started whooping it up and jumping up and down. Then Jacob hollered and told us to hang on, he wasn’t finished yet. Wait? What was he saying? Before we could respond he reached under the table and brought out another jar that had been covered up like the first one. He said there was another 29.7 ounces in that one. It was the heaviest, most coarse gold I had ever seen here by far. A whopping 79.7 ounces of beautiful gold. 

   Jacob laughed a long laugh and lit up a smoke he had previously rolled. Then he set a new bottle of Bushmills on the table and brought out four cups. He said we had hit a jackpot. This cleanup was just over 2 ounces to the yard and he figured it could get even better. He filled the cups with his Irish whisky and we started to drink with him. We were all shaking hands and suddenly Jacob began to cry. He told us we had definitely found the big strike the old crew from 1937 was starting to mine before the tragic night of July 3 1937. He said his friends had died for this gold. He was afraid the same could happen to us.

   TO BE CONTINUED ................

[GhostMiner]

   Set 'em up Joe (Jacob). Set em up we did that night. 

 

[GhostMiner]

   June 29   2002     Part Three

 

   Well, the crew never did get back to work for the rest of the day. We pulled the mats on the sluice and brought them to Jacobs' camper. We had only run 14 yards of gravel and we decided to clean the gold together Just to see if we were really in a super rich area. Jacob poured the gold onto the scale. There were 23.4 more ounces. This gave us 103.1 ounces today. Jacob said this now surpassed the best weigh of the 1936 strike. He looked at us and calmly stated “Boys, we are glory bound.” We all just sat there for a minute to take it all in. 

   We figured once we got the trommel running again we would be rich beyond our wildest dreams. We had a big supper and the whisky and beer began to flow. Even Jacob had more than his usual. He rolled a smoke and began to talk about the glory hole of 1936. He said we could very well pass that season's gold total easy as they had no heavy equipment to work with. He said the ground where the 1936 strike happened may have been richer because they got big gold by hand but as far as total numbers were concerned we should be able to pass the old crew’s totals with ease because we had an excavator and trommel. That is if the gold held up. Now we all sat and wondered. Would the ground stand the test of time?

   TO BE CONTINUED ...............

[GhostMiner]

Jacob's weapon of choice.

 

[dig4gold]

How come the thugs that delt to the old crew didn't get that gold if their intention was to carry on mining the "glory" hole after the old crew had got on to it & done all the hard work in discovering it & exposing it?

D4G

 

[GhostMiner]

1 hour ago, dig4gold said:

How come the thugs that delt to the old crew didn't get that gold if their intention was to carry on mining the "glory" hole after the old crew had got on to it & done all the hard work in discovering it & exposing it?

D4G

 

   Good question.   Jacob was convinced it was the exact same area of the strike of 1937. Now we are talking about a vast area 65 yrs later and an 85 yr old man who's memory had faded as anyone's would after all that time. The line of pay streak out in that area is about 3/4 of a mile in length and goes way back into the mountain for hundred or maybe thousands of feet. I think in this case we had hit yet another honey hole that Jacob was calling his old strike. We never argued the point because gold is gold. 

[GhostMiner]

   LET"S TAKE A BRIEF TRIP BACK TO APRIL 18 1937 & THE LEGEND OF SLIM SAUNDERS. This man actually existed but I changed the name. He was quite a character according to what Jacob told us. The best of the best when it came to gunplay.

   April 18   1937   Part One

 

   We are continuing to get wild hooligans from town who want to come out here to the mine and either meet us or work with us. Last night I heard Ben and Sarge holler out at someone who was trudging up the side of the creek toward our camp. The crew came over and had a look at what the hollering was about. I nearly laughed but held it back. Sarge was not so kind and began to laugh and hoot. There in front of us stood an old guy dressed like a cowboy from back in the 1800’s. He wore a large cowboy hat that nearly covered his face and also some old jeans and fur leggings. He had on boots with spurs as well as two six shooters in holsters. He was smoking a home rolled cigarette and gave us all an evil stare.

   I walked over to him and asked what he was up to. He said his name was Slim Saunders and he was from a ranch just outside of town. I reckoned him to be about 60 in years or maybe a bit more. He told us he had done everything from ranching to mining to logging and even bounty hunting in his day. I started to like him. John asked him what we could do for him. He said he had heard quite a bit about us in town. Some of the groups that hung around in the tavern said we were the mining crew from hell and we took names and kicked ass. He said he was looking for work and wanted to join up with us.

   I asked him what kind of job he was looking for. He said he was a scratch shot with his 45’s and could work as security. He said he could also handle a rifle with the best of them. Before I could say anything he pointed to a limb on a pine tree about 100 feet away. He said to look toward the end of the limb and there was a small branch starting off to the right with a pine cone hanging on. I said that I saw it. He slapped leather with both hands and quick drew his Colts and fired off a round from each gun. The pine cone flew off the limb. Then he twirled the pistols and put them back in their holsters as slick as grease.

   Then he told Will to set out two empty tin cans about 100 feet away. Will set them up on a rock and came back over. Slim said to watch and he pulled his right hand quickly and shot as the gun cleared leather. One of the cans flew off the rock. Before the sound of the shot died he pulled his left hand with the Colt and did the same thing. The can flew off the rock just like the first one. He twirled them back into the holster as slick as could be. I asked him what kind of pay he wanted. He said just his grub and whiskey, a dollar, and a little taste of gold from time to time. I told him to hold on while I talked with my crew.

   Everyone liked Slim. We decided to give him a go. I went over and asked him when he wanted to start. He just looked at me and said “Well, I’m here aint I ?” and that was that. Then he asked if we had any whiskey. I handed him a new bottle and we all sat around the fire as darkness fell. Slim took a couple of pulls from the bottle and began to tell us his story.

 

   April 18   1937   Part Two

  

   Slim told us his father had worked in a wild west show back in the day. He did all kinds of tricks with guns and ropes. His father had begun teaching him these skills from even before he could remember. His father traveled all the time and when Slim was sixteen he and his mother and sister never saw him again. He just left on a show tour one day and never came home. He had no idea what happened to him. 

   Slim kept practicing his father’s trade until he figured he was better than him or anyone else around. However, by this time the wild west shows were all dried up like the dust in the western wind. There was no market for his trade. Slim developed a real bad attitude and began to pull strong arm robberies when he was still a kid. He used his gun skills to intimidate people all the time. Not surprising, the law eventually caught up with him when he was nineteen years old and he spent two years in the Wyoming state prison.

   When he got out his mother and sister had moved on and abandoned him. He never saw either of them again. Prison hadn’t helped his attitude but it hardened him as a man. He had been in many fistfights and brawls while in lockup and had developed some good hand to hand fighting skills to go along with his gunplay. He was a truly dangerous individual and didn’t think twice about using his guns or fists at the drop of a hat. By now Slim had downed a third of his bottle. Then he told us a wild story. We all leaned in to listen closely.

 

   April 18   1937   Part Three

   Slim said that back when he was just out of prison he got a job working on a ranch. He didn’t have a whole lot of cowboy skills when they hired him but learned real fast and was soon one of the best cowboys on the ranch. He was in a poker game one night. It took place in the main bunkhouse and Slim was losing real bad. The cowboy who had all the money was the best bronc buster on the ranch. Or so he thought. Slim challenged him to a bronc busting contest. Slim put up one of his Colts against the money in the purse. The other cowboys got the meanest horse out of the barn. They called him Freight Train. He was bad to the bone. The first cowboy took a turn on him and got thrown after just a few seconds. Slim got on and rode out the horse and broke him. The cowboy who lost refused to give up the purse. One of the other guys was holding Slims Colt & gave it back to him. The losing cowboy challenged Slim to a duel. Slim said this guy thought he was pretty quick on the draw. They walked out fifty paces and stood looking at each other. Slim told him to make his move when he was ready. After a wait of about thirty seconds the cowboy slapped leather. Slim came up with both guns firing just as they cleared their holsters and the slower guy went down on his knees firing off a round into the dirt. Then he slowly rolled over on his side. He was dead. Both of Slims shots had pierced the chest in the area of the heart. Slim calmly walked over and took the money out of the cowboy’s vest pocket. It was covered in blood.

   The ranch owner had heard the ruckus and came out of his house with his rifle. It was way past midnight. When he saw one of his top hands laying dead on the ground he wasn’t happy. He pointed the rifle at Slim and told him he was going to shoot him dead.

 

   April 18   1937   Part Four

 

   Slim said when a man told him he was going to kill him he took him at his word. So he raised his right hand as if to give up but as he did so snapped the six shooter out of its holster with his left hand and fired three times. The rancher dropped to the ground lifeless. Just that quick he had taken two lives but felt he had no choice. The cowboys were real upset now because their boss and one of their friends were eating dirt. Slim said there were five of them left and some had sidearms. He told them not to make any moves and walked backwards towards the barn. He saddled a horse and rode off into the night leaving what few belongings he had. However, he did have a full poke now. Within the space of a few minutes he had become an outlaw. Then he told us the rest of the story.

 

   April 18   1937   Part Five

 

   Slim said he lasted until the law dogs caught up with him in Cody, Wyoming. He said there were two of them and he could have easily gunned them down but didn’t want to kill any more men. He got thirty years and got out when he was 51 years old. More than half his life had now been spent in prison and he had no one to call a friend. He was on his own in a strange world. 

   He was forbidden to own or carry a gun and had no training except in gun play and cow punching and bronc busting. He thought about the rodeo circuit but everyone told him he was too old. He decided to give it a try anyway.

   He got on with the Cowboy Contest circuit in Cheyenne and found out he could still hold his own in the bronc riding division. He made himself a living for nearly ten years and was the oldest cowboy to qualify for a trophy and prize money. Then he eventually hooked up with a ranch in the area and now he was sitting at our campfire drinking whisky with us. We all pulled out some cups as he talked about his life and drank whiskey with him deep into the night. Around two in the morning we all turned in. When we got up none of us were feeling too good and took the day off nursing bad hangovers. There was no gold made that day.

[GhostMiner]

   GOING BACK TO THE NIGHT THE CREW WENT TO THE INFAMOUS TAVERN WITH SLIM SAUNDERS. WHAT A NIGHT.

   April 21   1937   Part One

 

   We had a good night's rest and went right to work early. We had our best day with five ounces. John and I couldn’t believe it. Somehow we had found us a sweet spot of glory gravel. Slim said he’d never seen gold like that but had heard tales in town that we’d mined thousands of ounces out here. I didn’t say much other than don’t believe all the bull .... being passed around about us. 

   After supper Slim said the crew should go into town and celebrate. He kept talking and eventually had John on his side. I, for one, was tired of letting the town people control us so I asked Sarge and Ben if they were good with guarding camp while we went in. They said they were fine with it but didn’t exactly think it was a good idea. So John, Will, Hudson, Slim, and me rode into town and parked at the side lot of the tavern. When we walked in it was really packed. All the tables were taken and the bar was almost full except for a few spots at the far end. Then I saw someone whisper something to another guy and he turned to look in our direction. It was Dutch. He came walking over to me. It was clear he had been drinking and was in a bad mood. He was not happy we hadn’t included him as a permanent member of the crew. Then he spotted Slim. Dutch said he couldn’t believe we had hired on prison trash like Slim instead of him. Slim  heard the remark. I was thinking this trip to town had been a real bad idea.

 

   April 22   1937   Part Two

   

   I immediately stepped in between Dutch and Slim. I told Dutch that we hadn’t contacted everyone yet and would have given him a job once we got up and running. I said we just couldn’t afford an extra man until we got back on the gold. I also told him Slim was working just to be with the crew and without any real pay. I told Dutch that I knew he needed to be properly paid so I was waiting until that time to put him either on security or the mining crew. This seemed to calm him down. We shook hands and I told him we’d talk more and I would buy him a drink. However, this didn’t cut butter with Slim and he said he had been insulted. 

   Dutch could have done the easy thing and apologized but it wasn’t in his blood. Dutch was a big guy and younger than Slim by a good twenty five years or so. He also outweighed Slim by at least fifty pounds. Maybe more. Slim told him it was too late to apologize now and he wanted satisfaction. Dutch was half  drunk and told Slim to go find a place to sit down or he'd sit him down on the barroom floor. Before I could say a word Slim had one of his Colts out with the barrel stuck up against Dutch’s throat. The open end was under his chin and Slim cocked the hammer. He told him to get outside and Dutch had no choice unless he wanted to get his head blown off. 

   By now the barroom had gone quiet and all I could think was now we are becoming not only legends but outlaws to boot. The crew followed Slim and Dutch outside and I pleaded to Slim to put the gun away. Slim wasn’t having it. He asked Dutch how much money he had on him. Dutch said he had ten dollars. Slim said to give it to him and Dutch did so. Then Slim told Dutch to get on his knees. He reluctantly did. Then Slim set a full bottle of beer on his head and told him to keep it balanced. He said if it fell he would shoot off one of his ears. Then he walked back about forty paces, turned quickly as he drew his Colt from the right holster, and shot the full bottle off Dutch’s head. Beer went all over him. Slim told him to stay put and walked over to him with my bottle of beer and placed it on his head. He told Dutch not to move and he was going to do the same shot left handed. He stepped off forty paces, turned and fired as his Colt cleared the left side of his holster. The bottle smashed to pieces from the bullet and beer was once again draining down Dutch’s head. 

   Now Slim told Dutch he had one chance to apologize or he would shoot off one of his ears. Dutch told him he was crazy. Slim didn’t say a word and cocked the pistol. Dutch gave in and said he was sorry. Slim told him to get up on his feet. When he did he fired a few rounds alternately from each Colt and the bullets were striking inches from Dutch’s boots. Dutch was dancing up a storm. Slim told him he was going back inside to do some drinking and said to git. He said he was choosy about who he drank with and didn’t like drinking with cowardly weasels like him. Dutch left with his tail between his legs and we went back inside the tavern.

 

   April 22   1937   Part Three

 

   When we got back inside the entire crowd was all stirred up. Some had come out to witness the activities while others were watching from the windows. Slim had put on quite a show. One of the guys came over and wanted to shake our hands and buy us drinks. We accepted the offer but Slim had an idea of his own. He hollered out inquiring who was the best whiskey drinker in town. One of the men said Jeff Johnson could outdrink any man in town. Slim told the guy to go get him as he wanted to challenge him to a drinking contest for $50. The guy went to get him. Then Slim came over to me and quietly asked if I’d stake him the $50 as he was broke. I said sure and eventually Jeff Johnson came walking in. He was over six feet in height and must have weighed in at 250 pounds.

   Now the crowd was surrounding the table we were at and Jeff and Slim set up the rules. The bartender would time the contest out at exactly one hour. Shots would be poured for Slim and Jeff as they downed each glass. Whoever had drunk the most shots after one hour won the prize. However, the winner had to keep the whiskey down and be able to walk out of the tavern on his own accord at the end of the hour. The barkeep brought over two bottles and poured out the first two shots. The contest was on.

 

   April 22   1937   Part Four

   The shots started going down and some of the crowd was cheering on their local favorite but some were hollering encouragement out to Slim. Slim started out downing a shot a minute. He told us to call out each minute. Jeff was just downing them as fast as he could put them down. After fifteen minutes Jeff had downed twenty shots and Slim was sitting comfortably at fifteen. Jeff was starting to look a little funny and his speech was beginning to slur just a bit.

   Slim kept up the shot per minute pace all the way to thirty minutes where he overtook Jeff. Jeff tried to keep up but at the forty minute mark he attempted to stand up and lost all of his efforts as everything he had consumed came up. He had made it to thirty five drinks. Seeing as Slim had now made the count of forty and had won the contest he stopped. It was hard to believe but he was able to get up and walk out the door on his own. Then he came back in and collected his money. The crowd gave him a big cheer. He bought drinks for the bar and the crew stayed inside while I followed Slim outside and into the parking lot where he heaved up what he had drunk. We went back inside and stayed until closing time. I didn’t see Slim drink anything more that night but the rest of the crew and I had ourselves a hell of a good time. 

   Some of the guys in the crowd came over to me and said how bad they felt when they heard about what happened to my brother. They also thanked us for cleaning out the rif raf that had taken over the area. It seemed that the law was next to worthless there and wasn’t up to doing their jobs. What they had failed to do we did for them. All in all it was a good night except I felt bad for Dutch. I was hoping things would be ok between him and Slim. 

[GhostMiner]

   THE DEMISE OF SLIM SAUNDERS.

   April 23   1937

 

   I wasn’t up very long and was making a good breakfast when a deputy came trudging into camp. What now I thought? He was investigating the incident with Slim and the shooting demonstration from last night. I played dumb and told him I had no idea what he was talking about. He asked the crew and they all said the same. Slim was not in his tent. He must have seen the deputy coming.

   The law dog told us that Slim was bad news and that if we were hiding him it would not go well for us. I told him we didn’t know any “Slim” and had seen many drifters come and go on or near our claims. The deputy said he had a warrant for his arrest for reckless use of a firearm as well as strong armed robbery. I just told him that if we see any strangers we will let him know. With that the deputy walked out of camp.

   I continued with my breakfast and about fifteen minutes later Slim walked back into camp. He had been hiding at the edge of the woods and heard everything the deputy had told me. I asked Slim what the facts were. Slim said it was all a bunch of bull and he never robbed anyone. He said that one night he had scared the hell out of a guy and the man gave him some money just to avoid a well deserved beating. Slim said the guy had made some remarks he didn’t like and he was about to kick the sh.. out of him. As for the shooting display with Dutch, he said it was all in good fun. I let it slide but told Slim he might want to avoid going into town for a spell. Slim just looked at me with a grin and said there would need to be way more deputies in that town to take him back to jail. I just shrugged and said it’s his decision and we all went to work for a change. 

   We busted our tails and tried to make a good day of it in the pit but only got one ounce. I think we have another week or so of gravels to finish up and then it will be time to move our operation. I will be glad to get out of there as every time I turn my head I think I see my dead brother. It’s giving me the creeps.

 

   April 24   1937   Part One

 

   Last night after supper I had thought we’d all turn in early and get a good night’s sleep but Slim had other ideas. He said he was restless. Everyone had finally gone to bed but I stayed up with him for a while. He started drinking and talking about how the deputy had a lot of nerve coming into our camp and threatening to arrest him. He said he wanted to go into town and talk with the law and straighten them out. He said he was going with or without me and would hitch a ride. I told him to hold on and went over to Sarge and told him we were taking my truck into town. I said I was just dropping Slim off and would be back soon.

   We drove onto Main Street and I dropped Slim off in front of the Sheriff's station. He was his own man and on his own now. I was going to drive off but decided to wait and watch from about half a block down the street. I parked the truck and turned off the lights.

   I heard Slim hollering outside the building. He was hollering for the deputies to come out and face him man to man. I felt sick inside and figured this was not going to end well. I smelled death in the air. 

   April 24   1937   Part Two

 

   Slim had a bottle of whiskey in his left hand and his right hand was near his holster. I didn’t see any cars at the Sheriff's office and it appeared that there was no one there. He was calling the law all kinds of names but there was nobody to hear it. He finally realized this and began to walk off down the street towards the middle of town. I could hear him saying he would shoot anyone that got in his way as he walked into town. I figured it was just a matter of time before something happened and I was right.

   I saw several men with rifles approach him from the side of a dark building. There were shots fired. I saw muzzle flashes from Slim and also the men with rifles. Then it was quiet. I heard some hollering and more men with guns arrived. They were deputies and some armed citizens. Slim was laying in the street. The armed men were standing over him. I headed back to camp.

[Mike Furness]

Hate to say it but Slim had a conscious or unconscious death wish and it was fulfilled!