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ALDER GULCH MENPENNILESSt11IIGINAL SIX DISCOVERERS FABULOUSLY RICH DIGGINGLOST FORTUNESWhat happened to the six discov-ers of Alder Gulch, later the fabulously wealthy Virginia City placerdistrist? Barney Hughes, one of them, revealed their fates JO years ago in an interview. Although their total gain amounted to nearly 9300,000, they died penniless.Barney at the time of the interview had only a cabin in the Big Hole basin, two horses, a pack saddle and prospector's outfit with which he was searching for another “strike to make him wealthy. He and Henry Edgar were the last of the six surviving in 1905.Edgar, according to Barney, lost his $45,000 stake in the butchering business. He was living on the Clark Fork river near Missoula, at that time. Barney told the reporter.Tom Cober used his $50,000 to buy a California orange grove and was killed by a brother of Boone Helm, notorious Virginia City road agent. Bill Sweeney and Harry Rogers each had $50,000 but died penniless in their native country, New Brunswick. Bill. Pairweather squandered his $40,000 and died in the Ruby valley.Barney Hughes had $40,000. He buried $24,000 in a bank of the Beaverhead river- With the remainder of his fortune he went to British Columbia. But he soon returned, dug up his $24,000 and bought real estate in San Francisco. However, his title to the property was not clear and he did not realize a cent on his investment. His land was in the center of San Francisco and became worth several million dollars, none of which came to him. So Barney 1 Hughes returned to Alder Gulch with- j out a penny to search another fortune.According to Barney's story, the partv | of six almost failed to reach Alder Gulch. Captured by a party of Crow Indians, they were placed on worn out cayuses .so that they would not run away from the war party. With the aid of a friendly squaw, the six men es-raned and £hree weeks later made their discovery They left Bannack in Jan-uarv. 1863, remained in Deer Lodge until March, set out for the Yellowstone river country and were captured May 1. Their discovery in Alder Gulch on May 23 caused the stampede to Montana which by winter had brought a thousand men searching for gold. These men w^re successful to the extent of $30 000.000. -
Newspaper Details
Superior Mineral Independent
Superior, Montana, US
Thu, Oct 17, 1935
Page 2
Full Page
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Anonymous
TX, USA 10 Apr 2020
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Superior Mineral Independent
