A LOST LEAD MINE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2456, 19 November 1886, Page 2

A LOST LEAD MINE.

Hunt for the Hidden Fortune amon3 i the hhls of l&ke. (American Paper.) The groat productiveness of the soil of Lake County, and its mineral waters, doeß not embrace all the resources of its wealth, Thatthcioare valuable mines here doesnol admit of doubt. Nor do the mines now, and tor year* past worked for. quick-silver

nfc. all urn! tlia story of thy mineral wealth | hidden away in the masrii of iiiir inouiitains, In ffct, wo cuuiifcry ' is at yet unprospacted, There are many i pladeß in the Lake county wherethecolour , >f gold has been found with the miner's wn, while silver and copper ore have fre- i luently been discovered.' The latter has J wn found in large and promiiingquanti- I ies. The characterof our country pftsriexr .( ites the reinarkthat it resembles the gold i tearing placers of the Nevada mountains, \ .nd the belief of the presence of gold nines is often expressed because of such I esemblance in soil, timber, &c, Alex I lunger, an old resident of Lower Lake, i ecently discovered and is now working a oa\ prospect at Sulphur Oroek, just < .cross the line dividing Lake and Oolusa bounties. Thin prospect promises a rich ield to tho enterprising prospectors, who re driving down upon the voin now r ielding specimens of stone ooal oqual to he best. Is ifc to ba suppoaod that herearono other coal lands here? The muntry is of the same character, and here are without doubt rich fields of vealbh hidden under tho brush and the juloheß of our mountains awaiting dielovery and development; There is a scrap of history connected vith the subject of our discussion, whioh ve will give because of its appropriateless. Years ago—it has been so long ince that if has almost bocoma a egendary, tradition before the ■ettlement of the • Clear take country, ome hunters encluiped within two >'r three miloß of. the present Sulphur 3ank Quicksilver mine. "A man named Jroenwood was one of tho party of miners. Greenwood, out hunting one day, ■hot and wounded a bear. The wounded minial crippled down the mountain side ntoa deep canon, whither he was. followed'by the hunter. While looking for he wounded bear in the canon, the mnter picked up a largo, dark-looking •ock, which because of its usual weight at >nce attracted his attention, and he ilaced it in his shot-pouch; At night vhen he returned to camp, ho exhibited lis" find" to his companion, which, after jeing tested by their hunting knives, they lecided to be lead, and having run short if bullet material, they placed their ipocimen in a ladle upon thoir campfire, md were rejoiced to find their ooniectures lorroct—it was pure lead—and they noulded a good supply of bullots thererora ou tho spot. At that thno this w&9 i wild country, an unclaimed wilderness. Che discoverer intended to roturn it some future time to find his ead mine, but at that time he did mb go back to it, He went away, and Leath or something else overtook hira, so hat he never returned to look for his lead niuo. The above is no fiction. At east tho melting of the specimen and uouldmg into bullets . was attested >y several of tho company of hunters, to ome of our old residents. The Hanson toys, of Long Valley, Benjamin Deuell, )f Upper Lake, and other old time's here, ;now thoabove to be true as- relatod by he companions of the hunter who found he lead. The hunter was alone the day le made the find, and only told his com'anions such facts as we have stated withiut particularising about the locality, several searching parties have been out mntin? for this lead mine;- but as yet without success. Whether it exists or tot, the pioneers of Lake firmly believe n it and oocassionally go in search of it. jhere is nothing at all unieasoDablo about ho narrative, and we believe it, too, and ome time after the winter's raiu may iave washed the detritus from the surice, it may bo discovered by some lucky ellow, whose farno will be groit and fhose name will ba Orcosus.