Treasure state treasure tales

Tiredman

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Oct 15, 2016
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Ok anyone got a copy of this book? Author Jean M. Moore western life publishing 1970 I have only seen a listing for this book. Now it does fall between the works of Penfield and Terry. What I want to know is does this book contain little know leads that few know of or could have followed. Guess the publisher was in Leavenworth, Kansas and might have been founded in 1907.
 

I did see one listing on Amazon UK where it apparently sold long go. As we all know folks just don't part with certain kinds of books. Guess I will have to wait for someone to die and hunt junk shops! (Treasure hunting at it's worst)
 

Ok, found one, 72 pages in the section of the library you can't check things out of. Glanced at it briefly, portions are worth spending time going over, which I will.
 

I got a photo copy and will go over the collection of short stories to see if there is a pearl in the bunch.
 

Story1: Haunted Eight Mile House Never Gave Up It's Treasure.- Outside of Nevada City in Madison county was a hangout for road agents. It is said to have a treasure hidden inside or possibly outside. And it is haunted!.......
 

Numerous folks had complained of moans and footsteps coming from the log walls. A stage driver named Big Bill Mullins said it was foolishness to think a ghost would haunt that crude station in the middle of nowhere, when better places were to be had right in town. It was only natural that the spook would want to haunt in style!
 

So he made a bet that he could spend 5 days and 5 nights in the upstairs room, which was the most active part of the place for noises in the middle of the night! He planned to do some searching for treasure while he was there. His friends camped out around the place to make sure he kept his end of the deal.....
 

During the night, Bill ran out of the house and slept under a tree. He claimed the noises would not let anyone sleep. Over time the house quited down and became normal. The story of the treasure lived on and many explored and dug holes on the property.
 

Looking over the story, I did find Terry had it listed, but that was a decade after Moore. Terry had 4 lines, Moore had a page. Terry claimed it was Plummer gang loot, while Moore only added Big Bill Mullians and it was haunted. I would like to pin down the location. Looking at the story to see if it is useable for my book, further research has to be done on Mullians and haunted stage stops. I figure the story will be in my book since tourists will like it and it will help sales.
 

Story 2: Lost Gold Of Pioneer Creek
This was an interesting story simply due to most folks think the ghost town of Pioneer is by Deer Lodge, which it is. But the first town of that name is near the Idaho border in Beaverhead County. I remember reading up on it years ago. What made it stand out was the claim of prior mining operations that were very old, who made the evidence of prior mining? No white man was believed to have been here! Now the book this story is from is dated 1970, but let’s jump to the 1985 work of Terry. Terry claimed the group of miners worked it in the early 1800’s. Still Terry got the info somewhere, so it was either Moore’s work or early newspapers which carried stories of lore over the years and kept the tales alive. Mentioned is the Big Hole Basin, Pioneer Creek and ravine of gold, which are some interesting search terms to check out. Moore has 1 ¾ pages, Terry a surprising 8 lines.
So, the group of miners worked the gold discovered but were warned by one group of Indians that another tribe would kill them if caught. When they finally decided they had enough gold, they traveled out but were spotted and attacked. All were killed except one, who was gravely wounded. The pack horses scattered and no trace of them or the gold was ever found. The friendly Indians found the wounded man and cared for him. He later died, and supposedly this was how the story was kept alive. Still the report of prior workings seem to support the story to a degree. This story is said by some to be the real first discovery of gold in Montana!
 

Story 3: The Gold Of The Little Rockies, this is the Nepee story and the Thanksgiving dinner at Fort Browing in 1868. About 3 pages long, but covered so much there was nothing new to it.
 

Story 4: Lost Gold Of The Missouri This story was interesting and carried in old newspapers claiming that one man suvived the trip down the river, the rest wiped out by Sioux. Site of wreck 2 days from Fort Rice, which should place it in North Dakota! Checking this sites North Dakota treasure stories, you will find JeffofPA has it there.
 

Story 5: The Lost Keyes Mine, This is the typical lost Keyes mine story, but has a major inclusion of the Alexander City tale. The Alexander City story is not normally encountered studying what is currently out there to read, in fact out side of my books only Shallow Diggins has it if my memory serves me right. Since the lost site is still out there and has never been relocated it is covered in two of my series books, and a stand alone book on just this single lost gold placer.
 

For those not familiar with the locations thought to be where Keyes found his gold, here is a portion of the list. Bear Paw Mountains, Virgelle, Cracker Box Creek, Wilder, Little Rockies, Beauchamps Creek, river boat Miner, The Big Dry (Alexander City) and many more.
 

Story 6: Gold Cache Of St. Mary's Lake, There is nothing new in the telling of this tale that hasn't been covered in old newspapers. Terry had about 1-2 sentences on it. I posted it here as Greg Family Gold or something like that. Either way this might be the first book appearance of the tale. The terrain in the story does exist, so was a tale created around the terrain? Either way a good one to market at the entrance to Glacier!
 

Story 7: Lost Silver Cave, imagine a cave with silver stalactites hanging from the roof. This story ties Bud Neilson of Grasshopper Diggins and an Indian who leads him to a fortune. But Neilson disappears and his body is found near Argenta and identified by his belt buckle, in his hand was a silver stalactite. Story was covered in brief by Terry and Penfield in 1985 and 1975. But Moore's 1950 version includes the silver cave to the story.
 

I have completed reading this booklet, and will provide some briefs on the stories for those curious in this hard to find book. Upcoming will be one about a ring once worn by Henry Plummer, a story I never heard before. A few did surprise me and will have to be researched further.
 

Well I wondered about this Jean Moore author besides this book they also did Shallow Diggins and newspaper articles. Appears they only worked on Montana topics. Folk lore types of stories with historical back up. Still interesting stuff.
 

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