Seeking Information

C. B. Minor, 1232 Lombard street, Portland and John McLaren, also of Portland, were in Rainier Wednesday [May 13, 1931], seeking information relative to a visit made there by a San Francisco man in the early 90’s who came to claim a cache of gold left on the old military trail in Washington by his father in the late 70’s.

Gold was Buried

The story the visitors tell is that in the late 70’s a man made a trip from the Sound country to Vancouver Wash., presumably trading with Indians. At a certain point one of his horses broke a leg and had to be shot, so that a portion of the heavy load of gold accumulated on the trading trip could not be hauled back to Vancouver with the remaining horses. Accordingly the gold was buried at a certain point, a map made of the location and the party proceeded to Vancouver. But upon arrival there it was found that the boat for San Francisco was about to sail, and the man who owned the gold boarded the boat rather than wait for another one. Soon after he reached San Francisco he died, and his son was too small then to come to claim the gold left on the old trail “up North.”

Gold not Found

But in the early 90’s the son did come and he is said to have outfitted himself in Rainier for the trip. Only one man is known to have actually interviewed him, and he was the late W. J. Deitz. After a summer of fruitless search the hunt was given up and the man presumably returned to San Francisco.

General Location Found

Now Messrs Minor and McLaren have found the location. If they could only establish communications with the son who has the map with the exact spot marked on it they feel sure they could find the gold.

Who Was He

Although they failed to gain the information they sought in Rainier they are still searching through records for a possible reference to the visitor from San Francisco who came here to search for his father’s gold.