The Ghost Cabin of the Puyallup
Two prospectors track a convict's legend to a remote mountain hideout, finding the architecture of an outlaw era still standing.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Fred Wilmarth arrived in Puyallup Wednesday, fresh from the eternal snows surrounding the base of Mount Rainier. Years ago there was known to be what was called the prospectors' cabin, situated about thirty miles from the mouth of the Puyallup River, but which one has to travel about 40 miles to reach. By some means our explorers heard of a story told by a convict in Walla Walla to the effect that along the trail running to the old cabin were certain marks upon trees; that within so many paces was a large forked tree, and in the crotch would be found a vessel containing gold coin. After diligent search the men found the tree described and the marks upon it, but the money was not there. The cabin is within a short distance of the tree. They say it has quite a history. Built by prospectors, it was used by them for a long time, and later became the rendezvous of an organized band of thieves and robbers, who years ago would waylay miners returning from the Salmon river placers. The building stands silent and alone as a monument to mark the spot where perhaps has been planned many a dark deed.
“The building stands silent and alone as a monument to mark the spot where perhaps has been planned many a dark deed.”
The transition of the frontier from a site of hard labor to a landscape of myth is vivid here. The cabin represents the 'vanishing' wild space that Seattle’s modern outdoors culture still seeks, though today we hunt for recreation rather than outlaw gold.
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