During the gold rush, there was thrifty and grumpy old man named Skinflint McIntosh who owned an area rich with gold in Carrabus County. Though he was rich, he refused to pay his miners enough money nor would he provide them with the tools that were needed to keep them safe.
Well, there was one worker who was better than all of the others in the county. His name was Joe McGee and Skinflint wanted Joe to work for him. But Joe knew of Skinflint's reputation and didn't think that he would get paid what he deserved. So Skinflint made a him a deal. If Joe died in the mine, then Skinflint would pay his wife, Jennie, $2,000, so that she would be taken care of. Joe agreed.
One night, not long after, Joe did not come home from the mine. Jennie became very worried. She called all of Joe's friends and they searched the mine looking for him, but found nothing. After a few weeks, Jennie went to Skinflint saying "My husband has died in your dangerous mine. You must pay me the money that you promised him." But Skinflint refused and claimed that Joe had not died, but that he had just decided to leave town. And he didn't pay her.
Soon after, a loud knock came at the door of one of Joe's friends' houses. After opening it, he saw the ghost of Joe standing before him. It told him to go dig in a certain spot in the mine and he would find his body. Joe then asked his friend if his wife had been paid her money. His friend said that she had not. "Then I'll haunt his mine forever!" Joe's ghost wailed.
That night, Joe's friend went to the mine and dug where Joe's ghost had told him to. There he found Joe's body just as he had said he would. And even though Skinflint was forced to pay Jennie her money, Joe kept his promise and haunted his mine for forever, scaring away all of his workers.