The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-05-29
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The Dabdades, Iowa papers, j y Of the 18th
instant, give an account Of the singular
life of Thomas Kelly, one Of the pion'
eers of that State, who died the day be-
fore. He was an Irishman, and found
his way to Galena in 1881, and in the
spring following pitched his tent in
Dubuque, and went to mining. Jef.
Davis, then Lieutenant Jefferson DAVIS,
drove them off. He was one of the most
industrious miners. In 1884 he struck
big lode on the bluff named after hin.
Several years after he discovered an
other lead, which also yielded largely.
In 1888 he built o sfurnace .on his bluff,
and commenced smelling his own min
eral. He lived all this time alone, only
mixing with men as his business com
PEELED him to do 80, working Hard,
either prospecting, smelling or mining.
a In da6l,he shipped an enormous gran
tity of lead for New York via New Or
leans. He had it insured for $4,000.
On the way il. was lost on the octan,
and he went to st. Louis to collect the
insurance 7 money, receiving drafs In
New, York for the amount. He stared
for New YORK with the drafts in his
pocket to get them cashed himself. At
Albany his, strange appearanceTlong
hair, rough clothes and singular. te-
meanor-eaused ill-bred boys to folaw
and annoy him. The result was. thlt
one day he fired pistol at vexi1g
crowd, and mortally wounded MIN.
He was tried, jud ged to be insane, and
sent to the IutiSa Insane Asylum, tle
State authorities taking possession of
his drafts, which they have retained
eyer since to, the amount Of slQ, ,OW.i
What became of the festris not kno wn.
Heremained at Utica tbrees years. we
think, when he escaped ahd made his
way back to Dubuque. a.
Z He then bhtlt D cabin on the south
side of his bluff. It was composed Of
stones, was Tow, and almost covered
with earth. Below it had a piece Of
groun2, fenced With brush, which be
He did his own cooking!
and mashing His bluff, covered as it
was with trees, was the resort of scors
of people every summers day, and is a
most inviting picnic spot. 1t was fire
to all, if they would not abuse his tress
nor approach his hut. Either Of these
transgressions annoyed him excessively,
and the transgressor was soon made to
feel that the hest place for him was
somewhere else. t.ar
In 80 or A63 the roof of this hut caved
in, and he vacated it, after putting M
n worse one west oft. in more retirel
spot.
He continued his prospecting all thes,
years. and in "a struck another lode,
which has added largely to his wealth.
His singular mode of life, and his IT.
puted wealth, as we'll as his rough AZ
pearance, made him notorious. He wss
opposed to giving money for any pm
pose whatever, and rarely did lsuch |,
thing. We believe, however, that sey-
eral times he, unasked, gave Bishop
Smythe money to help build the caths-
dral, being q Catholic in religion. He
was quite intelligent on many subjects,
though he read very little, if any, and
wrote less. Being alone was his On.
ioyment. Winter" he would say sis
the pleasantest time. There don't no
body but COWS come; on the, bluff in
winter. His use of. the combswas un-
and a beliefirf the efficacy of
water would have been good for him.
His but was close. and dark, even in
daylight. save as candle lighted it,
with the ground for his floor.
He was taken i'll, month ago, with
bilious fever. Then boils and carbun-'
cles nearly covered his body. and weak.
ened him so that his phys icians conld
not rally him. His wealth is estimated
at 100000 by his relatives, though
where it is, save thirty acres on the
bluff, and the mineral in his yard, no
one knows. He leaves two hrotherS. n
sister, two nephews and niece.