The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1874-08-29
A KENTUCKY MILLIONAIRE.
Lee Black Starts From His Native
State Poor Carpenter and Returns q
Montana Capitalist-The Ups and
Downs of Life In the Territories.

montana Capitalist-The Ups and
Downs of Life In the Territories.
j. Martins Crab Orchard Letter to the Paducah Ker-
.tit tuckian.
| have just met with Kentuckian whose
history is more like romance than reali-
ty. Mr.. L. NJ. Black was born in Laurel
county, Kentucky, in October, 1880. He
left home at the age of seventeen without
education OF money; went to Somerset, in
Pulaski county, and learned the carpenters
trade. In two years Mr.. Black came to
Crab Orchard and worked a year, then
went back to his native county and married
the girl of his choice, Miss Curd, who was
raised in mile of his old home. He re-
manned in London, the county site of Lau-
rel, until 1859, and built the seminary dur
ing the time. In the spring of 1859, he left
for Pixies Peak, in Colorado, in company
with young man named Hackney. AtllLeav-
nslxyorfh with thraa
others he purchased an outfit consisting of
a wagon and two yoke of oxen, with cook
ing utensils, provisions, sc.
After travelling into the interior of Kan
sas, Mr.. Blacks company of five men joined
forty-fve others and organized by electing
captain and started by the Smoky Hill
route for Pixies Peak. This route is noto-
rious for the great suffering experienced on
it that season, quite number having died
from want and exposure. After two months
and a half of travel Mr.. Blacks company
reached Denver without losing all OK or a
man. The excitement at Denver was in
tense; there were three or four log houses
at Denver at the time, and a great crowd
of people, some trying to get back, while
others were SO depressed with their pros
poets, that it was common to hear of sni-
eide.
After remaining in Denver few days,
Mr.. Black determined to examine the gold
prospects for himself, and made a trip of
six miles up Cherry Creek, where he found
some men washing out the gold with a
hand-rocker. He purchased a small amount
of dust and returned to Denver; this en-
couraged his party stay. In short time
the news came of the Gregory discovery in
the mountains, forty miles from Denver.
This at once determined Mr.. Black, with a
few of his party, to strike for the noun
tains. In company with Mr.. Hackney he
started with three sacks of flour, some ba-
con sugar and coffee. Two sacks of the
flour, worth $50 each, were lost in attempt
ing to ford swollen creek. Mr.. Black
walked all the way to the mines, carrying
his pick, shovel and pan. After reaching
the Gregory mine he found it to be very
rich, and commenced prospecting and
found quartz mine, but not knowing any
thing about it's value after working it
about six months abandoned it. Soon an
1rishman by the name of Pat Casey, came
along and claimed" it, Immediately had
his claimed to it recorded, went to work and
and made million and half dollars by
working and finally selling it.
After abandoning his mine, Mr.. Black
took sick and returned to Denver, where
he remained two weeks, and was robbed by
sAarpers by selling him a gold ehain-he
p;ka,s PEAK nom zen vleer-aved. dalla,s,-
mine. after laborious trip, he found he
was swindled.
After prospecting for some time MI
Black returned to Denver without anything
He then left Denver and came back TO 20
Iumbus. Neb., eighty miles beyond Omaha
He then went to the Pawnce reservation t
work at his trade. Judge Gillis was agen
for the Pawnee Indians, and employed hin
and Hackney to build house. After hn
isbine it Judge Gillis was so well please
that he placed Mr.. Black in his office 10
tbe winter while he went to Washington.
This was in 1859. In the spring OF 1eo
Mr.. Black provided himself with an QUIT
and returned to Denver and worked 1e
three weeks at the carpenter trade, maxim
s75 From there he went to fine park o
Rear creek. thirty miles distant, to cut hay
which was bringing abig price in the mine
He was very successful in the hay train
cutting and hauling it to the mines, Whe
it was eight to ten cents per pound.
continued at the business until the Wlnt
of 1868. when he purchasing hay for tt
q government at which he made lar
{: amount of money.
e Tn the spring of 1864 the governme
4 wanted to ship lot of negro soldiers fro
Denver to Fort Leavenworth. KS, and ga
% Mr. Black the contract to furnish tral
# portation. This was a profitable contra
i and on the return trip he purchased bact
n four. &C., and took it back to Denver, a
made over three hundred per cent. ON
investment. After this he engaged
" teams to the government, and this contra
N too, was profitable.
al In 1865 Governor Evans, of Colorado,
N the special friend of Mr.. Black. A Les
latnre was called to take the initiatory st
:. to admit the Territory as State into
: Union. Mr.. Black was nominated Tor
Senate in one of the districts. He was
: politician, and when notified that he
:. nominated for the upper house, ne as
l'n ! where in the hi was the upper house.
'es refused to electioneer, and when the
'se tion came off he beat a talented politl
four to one.
ION 4 On the assembling of the Legislator,
was the controlling spirit, and secured
election of his friend. Governor Evans
ays the United States Senate. All recoilec'
# a bin to admit Colorado as q State J,
ne, Union. It passed Congress twice, ana
AXE vetoed each time by President johnson
Since Governor Evans recognized
h"n worth Mr.. Blacks history has oeen a
tinued series OF successes. he IS TOO
- millionaire, President and principal Q
g. Of the National Bank Of Bozeman, OF
the the most important and flourislling cit
pro- Montana, and is also Vice PRESIDENT
rove PEOPLES National Bank, Of Helena,
s,s tana.
sus- Mr.. Black is splendid specimen 0
oensss Kentuckian. Ola aporHy figure
a large head, an honest, open counte
ney- in which there is no guile, on meefin
4 I = $50 s1F nature