The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-09-07
\ MILLIONAIRE MINER.
The Career of a Bonanza King \
Romance OF Mining.

Romance OF Mining.
A Denver Colorado correspond
ent says:
had heard SO much about Ia
boris mines, and Tabor's buildings,
and Tabor's schemes from the time
| crossed the line which separates
total-abstinence Kansas from drink
as-you-please Colorado, that | was
quite anxious to meet the bonanza
king face to face. My curiosity was
amply gratiiied to-day. BY the
courtesy of Governor Pitkin, occu-
pied a place ON the balcony of the
State house while the splendid
militia companies of Denver and
Leadville passed in review under
the Executive eye A number of
the State officers assisted the COVER
nor, and among them was Lieuten-
ant-Goyernor Tabor, arrayed in the
uniform ofTabo~ Guards, his strong,
bony head surmounted by little
skull cap, apparently two sizes too
small.
His warmest admirers would not
call Mr.. Tabor either handsome or
graceful. He is apparently about
fifty-fYe, his hair is black and
coarse as an Indians and his large
mouth is covered rather than orna-
mented By a heavy moustache
which is slightly tinged with
gray His arms and legs seem made
of wood and his joints Of iron, and
it is very evident that he does not
feel at all at home in a military uni
form.
In conversation with this luckiest
of men one soon forgets his peculiar
tiles of manners and appearance
There is so much straightforward
ness and strong common-sense in
what he says that no one who
knows him wonders that he has be-
come one of the great masters Of the
great art of money making.
His history is one OF the roman
ces ofmining. Twenty-Five years ago,
when the pixies Peak or bust" fe-
yer was at its height, Tabor and his
wife left their hungry home in Maine
to seek a fortune in the wild West.
They didn't find it. For eighteen
weary years they went up and
down the foothills and mountains
of Colorado, pursuing the phantom
gold and growing old and discour-
aged in their tiresome and bootless
search. He was sober and thrifty, |
but somehow they did not get on
in the world.
Now, when they have more mill
ions than they had hundreds then,
Mrs. Tabor delights in telling how
''me and Tabor" moved in an OK
team across the Park from Denver
to Oro City, where they started
little store for the sale of miners
supplies Oro City was a small
camp a'out two miles from where
Leadville now flourishes, and where
the first discoveries of quartz were
made in Leadville. Tabor grub
staked' two prospectors, August !
Reiche and George Fryer, to search |
for ore. on the condition that he
should have half Of all they should |
discover.
The first ore they found ran only 1
eight ounces to the ton, but as they |
went down on Little Pittsburgh" |
the quality steadily improved. /
About this time Leadville had out.
grown Orc City, and Tabor moved I
his store to Denver and bought a /
a bill of goods amounting to $1,000, |
and not having money enough to |
settle, he offered his share in the
Denver firm, but they preferred to
take their chances on getting their
money back when he had disposed |
of wares. Later he bought $500 |
worth OF goods from another firm,
and actually succeeded in inducing
them to take his half of Little Pitts
burgh in payment.
When he reached home, however,
he received letter from the firm /
asking him to take back his mine,
as they had no desire to 90 into
that kind of business, assuring him
that they would trust him for the
bill.
Well they might, for within three
months he had bought out both his
partners for s150,000, paving them
out of the proceeds of the mine, and |
had in turn sold out to Chaffee, |
Moffatt & Co. for s1000,000. In
all he made about 81 100000 ON the
mine which was then stocked at
s20,000,0O0, yielded some $1,000.
coo to its new purchasers. and is
now an empty ruin, so far as ap-
pearances 60.
Tabors wealth is variously esti-
mated between 100000 and $40, |
100000, but it is doubtful if even
he could state its exact figure. Not
withstanding his sudden leap from
poverty to millions, he is as plain
and approachable as ever His only
son and heir is one of the lessees of
the Windsor hotel, and is said to be
a shrewd, level-headed young man.
Mrs Tabor delights in fine clothes, |
diamonds and New Eegland gram
mar, and is now enjoying tour of
I-n-c,,o