Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-23
A MINERS LUCK.

n MINEho = LUCh.
Talking with Hank Knight, the other
day about the apparent good fortune in
owning a quarter of the Little Mackay,
where the recent strike was made, he
said:
"Well, fellow ought to have a little
luck once in q while. [ have staked lots
of prospects and owned interests in any
quantity of mines, but never made dol
lar except by hard work Not but that |
had chances if I'd had sense enough to
take them The trouble with me has
been that I've had either too much or
too little confidence. Now, | could have
made very respectable raise over in
White Pine had it not been for my over
weening confidence in the district. On
the other hand, / could have had an in
terest in the Richmond and other proper
ties in this district, which sold for big
money, if | could have mustered up my
faith IN limestone and lead, after my
White Pine experience. Shortly after
the breaking out OF the White Pine ex-
element | went to driving stage between
Hamilton and Elcho, and | staked some
prospectors to explore the new Eldorado.
They secured some locations, for one of
which we were offered $4,000 in coin
1t was next tea miEe which did not show
half as well as ours, and for which $60,-
600 had just been paid. We thought we
could get $25, coo ior it at any time, and
laughed the offer to scorn. Well, when
the $4,000 fellows went to work to de
velop their property, the first blast blew
the bottom not only out Of their mine, but
out of the Whole district, and week af-
ter we refused $25, 900 for the Gouge
Eye we couldn't have got % cents for It,
That sort Of destroyed my confidence in
my mining stock About that time an
English prizefghter named Dan Dalton,
who went by the name of Duffy, was
stranded, moral and financial wreck, in
Hamilton. He capped up q prize-fght
between d ydung fellow named F'itzger-
aid and another lightweight, with
view of realizing enough out OF the gate
money to ge. out Of the country. He
was F'itzger,ld's trainer. For some rea-
son the fgh; fell through. [ was still
driving on the road, and through Dalton's
intercessionI secured young Fitzgerald
a lob as COOK at one Of the stage stations.
After Fitzgerald left Hamilton, his OPP
ponent published card il the paper
there that he lad run away to avoid the
fight, Dalton asked meii [ would take
him down Oh the stage to the station at
which Fitzgerald was employed in, or
der that he might interview him on the
subject. [ took him down the next
morning, and at his instiggation Fitzger-
aid returned 10 Hamilton to fight his op-
p0nent Nothing came Of it, however.
Dalton, instead OF returning to Hamilton,
wandered off to Eureka, whose mines
were just beginning to attract attention.
This was some time in 1869, [ think.
He became interested in q number Of To-
cations, among them the Richmond.
Capital began coming in, and his proper
commenced assuming value. Shortly af-
[ met him. and he offered me an interest
in his mines, saying that had it not been
for me he never would have been their
owner / thanked him, but said [ had
lest confidence in limestone and did not
believe in lead. Dalton finally realized
somewhere about 100000 or 100000
from the sale Of his Eureka mines. In
the height Of his prosperity he offered me
$4,000 to go into business here, but my
distrust of limestone and lead prevented
me from accepting the offer. [ expected
every year to see Eureka fatten out the
sane as Hamilton and Treasure City. So
you see how over-con6dence in one case
and lack Of it in another has stood IN the
way Of my makinga fortune" "What
became Of Dalton, did you say?' "Well,
he got through his money some way and
finally died in the hospital here as coun-
ty charge. This talking is dry work.
What will you take?'' Eureka Leader.