Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1883-07-07
ANO9HER PIONEER GONE,
JUDGE W. +. ANDERSON DEAD 1T
SHOSHONE. Il

His Antccedents-They d. Not Differ,
Except In Detail, from Those Ut Most
Old Pacific Coasters.
Judge w. F. Anderson died at Sho.
shone, yesterday, of general debility.
Judge Anderson was a.. old Pacific
Coaster. having come in the tifties,
and was well-known to the legal fra
ternity-among which he was shin.
ing light-in California, Nevada,
Utah, and Idaho. His taking.off was
quite sudden, as only last Wednes.
day the writer conversed with him in
this city.
Judge Anderson came to the Coast
in the tifties, and placer mined and
practiscd law, with good success in
both avocations. In 1860 he caught
the "Washoe excitement fever.
which resulted in the discovery of tho
Comstock, and reached the side of
Mount D4vidson in time to get hold
of several interests in mines that have
since sold for hundreds Of millions of
dollars. For inst nce, he owned in
the Gould & Curry, the Savage, Best
4 Belcher, and Sides and White &
Murphy g.'ound-the latter two being
known as the Consolidated Virginia
mine, and having yielded over $75,OOU,.
600. The judge was Of too liberal a
disposition to realize a permanent
profit on his mines. however, and after
a few years of financial ups and
downs he left Nevada for San Fran
cisco. There he was employed by the
Bonanza firm to look up the title of
the Union Cons ,lielated, probably the
most valuable mine in the world to-
day, having machinery which cost
He unrav-led this, Sc.
cured the title, and then-instead of
getting the $4,000 or 100000
which he considered his services
worth, was offered an insignificant
sum.
Disgustcd, he left San Francisco
for Idaho, and came to the Yankee
Fork country whence lie was sent to
represent Custer county in the Coun-
Gil, two years ago. In 1881 lie came
to Wood River, settling at Ketchum,
but moved to HALEY last year and to
Shoshone, last fall, where he was
practising law and acting as Justice
Of the Peace.
Judge An erson had passion for
mining excitements, and was one of
The first i" "Hangtown," (now Placer
Vile, CAL. in Washoe. in White Pine,
in Eureka, i'll Yankee Fork, and on
Wood River. But he never made
much ~ mines after he left the Com
stock. But his urbane manner. un.
mpeachable integrity, and knowled re
If the law commended him to the
people wherever he was known. and
he was successfully elected to the
Souncil in Nevada, to the Senate in
california, aud to the Council in
IDAHO. While in the California Sen.
tie we believe that he was Chairman
# the Judiciary, the most important
committee in the Legislature, and
ouId have made his fortune, had he
'een SO disposed, out of the bills that
anne before his committee. But
BILLY" Anderson was not tt at kind of
man, and this was so well KIN wn
nat he was not even "approached."
The few old-timers who Remember
he proud, but generous "B.lly" An.
|'rsoh when IN his prime, will be apt
o drop tear when they hear that he
no more, and that he died in pow.
rty. IN frontier town. But his de-
oted wife, who shared his poverty as
he had his wealth in former wears,
vas with him when be died, and that
'ill be accepted as irrefutable evi.
ence of the fact that all the comfort
hat ministering angel could secure
vas his.
Judge Anderson was about 62 years
+ age. He leaves a wife and a son
bout 20 years old.
THE CRAZY OMIT.