Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1883-04-19
Helena Montana Thursday, April 49, 1885,
MINING ROMANCE.
How Some of the Biggest Mines Cost
Absurdly Small Investments.


How Some of the Biggest Mines Cos,
AbsurdIy Small Investments.
[San Francisco Examiner.
There is always something romantic and
interesting connected with the discovery Of
the principal mines of the world, and the
reader never tires of the recital of the little
incidents and adventures leading to the find
ing of big bonanza The famous mines o1
Potosi were discovered by an Indian herder
In chasing mountain goat he pulled a bush
out of the ground, to the fbres of which
clung quantity of silver globules. He con-
cealed his discovery for season, but his
sudden display of wealth excited the atten-
tiOn of his Spanish masters, and under tor
ture he was forced to reveal the locality OF
the precious deposit These mines have
yielded to date the enormous sum of So, ,OOO,-
100000 To appreciate the magnitude OF
this sum We may say that it exceeds the
amount extracted from the bonanza mines
of the COmstock lode twenty times-that is,
that for every dollar the bonanzas yielded
the mines Of Potosi yielded twenty; or in
Western parlance, "Potosi has seen the dol
lar of the bonanzas and gone nineteen dol
lars better" No wonder Spain became such
wealthy country in the sixteenth and seven
teenth centuries. There were lots of Floods,
Mackays and other bonanza kings in those
days.
In 1858 Comstock, of the Comstock lode,
visited San Francisco and endeavored to
enlist capital to develop his mines. He
went up and down Front street begging our
merchant princes of that day to aid him,
saying that he had a mountain of silver ore
on the eastern slope of the Sierras. They
laughed at him and he received the name of
Crazy Comstock" He returned to his
mountain home without dollar, and it was
reserved for Grass Valley men-Judge Walsh,
George Hearst, Joel Clark and others-to be
the chief instruments in making the wealth
of the famous lode known to the world
In 1868 Shoshone Indian in considera-
ton of square meal and a bottle of whisky
guided John Turner, Applegarth, and others
to the summit of Treasure Hill in the White
Pine District, and unfolded to their gaze the
riches of the Eberhart mine. Some of this
ore was so rich that nail could be driven
into it as into bar of lead From a cham
Der in this mine big enough to turn stage
coach and horses around in, over $5,0OOOOO
was taken. The Indian has been an impOr-
tant factor in mine discoveries, both in
South America and on our own continent.
The great wealth Of Tabor, the millionaire
miner of Colorado, arose from $175 worth of
grub furnished by him to some Leadville
miners. These men discovered the cele-
brated Little Pittsburg, Chrysolite, and
other mines, and brought into prominence a
camp which has added nearly $1O0,0OO,OOO
to the worlds wealth since 1879. In 1879
George u. Robinson was a storekeeper in
Leadville with a stock of goods valued at
about $1,000. One day he "grubstaked"
miner with $50 worth OF provisions. The
prospector sailed forth and soon afterwards
discovered the celebrated Robinson mine of
Ten-Mile District near Leadville, and Rob-
inson realized 81 900, 900 by his trifing invest
ment of the sum of $50.
In 1879 Southeastern Arizona was given
over to the red and ruthless Apache, and
was supposed to be deficient in mineral
wealth. But a daring miner, Edward
ward Schieffelin, penetrated the region ana
brought out the news Of good ore and plenty
of it. His sole capital was $3.50, but to-day
he is millionaire. His spirit is, however
unsubdued and signing like Alexander for
other worlds to conquer, he has sailed to the
Arctic, and has there discovered rich dig
gings on the headwaters of the Yukon river.
Alaska will receive a thorough exploration
this summer. AS soon as the country is
released from the icy embrace of winter the
adven turous miners and prospectors will
strike a bee-line for the new country. Rock
of almost fabulous wealth is exhibited in
this city, coming from Alaska, and stories
are told of ledges 100 feet wide full of free
gold. Whoknows but Humboldt's prophecy
that in the north the great matrix of gold is
to be found, may be verified this year?
Certain it is that the mines of Siberia have
yielded an average of $22,OOO,OOO year for
the last seventy years, and their product is
greater now than ever.