, 1885-07-22
PIC Luck.n
How a Drummer Found a Fortune at a
ST. Louis Auction.

In the Louisville Courier Journal is a
readable story relating how a commercial
tourist while s%troIling along the streets Of
a city stumbled uponp fortune in Colora-
do. 1t happened about two years ago,
while on a trip to the West, he had coca
sion to go to st. Louis, where he stopped
for several days on a visit. While passing
along the street one day, he found him
self in front of an auction house where a
large amount of unclaimed merchandise,
commonly known as "old horse" was
being sold by an express company. At
traeted more by curiosity than to make
any investments, he entered the store.
and after standing idly by during the
disposal of several packages, suddenly
took a notion to try his luck. Two sub
s%tantial pine boxes, each about eighteen
inches square and a foot deep, and ad-
dressed to Henry c. Townsend, St.
Louis, Mo-, were on the block. They
bore the card OF the express company, on
which it was stated that they had been
sent from Gunnison, Col, by George p.
Someryille, and that they contained
quartz.
The commercial evangelist, hearing a
bid of 81 for both the boxes, raised it
twenty-five cents. His opponent went
him a quarter better, and so the game
see sawed until finally the Louisville man
captured the boxes for 81. ~. He had
them removed to his hotel, and upon
opening them discovered thai they were
both full Of gold and silver bearing quartz,
but of what richness he could not tell.
before he left st. Louis he shipped the
boxes to this city and after his return he
had his father, who is something of a
scientist and considerable ola mineralogist,
crush the quartz and put it through the
proper process to test its bearing qualities.
1t was found that the quartz was extreme
ly rich in both gold and silver, and who
ever owned the property from which it
came had a bonanza.
Several months later, the drummer
found himself again in st, Louis, and he
made some inquiries concerning Townsend,
to whom the boxes had been consigned.
He found him to be a worthless sort OF
fellow, who cared foI nothing but to eat
and sleep from day to day. He owned
part of the claim from which the quartz
had come, and was willing to sell it for a
mere song. 1t had never been worked,
he said, and he did not suppose it amount
ed to much. Somerville was dead and
Townsend had never had the means to
go out and look up the property.
The drummer then went to Colorado
found the claim as described in the West
Elk mountains, northwest of Gunnison,
aud finally purchased the property, in
conjunction with a friend who was located
at Gunnison. They had but little money
with which to begin operations, the claim
was hard to reach and for nearly a yeal
they did but little in developing the lead
Recently, however, they have made bet
ter progress, and n letter received last
Wednesday by the drummer from hi:
partner announced that their claim was Of
inestimable value and enough ore hac
already been taken ont of it to make then
both rich men. The fortunate CONNER
cial tourist is confident that he will soof
be rich as Crosus, and that it will not b,
long until he will be able to cast the grip
sack aside forever.