Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1885-1890, 1886-12-18
"OLD PANCAKE
Granhic Account of the Death in Mon
tana of the Dtscoverer OF the
Comstock.

Bozeman Mont.) special correspondence
San Francisco Call: The sudden rise III
Comstock mining shares recalls to mino
the history of the discovery of that won
derful bonanza. To-day | stood beside the
crave of old sPancake," the mar who dis
covered the greatest silver mine on earth,
and thought how strange are the vlclssl
tudes of life. That poor, wretched piece
Of Wondering clay, lying there alone ana
uncared for. was at one time the richest
man on earth and yet didn't know it. ms
man, who made millionaires of half a doz-
en- men and enriched scores OF others, Ill
self died a suicide and a beggar. scorned
Of mankind. 1t may not be knoWn that
Comstock is buried away up here IN the
north. vet it is so, for his grave is on the
outskirts of this town, although without a
mark or sign to tell whose dust lies moul-
dering below. Mr.. j. Trout, who was one
of Comstock's pall-bearers, was here III
Owl a few days ago and pointed out TO.
the Call correspondent the last resting
place of the great discoyerer. Ills lie
was an eventful one. Thomas Page Com
stock, after discovering the great silver
lode which bears his name, dritted about
among the mining camps Of Nevada Tor
awhile and then branched off north to Mon
tana. among the Big Horn mountains,
where he believed more silver to be hid
than the rest OF
THE WORLD CONTAINED.
IT is said he went north in the Interests OF
Nevada parties. but how true this IS at
least no one up in this part OF the country
knows. At any rate he was the leader OF
the famous Big Horn expedition that was
sent out in the summer Of 1870 IN search
of the mythical Lost Cabin lead, suppos-
cd to be somewhere among the Big Horn
Range. The object of the expedition,
discovery of mineral wealth, was not &C
complished and the prospecting party
reached Bozeman short of supplies and
many of them without a cent OF money.
Comstock ranked with the latter class,
although from careful inquiry | find he
refused offers of assistance from citizens
Of Bozeman. Whether from disappoint-
ment at the result of the trip, worry over
the plight of himself and party, or for
some other cause: on the morning succeed
ing the day they camped on the creek flow
inc near Bozeman. Comstock drove a pistol
ball through his brain and died instantly.
This occurred September 81, 1870. 1t was
a sad ending of a very wretched and mis-
cradle man, for there is little doubt among
people of Bozeman, who saw and knew
him years ago in this town, that Thomas
Page Constock was of unsound mind wher
he committed this rash act of taking hi:
own life. Comsteck left a paper in hi:
own handwriting, giving some interesting
facts concerning himself. 1t was writer
and dated at Butte City in 1870. and
WAS AS FOLLOWS:
had five claims-Ophir, Savage
Gould & Curry, Hale & Norcross, ant
Virginia. / got old Daddy Curry to com
down and and put him in possession.
hepG NOltIOSS DIT IoA q 5Sli oA liu
mine. Iowned the principal part of Golt
Hill and leased it to Walsh & Woodruff
Now I will tell you how [ sold thos
mines. / gave Sandy Bowers his claim
twenty feet on Gold Hill-and | CAV
Billy Knight his claim. To Joe Plato
also gave his claim. Poor Joe is dead, bu
the claim has made his widow very ricl
/ was working on the Ophir, and takin
out a good deal of ore, but | did not knoN
its value, for | wa in a wilderness.
sent several tons of ore by oS-team
through the mountains to California. an
Judge Walsh was my agent, and heipe
me. I took out a large gold and silve
specimen weighing twelve pounds, an
sent it in a box to " ashington City. | IL
structed John Musser, a lawyer at Was
hoe, to send it. | don't know whether h
did or not, but | wanted congress and til
president to see it, for it was the frs
gold and silver ore mixed ever found i
the United States. | went on working
and Judge Walsh and Woodruff Wer
there every day for two months trying
buy me out. | did not know what hat
NY health was bad, so | finally sold OF
TO them on these terms: | was to gt
$1o.O0O-and did get it at last-and / We
to receive one-eleyenth of all that eve
came out of my claim during my naturs
lifetime. and at my death it was to 90 [