The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-06

Fate of the Men Who Discovered Some Of the
Great American Mines.


Denver News.
The superstitious belief is an old one that un-
less the discoverer of q camp meets untimely
or bloody end his find will never amount to any
thing; and this seems borne out by facts, since
nearly all the discoveries of the great gold mines
| of the United States, with but few exceptions
have, as the saying goes died with their boo s
on Of thirty eight booming towns in the car y
days, the1ocators of twelve were killed by bulet
three were buried in their creations by cave-;ns
and the rest drIfted away with the tide of imm-
grafton, have become lost in oblivion died and
were buried in paupers' graves. George II. Fry
er, from whom the celebrated Fryer HILL" of
Leadville. derives its name. died at Denver, not
long ago, from an overdose of morphine admins
tered by his own hand. Two years previous to
his death he was worth million or so, but be
died pauper and almost without friend.
Old Virginny after whom the Consolld ated
Virginia was named, and who sold his claim for
So, pony and bottle Of whisky. came to his
death by an overdose from a bucking mule near
Dayton. New.
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the great Stand
ard mine in Mono county, California, slept his
life away in snow-storm while making his way
to the mines
Colonel Story, who gave his name to the
county in Nevada where the Comstock is stu
ated. was killed in battle by the Pyramid Lake
Indians.
Thomas Page Comstock died beggar in a
strange land. "Old Pancake" as he was known
In the mining camps. committed suicide at
Bozeman. NJ. IT,. on September q, by shooting
himself He was the leader OF the famous Big
Horn expedition that was sent out by Nevada
capitalists in search of the Lost
Cabin mines. supposed to be somewhere
among the Big Horn mountains The expedi-
ton was failure and Comstoek. whether from
camped near Bozeman, drove pistol ba II
through his head and died instantly. He was
buried there, and his grave is unmarked and un-
known.
the hidden treasure of Alder gulch was reve aed
to him, William Fairweather was laid down to
rest. Like poor "Oid Pancake this err
ratio soul stranded on the shoals of
dissipation, although each in his day had turned
a key-the one silver, the other golden-which
had unlocked millions for others but nothing for
themselves. William Farrell, who "struck'
Meadow Lake, died a victim to remorse in one
of the leading hospitals of San Francisco,
haunted by the spirits OF thousand deluded
pioneers aud prospectors passing and repassing
his dying bed" The locator of the famous
Homestake in the Black Hills. is said to have
afterward turned road agent. Times getting
hard with him, he attempted to stop stage
luaded aud prepared for just such emergencies,
and he was planted alongside the road by the
tender-hearted express agents whom he had tried
To rob and kill Homer, of the Homer district,
followed in the suicidal tracks of Comstock. AT
ter sQuandering small fortune he shot his
brains out in the streets of San Francisco.
"Dougbnut Bill" ''Old Eureka" Kelse Austin.
Lloyd Magruder, ''Nine-mile Clark" George
Hankinson, Henry Plummer and scores of others
died violent deaths in one way or another and
reaped nothing from the rich finds each had
made in his day Doughnut Bill was planted 10
the Lone Mountain Cemetery in Utah. in 1858; a
lone grave under white pine tree in frontier
mining town of California tells where poor
'Old Eureka sleeps his last Sleep Kelse Austin
was killed and buried in Elko county, Nevada,
fifteen years ago.
Lloyd Magruder, while conducting number
Of wagons loaded with treasure from Virginia
City to the nearest railroad was murdered and
robbed by his teamsters, who were Pummer's
outlaws in Disguise George Hankinson and
Henry Plummcr were hauled up byvigilantes and
strung up without the delay and formality of a
trial. Piummer was great rascal. In the early
days Of the mining camps OF Montana Plum
mer was elected sheriff of the camp about
Virginia City He was the first locator of the
rich ground about Virginia City, and thought he
could make more money, and quicker, too, by
taking what was already mined than by laboring
in the gulch day after day and getting it by hard,
honest toll. But he tripned up at last, and
died cringing, miserable coward on q gallows
of his own construction.