Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-19

L .
the next issue he is likely to write 'let-
ter to the editor" stating that the reporter
failed to notice something's Of Importance
which took place and signing it with his
full name-with y and an Q.
THE ROMANCE OF GOLD.
Fate of the Men Who Discovered Some Of
the Great American Mines.
Denver News.
The superstitous belief is an old
one that unless the discoverer of camp
meets an untimely or bloody end his
find will never amount to anything; and
this seems borne out of facts, since near
ly all the discoveries of the great gold
mines of the United States, with but
few exceptions, have, as the saying goes,
"died with their boots on" OF thirty
eight booming towns in the early days
the locators of twelve were killed by
bullet, three were buried in their crea-
tons by caye-ins and the rest drifted
away with the tide of immigration, have
become lost in oblivion or died and were
buried in pauper's graves. George H.
Fryer, from whom the celebrated "Fryer
HILL" of Leadville, derives its name,
died at Denver not long ago from an
overdose of morphine administered by
his own hand. Two years previous to
his death he was worth a million or so,
but he died a pauper and almost without
a friend.
Old Virginny, after whom the Consoli-
dated Virginia was named, and who sold
his claim for S25, pony, and bottle
of whisky, came to his death by an over
dose from bucking mule near Dayton,
New.
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the great
standard mine in Mono county, Califor-
MIA, slept his life away in .snowstorm
while making his way to the mines.
Colonel Story, who gave his name to
the county in Nevada where the Com
stock is situated, was killed in battle by
the Pyramid Lake Indians.
Thomas Page Comstock died beggar
in strange land. "Old Pancake" as
he was known in the mining camps,
committed suicide at Bozeman, NJ. T., on
Sept. 9th, 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 expe-
dition was failure, and Comstock,
whether from disappointment or some
other cause, while encamped near Boze
mann, drove a pistol ball through his
head and died instantly. He was buried
there, and his grave is unmarked and
unknown.
Near the wild spot where twelve years
before the hidden treasure of Alder
gulch was revealed to him, William Fair
weather was laid down to rest. Like
poor
GOLD PANCAKE"
this cratic soul stranded on the shoals
of dissipation, although each in his day
had turned key-the one silver the
other golden-which had unlocked mil
lions for others but nothing for them
selves. William Farrell, who 'struck"
Meadow Lake, died victim to remorse
in one of the leading hospitals of San
Francisco, "haunted by the spirits of
1000 deluded pioneers and 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 going hard
with him he attempted to stop stage
loaded prepared for just such emer-
gencies, 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, fol-
lowed in the suicidal tracks of Comstock.
After squandering small fortune he
shot his brains out in the streets of San
Francisco. "Doughnut Bill" "Old Eu-
reka," Kelse Austin, Lloyd Magruder,
'.N;ne-mile Clark" George Hankinson,
Plummer, and scores of others
DIED VIOLENT DEATHS
in one way or another and reaped moth
ing from the rich finds each had made in
his day. Doughnut Bill was planted in
the Lone Mountain cemetery in Utah, in
1858; lone grave under white pine
tree in frontier mining town of Califor-
MIA tells where poor "Old Eureka" sleeps
his last sleep; Kelse Austin was killed
and buried in Elcho county, Nevada, fif-
teen years ago.
Lloyd Magruder, while conducting
number of wagons loaded with treasure
from Virginia Oily to the nearest rail-
road, was murdered and robbed by his
teamsters, who were Plummer's outlaws
in disguise. George Hankinson and
Henry Plummer were hauled up by Wig
ilantes and strung up without the delay
and formality of trial. Plummer was
a great rascal. In the early days ri the
mining camps of Nevada, Plummer was
elected sheriff of the camp about Vir-
ginia 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 al
ready mined than by laboring in the
gulch day after day and getting it by
hard, honest toll. But he was tripped
up at last, and died cringing miserable
coward on the gallows of his OVID con-
struction.
LUCRATIVE PROFESSION.
Figures That Show it is Easy For Doctor