Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-24
The Romance of Gold.

FATE OF THE MEN WHO DISCOVERED SOME OF
THE GREAT AMERICAN MINES
From Fort Keogh (Mon.) Letter,
Inc superstitious belief is an old one. that un-
less the discOverer of camp meets an untimeIv
or bloody end his find will never amount tn
anything; and this seems borne out by facts
since nearly all the discoveries of the great
Unatin ines IN the United States with but few
exceptions, nave as the sayin 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 tn, =
creations by cave-ins and the rest drifted away
with the tide of immigration have become loo,
IN oolVl0n or died and were buried in paupers'
graves. george II. Fryer, from whom the cele-
brated "Fryer HILL" of Leadvilie, derives its
name, died at Denver not long ago from an
overdose OF morphine administered by his O wn
, mau. Two years previous to his death he was
worth a million or so, but he died pauper and
almost wtho ut friend. ."
Old Virginny, after whom the "Conso1idatod
virginia was named, and who sold his claim
LOT $50, pony and bottle OF whisky came to
ms death by an overdose from a bucking mule
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the great Stand.
ara mine In Mono county, Cal, slept, his life
, away ia snowstorm while making his way to
Col. Story, who gave his name to the county
10 10 Nevada where the Comstock is situated. was
Killed in battle by the Pyramid Lake indians
Thomas Page Comstock died n bengar ,n .
strange land. "Old Pancake" rs he ,vaS knew
IN .ne mining camps, committed suicide at Boze-
~,
himself. lie was the leader of the famous Ri,
Horn expedition that was sent out nv Navad5
Snpisailsts In search OF the Lost Cabin mines.
supposed 10 De somewhere among the big Horn
mountains. The expedition was a faiinre and
Ctomstock, whether from disappointment or
rom some other cause, while encamned naa p
bozeman, drove a pistOl-ball thrOuUh his hoo n
ana died instantly; He was buried there. and
ms grave Is unmarked and unknown
Near the wild spot where twelve wears haforo
the hidden treasure OF Alder Gulch was first re-
Seaieu 10 MN, W lillian Fairweather was laid
oown 10 rest Like poor "Old Pancake, this
erratic soul stranded on the shoals Of I;ssina
tlon although each in his day had tnrnod q
key-the one silver the other golden-which un-
locked millions for others but nothing for thenn.
selves VIM. Farrell. who "struck5 Meadow
Lake, dled victim to remorse in one of the
, lea hospitals OF San Francisco, "haunted
oy the spirits or 1000 deIuded pioneers ana
prospectors passing and repassing his dyinD
PED; Inc locator of the famous Homestake
tnr me n LACK ILLS, Is said to have afterwards
turned s road agent Times going hard with him.
ne attempted to stop stage loaded and nre,
pared FOR Just such emergencies, and he was
planted alongside the road by the tehder-bea RED
express agents whom he had tried to rob and
XIII. Homer, of the Homer district, followed in
e ee suicidal tracks OF Comstock After squand-
the streets OF San Francisco. Doughnut RiIi
Old Eureka" keise Austin, Lloyd Magruder'
Nlhe-Mlle clark, George Hankinson Henry
Hummer, and scores Of others died vioiart
deaths IN one way or another and reaped moth.
ing rom tns rich nnds each had made in his
gay. Doughnut Bill was planted in the Lone
Mountain cemetery in Utah, in 1865: n lone
grave under white pine tree in a frontier
mining town of California tells where poor aOid
Eureka" sleeps his last sleep; Kelse Austin was
Billed ana buried in Elcho county, New, fifteen
Lloyd Magruder, while conducting a number
OF o;, wagons loaded with treasure from Virginia
city u Inc nearest railroad, was murdered and
robbed by his teamsters, who were Plummers
outlaws In disguise; George Hankinson and
henry RUNNER were hauled up by vigilantes
OF trial. Plummer was great rascal. In the
early earl days Of the mining camps Of Montana.
Virginia City. He was the first l0catnr of tha
rich ground about Virginia City, but thought he
could make more money, and quicker. too. nv
ing In the gulch day after day and getting IT, Nv
hard hard, honest toll. But he was tripped up a.
last, ana died cringing, miserable coward. on
gallows OF his own construction W