The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-06-25
The Romance of Gold Hunting.
SOME OF THE GREAT AMERICAN
MINES.

The superstitious belief is an old ono
says the Denver Ne,os, that, unless the
discoverer of a camp meets an untime-
y or bloody end, his find will never
amount to anything, and this seems
borne out by facts, since nearly all the
discoverers of the great gold mines of
the United States, with but few ex-
ceptions, have as the saying goes, "died
with their boots on Of thirty-eight
booming towns in the early days the
locaters of twelve were killed by bul.
lets, three were in their creations by
cave-ins, and the rest drifted away
with the tide of migration, have be-
come lost in oblivion, or died and was
buried in paupers' graves. George II.
Fryer, from whom the celebrated "Fry-
er Hill" or Leadvile, 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 million or so,
but he died pauper and almost with
out friend
Old Virginny, after whom the "Con
solidated Virginia" was named, aud
who sold his claim for 1925, pony
and bottle of wbiskey, came to his
death by an overdose from bucking
mule near Dayton, New.
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the
great Standard 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 country in Nevada where the
Comstock is situated, was killed in bat.
tie by the Pyramid Lake Indians.
Thomas Page Comstock died beg
gar in a strange land. "Old Pancake" !"
as be was known in the mining camps,
committed suicide at Bozeman, Mon
tana, on September 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 expedition was a
failure, and Comstock, whether from
disappointment or some other cause,
while encamped near Bozeman, drove
a pistol ball through his head and died
instantly lie was buried there, and
MS grave Is unmarked and unknown.
Near the wild spot where twelve
years before the hidden treasure of
Alder gulch was first revealed to Will
lam Fairweather was laid down to rest.
Like poor "Old Pancake" this erratic
soul stranded on the shoals of dissipa-
ton, although each in his day had turu-
ed key-the one silver. the other
gclden-which unlocked millions for
others but nothing for themselves.
William Farrell, who ''struck" Meadow
Lake, died, victim to remorse in one
of the leading hospitals of San Fran
cisco, "haunted by the spirits of 1000
deluded pioneers and prospectors pass.
ing and repassing his dying bed" The
locator OF the famous Homestake IN tht
BLACK HIS Is said TO nave atterwarc
turned roaa agent. Times gong hare
WIN MN, ne attempted 10 stop stage
loaded ana prepared Tor Just such en-
ergehcies' ana he was planted along
side the ROAD ny the 'ender-hc arted ex
press agents whom be had tried to ro'
ana XIII Homer, IN the Homer distric
ioiioWed IN the suicidal tracks OF Com
, STOCK; Aitor sqpandering small for
, tune ne shot ms brains out IN the street,
o, san francisco, Deug9nut Blil' "olt
hureka' EUREKA he'se @ Aust'n' Lloyd Magrad
81, N1he-Miie % Hlark, george hankin
SOD ienry RUNNER, ana scores o.
o'hers d,ea violent deaths IN one wa,
or an1lner ana reaped nothing. iron
1he rlch mas eacn had made IN his day
Douglnu' bllI was planted IN the Lon
moun'a'n cemetery IN otah, In 1898
| u zone grave unUer a Wllte Dlne Tree