The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-05-19
FATE OF MINE DISCOVERIES.
A superstitious Belief That is Bams
ont by Facts,

The superstitious belief is an old one that
Unless the discoyerer of a camp meets with
IN untimely or bloody end his find will
never amount to anything, and this seems
borne out by facts, since nearly all the dis
coyerers of the great gold mines in the Unit.
ed 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 locaters of twelve were kill
ed by bullet, three were buried in their own
creations by cave-ins, and the rest drifted
away with the tide of immigration, have be,
come lost in oblivion or died and were bur-
led in paupers' graves.
George H. Fryer, from whom the cele-
brated Fryer Hill I" 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 million or so, but he
died pauper and almost without friend.
Old Virginny, after whom the g CONSOLE
dated Virginia was named, and who sold
his claim for 1926, pony and a bottle of
whiskey, came to his death by an overdose
from bucking mule near Dayton, Nevada.
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
county in Nevada where the Comstock is
situated, was killed in battle by the Pyro-
mid Lake Indians.
Thomas Page Comstock died beggar in
q strange land. "Old Pancake" as he was
known in the mining camps, committed
suicide at Bohemian, Mont, on September
~, 1870, 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 q failure,
and Comstock, whether from disappointment
or from some other cause, while camped
near Bozeman, drove pistol ball through
his head and died instantly. He was bur-
led there, and his grave is unmarked and
unknown.
Near the wild spot where twelve years
before the hidden treasure of Alder Gulch
was first revealed to him, William Fair
weather was laid down to rest. Like poor
Old Pancake" this erratic soul stranded
on the shoals of dissipation, although each
in his day had turned key--the one silver,
the other golden-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 Francisco, "hnunt
ed by the spirits of one thousand deludod
pioneers and prospectors passing and re
passing his dying bed"
The locator Of the famous Homestake, il
the Bhck Hills, is said to have afterward
turned road agent. Times going hard with
him, he attempted to stop stage loaded
and 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 tho Homer district, followed
III the suicidal tracks of Comstock After
squandering small fortune he shot his
brains out on the Streets of San Francisco.
Doughnut Dill, "old Eureka" Kelst
Austin, Lloyd Magruder, Nino Mile
Clark, George Hankinson, Henry Plum
mer, 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 in
the Lone Mountain Cemetery in Utah in
1861 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 Elchn county Navndn fifteen vanra MOO.