Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-17
FORTUNES IN MINING.
How the Mining Millionaires of To-
Day Made Their Wealth and How Some
Less Fortunate Could Not Hold on to
Their Riches When They Had

Chance.
A Kansas City correspondent of the St.
Paul Daily News recently met Mr.. james
! H. Myers, superintendent OF mines in Sam
nit County Colorado, and interviewed him
about men OF his acquaintance who lad
made fortunes in mining with THIS res.lt:
"Senator Hearst, Of California, is beyond
doubt the best miner in America. original
| ly from Missouri, he began in the mountains
as a day laborer. He steadily assembled as
| foreman, superintendent and owner. He is
to-day the richest miner in the United
States. There is not a mining state or ter
| ritory in which he is not owning and work
ing some mining property. He has 5000
men in his employ in this country. He
stated to me recently that he hadn't lost
dollar in mining for twenty years past. /
have heard him say that he would much
| ra ther be in his mines than in WASHINGTON.
His wife's aspirations led him to accept
official position.
"Jim Witchlatch was formerly owner of
the Wtchlatch Union mine, near Union
vile, Montana. He sold his mine for
81 800, 900 in gold. He lost this stake on
Wall street, went back to Leadville, in six
months made $4,000, and lost every
nickel OF ii in 1888 by the failure OF Grant
& Wards bank. Nothing daunted by the
second collapse, Witchlatch turned up in
Kingston, New Mexico. Last spring he got
a bonded lease on a piece OF property,
opened it out Il little, and sold to St. Louis
parties 50 as to place a bank account OF
S13O, 900 t. his credit.
The Mary Murphy mine was sold by
the discoverer six years ago for $4,000.
St. Louis people bought it. For three
years past the Mary Murphy has been pay
ing dividend on So, 100000.
Tom Bowen went to Colorado from Ar
kansas ten years ago. He was broken in
health, and, being a member OF the Masonic
fraternity, they paid his board the first
winter. One night Bowen won 500 at
poker, and gave it to prospector for a
grub stake, and gained the Little Annie
and GOlcOnda as the result OF his first
venture. These two mines have paid as
high AS $40, ,OO0 day in hard cash. A con-
servative estimate places the ore in sight
at 80, 100000. To-day Tom Bowen is a
United States Senator and the most pOpu-
lar man in the State of Colorado
Joe Stanley, one Of the wealthiest meL.
OF Denver, and vice-president OF the Denver
City National Bank, had q prospect ten
years ago ia Gilpin County. His wife took
i'll washing to pay for flour and bacon,
while Joe dug his way seven hundred feet
through barren rock. He had no capital
aud couldn't hire assistance. At the end
of seven hundred feet be struck pay ore,
and named it the California mine. A party
of Engshmen on q tour thrOug hout the
State gave him S 900, 900 in cash for the
uine. 1t has paid them over So, ,O0O,OOO
in dividends, and is still being worked
"Goveruor Tabor is supposed to have
made more money out OF mines in ten
years than any other man in Colorado.
Outside OF 81 900, 900 that he has invested
in Denver real estate, his fortune is all in
vested in mining property.
"Diamond Joe Reynolds income from
mines he owns in Colorado is over $780,
900 81 year. His Investments in the Cen
tennial State were made through all Irish
man who worked on one Of Reynolds
steamboats, on the Mississi ppi river. Dia-
mOnG Joe used to say he hadn' much edu-
cation himself, and he wanted Il partner in
the same fix, so that he could depend on d
square deal. His partner, Colonel John
Morrissey, is immensely wealthy, and has
over $500 900 in race horses. His stables
in Denver hold 175 of them. Three years
ago he married II school teacher, az he
claimed, in order to learn how to read and
write.
The first mine ever sold in Colorado
was disposed OF by Joe Watson twenty
five years ago. He received 10000 for
his mine. He lost it all and went home
dead broke for two years. 1882 he got
100000 cash for his int rest in the
Evening Star nine near Lendville. Joe
Watson has not a cent on earth to-day.
81 know bust d prospcctor that applied
to Jack Haverly several years ago for IL
loan of 500 as IL stake. Jack gave him
$1,000. The prospector located some
property and gave Mrs. HayerIy half i'll
terest in it. She can sell out amy day for
So 900.
"Dpnver has more men in it worth over
$500, 600 than any other city in the United
States except New York an! Philadelphia.
They all made their fortunes out OF min-
ing