Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-19
PAYERS HILL.
How Rx-SenatOr Cha6ee's old Partner
 Made . Strike.
From the Washington Post. l

lfrom the Washington Post Dr. J. B. Thompson and George Fryer were partners and proepected 15O miles beyond Denver in 1856. In the background they had semi-partner, one Chafee, sort of un- lucky but sanguine grub stalker, who was always on the verge of striking 1t. Fryer worked his way up one side of canon, while Dr. Thompson took the other and fell into the hands of the Utes. Missing his part ner, Fryer kept on, finding here and there signs of gold, but hardly enough to pay for the trouble of oradling or working a pocket. Finally he reached the end of his tether With only enough provisions to keep him alive on half rations until he reached the out skirts of civilization, he retreced his steps, throwing in to the bottom of his buIro's pack saddle few pieces of sleazy brown rock which he had broken with his pick from the outcropping of ledge near the turning point. These specimens had attracted his attention moro by their weight than from any outward indication of value. Arriving in Denver, Fryer dumped the net results of his unproftabls trip into his trunk and hustled around for another grub stake, ,se- curing which he started in another direction in search of gold. So matters ran on through the years of the war. Not every one could be soldier; so Fryer hunted gold, sometimes in company with Chaffee, sometimes alone. Dr. Thompson had abandoned the field and was attending more serious affairs than broken legs as surgeon in the Union army.
 Fryer had the usual fortune of the pros- peotor-sometimes striking lead and get ting few hundred ahead, then losing it all in sinking a shaft which had nothing of value at the bottom of it short of China. One day, some ten years after the adventure with the Utes, Fryer was down in Denver and down in luck. Overhauling his duunage he came across those specimens. These he carefully picked out. and, more from curiosity than hope, took them to an assayer. The assayer looked them over and weighed them in his hand.
 "H'm! carbonates, ,nhe said "Come around tomorrow"
 When Fryer had gone he took a hammer, laid piece of the rock in the hollow of an iron plate and pounded it up fine. Then he swept up the pulyerized mass care ully, weighed it. put it in @ small crucible, which was placed in a portable furnace, and the flame turned on. There were two or three other processes, and then the contents of the vessel were poured into pail of water. As the lip of the crucible fell below the hori- zontal streak of dazzling whiteness shot out and fell hissing through the water, hard ! ening into grotssque and goblin shapes at
 ! the bottom. At the risk of burning his fn-
 gers the assayer plunged his hands in after \ 1t. As he held it up 8 smile played across ! his face-a purely professional smile. But | he immediately set to work, and, pounding
 | up all the specimens, went through the pro- cess again. Again 8 still larger stream of
 gleaming metal hissed through the water. Then weighed it, made few caleula- ! tions on iece of paper, which he carefully folded up and put in his pocket, closed up ! the office, went across the street and took a \ big drink of whiskey. When his customer | came the next day the assayer was very calm and nonchalant. "Had he assayed the
 stuffp "Yes," rather indiferently. "How had it turned outf" "Oh, 50, sol By the way, where did MT. Fryer find the stuffa' Mir. Fryer grinned a very sarcastic and knowing grin. "1n the bottom of his trunk. Gould he afford the gentleman any further information about his affairsf'
 The assayed sighed. The bird was too old. He picked the paper from his pocket and threw it across the table. "Five dol lars."
 Fryer opened the paper and glanced at the figures. He had the face of a poker player in front of jackpot with four kings, ace high, but he couldn't help whist1ing through his upper teeth. "Silyer, nine hundred and eighty six ounces to the ton. You couldn't make 1t an even thousand, could you," said he to his vis-a-vis.
 He couldn't; but nine hundred and eighty
 ! six ounces was enough. It took Fryer &
 month to make his preparations, dodge the
 ! spies who learned of his strike, get off up
 | the canon and relocate his find. A few
 | months later Leadville was born, and before
 ! long Fryer sold that ledge for three hundred
 \ and fifty thousand dollars. Chaffee caught
 | on about that time, made three or four mil
 I lion dollars, and came to the United States
 ! Senate One of the Grant boys married his
 | daughter. Any one in LeadVille will point
 \ out to you Fryer's Hill.