Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-22
ARIZONA's GIRL EXPERT.
She was Sweet Seventeen, and Knew
Much About Mining.
From the San Francisco Examiner.

From the San Francisco Examiner
'Arizona has the only girl mining expert in
the world" said Col. John Hall, of Tucson, to
an Examiner representative last night at the
Baldwin. For years she has followed up all
the new camps and passed judgment on mines,
and usually engaged in some kind of business
in them, as well as staked out and developed
claims for herself. Her name is Nellie CASH
man. and she is known throughout all the min
ing towns of Arizona. Just now she Is making
pull for the Harqua Hala mines. She has
just been here and bought restaurant outfit
for the new camp, and, while her employees set
out bacon and beans to the flannel-shirt miners
at 81 a piece. she will make her location and
begin mining as usual.
Miss eastman went south on the Southern
Pacific Yesterday. She is wonderfully plucky
girl. 1t Is about nine years now since she first
came to Tucson. She was from Dodge City,
Kan, and could not have been more than sew
enteen years old. She got to examining the
ore as it came out of the Tucson mines. and
was soon as good judge of its value as her
brother Jim. who worked in one of them. The
boys pretty soon began betting on her judg-
ment, more in fun than anything else, but
what was their surprise to find that she was a
wonderfully good guesser. and hit it close
about every time. Her fame spread. and
miners, always superstitlous, got an idea that
to have her around and get her good opinion
some way brought luck. She knew where to
dig for ore, too, and some of the ore in the
Contention was found by following her advice
in running a drift. Over in Graham county
she made a hit one day on copper. aad whe N
she went TO Tombstone afterward she passed
her judgment on some mines there. Bill Wig
gins sold the Excelsior and Grand YieT mines
on her advice. and the only dividend they ever
yielded was the $4,000 he got from them
Other mines were bought after she had ex-
amined and reported favorably on them
They are good-paying properties now.
I'm Tucson. Bisbee. Tombstone. and other
camps Miss eastman has conducted general
stores and big lodging houses for the miners
She was also in business at Castle Dome. She
is as adventurous in pushing forward to a new
region as any nomadic miner. No sooner does
she hear of new camp than she starts for it,
She has had SO much experience that she al
most invariably turns it to good account. get
ting town lots placer sites, and lode claims for
n 'xt to nothing and unloading at big profit.
first she did not get out of the camps soon
enough. Consequently she has been many
times rich and poor. She has indomitable
pluck. though. and if she goes broke in one
place she soon makes a turn and gets up again.
1t is phenomenal how nonchalently she takes a
reverse. She is just as level-headed, self-con-
tanned, and serene as if she had made for.
tune. 1t makes no difference, SO far as APP
pearances 60.
Miss eastman is rather tall, dark-eyed
girl She is somewhat angular in appearance
and has brown hair. Going about among the
mines, or climbing the hills for outcroppings,
she wears heavy shoes and strong clothes.
usually covered with cloak, worn neglige.
She is a rapid walker and a quick, incisive
talker. Her language is good. She is consid-
cradle of a reader. and on most all subjects is
pretty well informed. She will be the first
woman in the new camp of Harqua Hala, where
there are probably now l.5O0 men,"