San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-04-02
A GIRL MINING EXPERT.
She Seldom Errs in Her Judgment on
Claim and Makes Lots of Money.


"Arizona has the only girl mining expert
in the world" said Col John Hull 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 eastman, and she is known throughout
all the mining towns of Arizona. Just now
she is making pull for the Harqua Hala
mines She has Just been here and bought a
restaurant outfit for the new camp, and
while her employees set out bacon and beans
to the flannel shirted miners for a dollar
apiece she will make her locations and begin
mining as usual
"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 II 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 Judgment more
in fun than anything else, but what was
their surprise to find that she was a wonder
fully good guesser and hit it close about
every time. Her fame spread, and miners,
always superstitiOus, 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 adj
vice in running a drift.
lover in Graham county she made hit one
day on copper, and when she went to Tomb
stone afterwards she passed her judgment on
some mines there. Bill Virgins sold the Elk
celsior and Grand View mines on her advice,
and the only dividend they ever yielded was
the GOO he got for them. Other mines
were bought after she had examined and re-
ported favorably on them. They are good
paying properties now. In Tucson, Bisbee,
Tombstone and other camps Miss eastman
has conducted general stores and big lodging
houses for the miners She was also in bust
ness at Castle Dome. She is as adventurous
in pushing forward to 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 almost in
variably turns it to good account, getting
town lots, placer sites and lode claims for
next to nothing and unloading at big profit
At 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 nonchalantly
she takes a reverse. She is just as level
headed self contained and serene as if she
had made fortune 1t makes no difference,
so far as appearances 90. Miss eastman is a
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 considerable of a
reader, and on most all subjects is very well
informed She will be the first woman in the
new camp Of Harqua Hala, where there are
probably now fifteen hundred men" San
Francisco Examiner.