The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-07-26

Rockies from 1860 10 1870 TO deny the
existence OF that mysterious aud capri
cions influence on mems lives and for
tunes known ms luck and II seemed TO
attach itself mainly TO those who knew
the least aud we're accepted as the fools
OF the camp, thus illustrating the old
| proverb, "a fools luck" Old aud cx-
perienced miners quit locations In dis
| gust after months of labor. and these
were afterward taken by men who
scarcely knew the difference between u
shaft and level. After weeks
scrambling work the latter became rich
men. One instance can give:
A man named Relf. n forty-nincr.
opened prospect hole on Goose Greek,
within a mile of the Idaho border. IL
seemed 10 pan out well at first, aud he
spent Sc. 000-all he had in the world
Ia development; but the vein began TO
pinch out. aud Relf gave itup- Anoth-
or man took il with the same result.
Then one of the best miners in the
Territory put ia $1,000. and after
months of hard work shot himself in
despair at his ill-fortnne. The location
was thereafter dubbed the Last
Chance" by neighbors. II lay year,
when man named Gadsen came TO
| Silver City. He was looked on as q
harmless and decidedly weak-ininded
| fellow, and he annoyed Col. James
Fisher, q wcll-known mine owner. by
constantly asking his advice about To-
eating until Fisher told him to try the
Last Chance" adding: You're just
| fool enough TO have nigger luck"
Gadsen started off To get a team and
supplies. and amid the jeers of the
camp left for Last Chance" Four
DAYS afterward his team was seen com
ING into camp on dead run. and it
stopped at Col. Fishers office. Cad
sen. with bag on his back, entered,
and. drawing chunk of rock. laid IL
before Fisher. who examined Ii and
said: well. Gadsen. YOU have the
proyerbinl fools mck. That viii as
say S.. 900 ton. You've struck il rich
this time" An examination of his
mine showed that only foot of rock
lay between the last owner and lincoln
cd wealth., and this Ga6sen broke
through the first day.
A syndicate was formed and Gadsen
sold out for $4,000. The new owners
took ont $25. 900 in three weeks and
then struck mass of porphyry rock
that IL would have taken all the money
In San Francisco TO remove, No trace
Of the lost treasure was ever found.
and the Last Chance was permanent
ly abandoned. Gadsens good luck fol-
| lowed him. He left the mountains.
bought home in Missouri, and saved
his money.
The history OF the firm Of Bowers a.
White Is one Of the romances of the
mining camp. Sandy Bowers came
into the Washo district about 1860.
He cooked for a party OF freighters.
and his wife. "A tall, bony woman, told
fortunes, sold lucky numbers, and in-
tcrpreted dreams for the credulous
miners. With some of the money
made In this way her husband took up
u claim and made money, and for the
next ten years had continued good
fortune. He was grossly illitcrate and
no business man. but still he prosper
cd. He broke all the gamblers in the
Territory, and no one cared 10 play
with him.
His partner, Lorenzo ID. White, was
a different kind OF man. He neither
drank nor gambled but was mad as a
halter on the subject OF religion. be-
lieving himself to be John the Baptist.
Ia business matters, however. he was
shrewd aud enterprising and his luck
was phenomenal. Whatever he touch
cd turned into gold. 1t was noted
that whatever Bowers sold turned out
well for his customers, while 10 was
reversed in Whites dealings, although
he was believed to be an honest man.
The mystery was as TO what he did
with his gains. He depleted his bank
account every now and then, drawing
out large sums In coin aud then dis
appearing for lime. 1t was believed
that he buried his wealth in tho
mountains aud no was followed and
logged by the camp rufilans who
would have taken his life for a dollar,
but Ii was part OF his good fortune TO
escape. nfn
The end came at last. Sandy Bow
ers got involved with party OF East
ern Adventures and lost $500. 600.
After this he went down hill rapidly.
lilo had at one time half million in
the Bank OF California but this all went.
He became drunkard, aud one day
got together few dollars TO buy an
outfit With a borrowed mule he start
ed for Nevada, and was. no doubt, kill
ed by the Ute Indians, as he was never
heard of again,
White was not known to have any
serious losses. but he too. disappeared
He was supposed to have gone back
TO Maine. his native state. Inside OF a
year he came into the little mining
town OF Mercedes, on the Rio Grande
River Colorado. In rags and exhaust
ed from hunger and fatigue. He was