The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-15
A FAMOUS MINER.
Career OF George Daily Told by Per-
sonaI Friend.


"Dan" Ferguson, a well-known miner of the
Pacific coast, who is now interested in various
properties in the Cascades, is staying at the
Rainier hotel. Some sixteen years ago, when be
was only boy of 49, he began his career as q
miner, and since that time he has tried fortune
in California, Nevada, Colorado and New Mex
leo. His life has been full OF adventure, and he
can relate many interesting stories of the various
mining camps where he has stayed. "The bravest
man l ever knew" he said yesterday, "was
George Daily. Hs began as a reporter the
virginia City Enterprise. To get the mining
news was his special work, and in doing that be
used to visit all the mining camps about. so he
got pretty good knowledge.
when l first met him he was running the
Jupiter mine at Bodie, Cal, and another at
Aurora, twelve miles away, across the Nevada
line. The Jupiter was paying well, and the
company had it surveyed for q patent. While
Daily was over at Aurora two very tough miners
came in and tried to jump one end OF the claim.
They were of the sort that would squat q
claim and insist upon being paid before they
would leave. Frequently it was easier to buy q
man OF than to fight him.
"These fellows started sinking q shaft, but
DAILY came back from Aurora and told them he
would give them twenty-four hours TO clear out
Then they wanted 10 see the man who would
dare put them out, for they were fighters.
while they were at supper that night Days
man began filling up their shaft. They came
back with gang OF toughs, and tried to drive
back Days men. In the darkness a number of
shots were exchanged. Both parties stayed on
the grounds, the squatters in a little stone hut
When the gray morning came Days men, who
were outside, saw that their only chance was to
make charge on the hut before the squstters
shot them down. This was done, and two of
the squatter party killed; the rest were captured,
and Days men put them in Jail. The squatters
had friends who got them and them IN can
the climax the sheriff appeared and arrested
Days foreman and several hands for the kill
ing. The judge acquitted them, and they came
back to the Jupiter mine.
"By this time the feeling was pretty strong,
for the squatters were prominent in the Mining
Union, which had 1900 members there. The
union gathered its strength and was going to
stop the Jupiter from operation unless the fore
man was discharged. But Daily was game. He
detied the whole lot of them, barricaded the
hosting works, stationed guard and kept the
mine open in spite OF the mob. They wanted 10
run him out of the country, but he posted
notice that though he had business in san
Francisco, he would stay on the ground until
the trouble was overland he did.
"Then he went to Leadville and managed the
Little Chief and several other mines. They
were very successful, but in 1879 or 1850 the
famous miners strike came On. lie fought that
out as he had the one at Bodie, and after that
At went 10 Lake fdtieys IN New MEXICO. lnefe
he was killed by the Indians. The redskins
were killing the miners and settlers, and the
soldiers had gone out to make a capture. Well,
DAILY, who was afraid of nothing, went with
them, and started, too. After day or so he
sent me back to lock after the mine, where I
was foreman. The soldiers marched on. plan
ming TO meet the Indians in the open. But as
the soldiers filed through canyon the reds am
pushed them. The commander fell in the first
vOlley, and Daily was shot through the hand;
but he jumped down behind his horse and
fought in that way till he was killed, aud he
wasn't killed until he had shot four Indians
dead. / went out the next day with party to
bring back his body.
"A short time after that we struck big pocket
OF ore worth s21000-the famous bridal chamber
no bigger than this office, from which We took
out s2,000,000 Here is the ore," and Mr.. Fergu-
son took from his pocket a small lump of what
looked like red waxy clay-chloride of silver