The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-04
A WoMAN's INTUITION.
How 1t Brought Mining Couple . LarE>


/
| Fortune.
Success in mining is popularity sup
posed to be the prerogative of men, and
the prospector usually is universally
pictured as a stalwart, sun-browned,
hard-handed man, bearded like the
pard. full of strange qsths, and holy
terror" As rule THIS idea is not far
from the truth. However, it has passed
into proverb that there are exceptions
to all rules, and this proverb has more
than one exemplifcation of its truth in
the mining annals OF Colorado. There
are instances on record of successes that
have been won in wrestling wealth from
the granite grasp of the Rocky mount
aims through the courage, persever-
ance, and faith of women
/ do not know that there are women
prospectors-I never saw one-and it is
not my purpose to tell what the miners
call fairy stories" about adventures ex-
perieneed or successes achieved in the
mountains of Colorado. The truth is
romantic enough, and the mining re-
gions furnish an abundance of exam
pies to illustrate the absolute verify of
the saying that truth is stranger than
fiction"
II is considered an undertaking, even
in the commercial east and in New York
city, the center OF commercial activity,
to amass, during the course of busy
lifetime, the sum of million dollars.
and the best endeavors of the shrewd-
est men are constantly given to accom-
plish that end; yet know women in
Colorado who, in four or five years,
| have secured double that sum.
| 1t is true that they were not prospect
ors They did not go into the hills with
pick and shovel and pursue the evasive
float" up hill and down dale in search
| of the mother vein," but that they are
entitled to the credit of securing sue
cess, and that they can truthfully be
called miners, think no one will gain
say when the facts are fully and fairly
| given.
The story of the Enterprise group Of
mines will illustrate exactly what I
mean when I say that women have
proved themselves capable and success
| full miners. The Enterprise group is
near Rico, Col, and was recently pur-
chased by an English syndicate. The
amount of money paid for the property
has not been officially announced, but
it is known to have exceeded 81, 400, 00O
Not one penny of this money would ever
have been received by the fortunate
I miner for the property had it not been
for the courage and faith Of his wife.
| The story is, briefly, as follows: In the
year 1855 Alf Waggoner, well known
prospector, wandered down into the
San Juan country (as the southern part
of Colorado is still called) and located
several mines near the little mining
town Of Rico. These mines he named
collectively the Enterprise group. The
prospect looked good, but the mineral
was slow in coming in, and Waggoner
looked around, as he said, for
some one ''to help him hold
the bear" The result was that
George Barlow became interested with
Waggoner in the mines The two men
worked diligently for a year or more,
and after spending all their money and
finding no adequate return, decided
that they must secure more help to hold
their "bear." The shaft was down $50
feet, and no mineral in sight, when
Waggoner declared he was very tired"
Then David and Laura Swickheimer
bought Waggoner's claim for few dol
lars, and fight with the forces of ma
ture began that has become historical
because of its triumphant ending.
In 1890 the Swickheimers bought out
Barlow who had, like Waggoner. grown
Ia Il. -
came the property of David and Laura
Swickheimer. 1t was the woman that
urged the purchase, and it was her
judgment, or, more truly speaking, her
intuition, that prompted her to go coun-
ter to the advice of friends and invest
everything she had in barren shaft,
that had been abandoned by the man
who began it, and was gladly given up
by the man who had succeeded to its
ownership.
A word of explanation as to the min
eral formation of Dolores mountain, on
which the Enterprise group is situated,
is necessary in order that the reader
may fully understand what follows.
True assure veins" extend vertically
through the rocks and grow richer as
depth is gained The idea the Swick-
heimers had in view was to secure as
much depth in their shaft as possible
and then drive "cross cut" to the
right or left, as circumstances might
require, to intersect this vein and strike
the "pay streak" Now, the fact is that
Dolores mountain is underlaid with
blanket" or contact deposit of very
rich silver ore; but this fact was at that
time entirely unknown This, though
ignorantly, every foot of depth that
was achieved was just that much pro-
gress toward fortune, though in a man
ner entirely outside of the plans of the
miners. Swickheimer and his wife had
some money when tLey began to work
the mine. This was cheerfully spent
IN hiring men TO work in the shaft and
in purchasing tools and blasting
materials One day the shaft was
found to be $50 feet deep and the same
day found Mr.. and Mrs Swicdheimer
without cent of money to prosecute
the work. Swickheimer was dis
couraged, but his wife was not. She I
believed that there was fortune for 4
them in that empty shaft, and she did
not propose to give up. She encouraged 4
her husband to seek employment as a 4
laborer in the mines and she found .
work for herself The Enterprise was
temporarily closed, and the honest and .
industrious pair worked for more for 4
tunate people aud saved their money. I
~ 49,