Feliciana sentinel., 1892-09-03
A woMAn.s INTUITION.
Us ~ II Brought q Mininx Couple . Lar6s
Fortune.

Fortune
Success In mining is popularity sup
posed to be the prerogativc of men, and
the prospector usually is universally
pictured as q stalwart, sun-browned.
hard-handed man, bearded like the
pard, full of strange oaths. and q ''holy
terror" As rule this idea is not far
from the truth. However, it has passed
into a proverb that there are exceptions
to all rules, and this proverb iias more
than one exemplification Of its truth In
the mining annals of Colorado. Theirs
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.
perienced or successes achieved in the
mountains of Colorado. The truth il
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"
It is considered An undertaking, even
in the commercial east and in New York
city, the center of commercial activity,
to anass, during the course of a 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 I know women in
Colorado who, in four or five years.
have secured double that sum.
It is true that they were not prospect.
ors. They did not 60 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
mean when l 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, 900.
Not one penny of this money would ever
have been received by the fortunate
miner for the property had it not beer
for the courage and faith of his wife.
The story is, briefly, as follows: In the
year 1855 ALI Waggoner, well known
prospector, wandered down into the
San Juan country (as the southern part
of Colorado is still called) aud located
several mines near the little mining
town of Rico. These mines he named
fixaf Nv ho ESr1fn
prospect looked good, but the mineral
looked aroGna, 1sarinT as s ne said, ssaaid~~7of
some one Ito help him hold
the bear" The result was that
George Barlow became interested with
Waggoner in the mines The two men
worked diligently for 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 Swickhcimer
bought Waggoner's claim for a few dol
lars, and a 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
''tired," and the Enterprise group be-
came the property of David and Laura
Swickheimer. It was the woman tina,
urged the purchase, and it was her
Judgment, or, more truly speaking, heI
intuition, that prompted her to go coun.
ter to the advice of friends and inves,
everything she had in a barren shaft
that had been abandoned by the mar
Il 4
by the man who had succeeded to its
ownership.
a word of explanation as to the min.
eral formation of Dolores mountain, OF
which the Enterprise group is situated
is necessary in order that the reade,
may fully understand what follows
True fissure 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 a Gross cut" to the
| right or left, as circums ia noes Nigh;
! require, to intersect this vein and strike
| the pay streak" Now. the fact is thai
Dolores mountain is underlaid with {
blanket" or contact deposit of very
| rich silver ore: but this fact was at tina
! time entirely unknown. This, though
! ignorantly, every foot of depth tina
was achieved was just that much pro
gress toward fortune, though in man
ner entirely outside of the plans of the
miners. Swickheimer and his wife hat
some money when they began to worl
the mine. This was cheerfully spen
| in hiring men to work in the shaft ant
| in purchasing tools and blasting
materials. One day the shaft wa
found to be $50 feet deep and the SAM
day found Mr.. and Mrs. Swicdheime
without a cent of money to prosecute
| the work Swickheimer was dis
couraged, but his wife was not Sh
| believed that there was a fortune 70
them in that empty shaft. and she die
not propose to give up. She encourage
| her husband to seek employment as