Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-09-02
a woMAN's INTUITION.

Success in mining is popularity sup
posed to be the prerogative of men, and
the prospector usually is universally
pictured as stalwart, sun-browned,
hard-handed man, bearded like the
pard, full of strange oaths, and ''holy
terror" AS a 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 exemplification 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-
perienced 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"
1t 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 a million dollars,
and the best endeavors of the shrewd-
est men are constantly given to accom-
plish that end; yet 1 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 l
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 been
| for the courage and faith of his wife.
| The story is, briefly, as follows: In the
| year 1885 ALT Waggoncr, a well known
| prospector wandered down into the
San Juan country las 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"hOlG
their "bear." The shaft was down Isl
feet, and no mineral in sight, wher
Waggoner declared he was very tired.
Then David and Laura Swiclzheime1
bought Waggoner's claim for a 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 on
Barlow who had, like Waggoner, grown
tired" and the Enterprise group be
came the property of David and Laur;
Swickheimer. 1t was the woman tina
urged the purchase, and it was he
Judgment, or, moro truly speaking, hel
! intuition, that prompted her to go coun
ter to the advice of friends and invcs
{ everything she had in a barren shaft
r that had been abandoned by the maj
who began it, and was gladly given VI
l by the man who had succeeded to it
ownership,
A word of explanation as to the min
eral forma tion of Dolores mountain, Oh
which the Enterprise group is situated
is necessary in order that the reade
may fully understand what follows
True assure veins" extend VERTICAL,
through the rocks and grow richer a
depth is gained. The idea the Swicl1
heimers had in view was to secure a
much depth in their shaft as possible
and then drive a ''cross cut to tn
right or left, as circumstances nigh
Q require, to intersect this vein and stril1
q the pay streak" Now, the fact is tina
Dolores mountain is underlaid with
"blanzet' or contact deposit of yer,
rich silver ore: but this fact was at iha
time entirely unknown. This, though
ignorantly, every foot of depth tina
was achieved was just that much pro
gress toward fortune, though in a man
ner entirely outside of the plans of TIL
miners. Swickheimer and his wife hat
some money when they began to worl
= the mine. This was cheerfully spcn
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. Swicdheilne
without a cent of money to prosecut
the work. Swickheimer was dis
couraged, but his wife was not. Sh
believed that there was fortune f.
them in that empty shaft, and she Iii,
not propose to give up. She encourage
her husband to seek employment as
laborer in the mines and she foun,
work for herself The Enterprise wa
temporarily closed, and the honest an,
Industrious pair worked for more for
tunate people and saved their money