The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1892-03-24
MINERAL WEALTH.
A Dodge City Man Strikes u Fortune
in a Colorado Geld Mine.

work making both ends meet contracting
odd jobs around town. In 1881 he went
to mining district at the head of the
Platte river, ten miles north of Alma. to
work for the Dodge City Mining Compa-
ny. That company located on Il good
vein of ore, but, as there was no mill to
treat it nearer than Denver.eit did not
bring in the gold and silver dividends
which the stockholders anticipated, and
they were not inclined to expend the sum
necessary to build mill of their own.
The property therefore still remains I'M
productive. An old friend of the
Straughn family named Jack Matthias
was also prospecting in that vicinity, and
located several prospect holes. One of
these he called the ''Sarah Elem as a
compliment to Mrs. Straughn. Mr.. Ma
thias had more claims than he could at
tend to and told Mr.. Straughn that his
wife might have it for trifle to cover the
cost of digging the prospect hole. Col.
Straughn suggested that the Dodge City
company might take it, but Mr.. Matthias
objected. He had named it for the lady
and wanted her to have it. When Mr..
Stranghn started back to Dodge. Jack
told him to tell Mrs. Straughn to send
him good six shooter. scabbard and
belt for the claim. The lady forwarded
twenty-five dollar weapon and received
the deed in return. Next year Col.
Straughn did some work on the claim and
had an assay made. The return seemed
favorable and an Alma attorney under
took TO effect a sale to New York parties.
Mrs. Shaughn gave him an option for six
months at the price of fourteen thousand
dollars. The New York party took out
car load of mineral and shipped it to a
Denver smelter at cost of nearly thirty
dollars Fer ton for mining. shipping and
treatment. 1t only yielded about nine
teen dollars per ton. No one thought of
it being free milling ore, so the New
York parties gave it up in disgust. AZ
ter their time expired, Col. Straughn me-
elected to do assessment for year. but
it was not mOlested and in 1856 he did
another assessment and relocated the
claim. He then came back to Kansas
and remained until 1889 without having
any work done. The property was there
fore forfeited to the government. 1t was
not thought worth locating by prospect
Ors in the vicinity. and when Col.
Straughn concluded to try his fortunes
again in the old camp in 1889 he found
it still unclaimed. He relocated under
the name of Free Coinage and did anoth-
err assessment. but having no means to
push Developments, came back to Den
yer and found work. Since that time
Mr.. Straughn and his son Frank have
struggled along doing what they could
on the claim, driving in tunnel on the
vein. which was a crevice between quartz
and pOrphry walls. filed with decom-
posed quartz of rusty appearance.
Not long ago it was accidently discov-
cred that this rotten looking matter was
in fact free milling gold ore, and that in
stead of between twenty and thirty dol.
lars expense for transporting and smelt-
ing. the glittering, yellow metal could be
pounded right at the mine with stamp
mill at a cost of three dollars per ton. II
is in fact a veritable bonanza. Twelve
feet wide the crevice is filled with this
free gold mineral, running nineteen dol
lars to the ton by the car load. This
great fissure in the earth is filled with il
from the head of the tunnel four hundred
feet up to the old shaft. For fifteen hun
bred feet this ledge of wealth runs in the
Free Coinage territory, and the value of
the gold contained in that part above the
level of the tunnel is almost fabulous.
Another tunnel has been started two hun.
dred feet lower down on the same noun
tain which has exposed the great reser-
vOir of wealth, showing the same free
milling ore as above.
No trouble to get capital now. Two
Denver parties have each bought one
third interests. A stamp mill has been
bought and paid for by the joint owners,
the remainder of the purchase price be-
ing deposited in the bank to carry on the
work till they begin to stamp out the
gold, which will be only a matter of a
few weeks.
Col. Straughn informs us that the Bev-
erley Mining Company also has ledge
of free milling ore which would pay
handsome dividends if mined and milled
in the vicinity of the mine.
If you wish to buy city or farm prop
erty. consult A. H. Hudson & Co.
For SALE:-A good line of Smith &
Stoughton's Railroad shoes. At War
ing's.