Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-03-07
NEARLY A MILLION FOR NOTHING.
Luck of IA Man Who Located Mine Claims
to Please AN importunate Friend.

Luck of IA Man who Located Mine Claims
to Please All Importunate Friend.
J. \. Deueen. of this city. will have
his available assets increased nearly
s.. 600. goo by the sale of SIX mining
S. claims in Wyoming. which he here
s. tofore regarded as valucless They
are located III til Wood River min
i ing district Fremont county. Wy.
and were taken up by Deneen and
H Billy Thompson. an cid time pros
H pector. in the spring Of 1885. About
N that time Deneeu was superlntend
M ent of large cattle ranch III Wyo-
vi ming, the property Of Harry Gel
richs. brother of Herman Oelrichs.
As Deneen now tells the story. he
located the claims as a mere lark
and never expected to realize any
thing from them
Deneen says that Billy Thompson
was frequent visitor at his ranch
house. and was continually signing
81 about the wealth that was hidden be-
meath the surface in the Wood river
mining district. abOr.t 800 miles north
of Oelrichs' ranch Thompson be-
moaned his fate that he had no one
N to stake him SO that he could strike a
N mine
One day, partly from conmisera
ton for Thompson, Deneen in
formed him that he would not only
grub stake him. but would accom-
III pany him on prospecting tour. Old
Thompson would not accept the
proposition unless Deneen would
agree to accept one-half the proceeds
of the expedition. They set off to-
gether and were gone for several
months. during which time the twain
located about Il dozen promising
81 claims. The expense of holding
n them all was something more than
Deneen had bargained for, SO he re-
leased those that gave the least prom
Use and retained six of the claims.
Thompson, with the eye of an ex-
perienced prospector, declared that
thar was furtun in them claims
Deneen, however, on several Occa-
sions. was on the eve of releasing his
claim to the locations, but he had q
superstitious feeling about letting
them 90. On several occasions De-
neen has been offered $1,000 for his
mines, but he did not think that was
a sufficient inducement for him to
part with them, although he admits
that if the offer had been doubled he
would have gleefully accepted it.
The claims are rich in copper, silver
and gold bearing ore, but, as the dis
trict has not as yet been developed to
any great extent, to properly work
the mines would require the invest
ment of large capital.
Recently, however, w. S. Healthy.
the agent for an English syndicate,
has been investigating the Wood
river district. with the result that he
was greatly impressed by the rich
ness of the claims in which Deneen
is a part owner. He made an offer
of $50, 600 for the property. This lib
eral tender somewhat opened the
eyes of John Corbett, the postmaster
at Lander, the county seat of FIRE.
mont county, who is acting as De-
mems agent in the matter. Corbett
considered that the mines were worth
more. and by his able bartering the
English syndicate. known as the Lon
don Stock and Mining corporation.
has bonded the claims for 81. 920, 600
Thirty thousand dollars has been
paid to Corbett to bind the bargain.
As Deneen owns a one-half interest
in the claims his share will amount
to nearly 1861. GOO San Francisco
Chronicle