The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-14
THE LOST PINE MINE.
Memories That Caused an Army
Officer to Invest in It.

Pine Mining Congratulated.
Mines are risky investments at best
Millions are made IN them every year
but more lost. 1 have never yet beer
on the winning side. Before writing
''Buy'' I shall reflect.
What says the prospectus?
Heavy silver bearing lode-surface
exposure, one hundred feet by twelve
vertical, developing side pockets
numerous branches"
Where is the phenomenon?
| "Santa Catalina mountains, Pima
county, Arizona Agent, 3. n. Tue.
SON."
A familiar locality! I'll bet that
agent 4 hat can give Kim points on
the Lost Pine mine" Haven't ]
trailed that country from Dan to Beer
sheba in the days gone by?
How? Where? When?
In the days of my first servicc-four
years between the ella and the north
| ern Mexican border-I knew every wa
ter hole and every patch of bunch grass
between Nogales and the ella range.
1t was in the beginning-in the days of
fresh cOmmencements--th / made the
acquaintance Of that mine. 1t is the
same-the Lost Pine mine" 1t never
had name until the day we met. By
me it began to wear the dignity Of 4
name. BY it l began to get knowl-
edge and understanding Of mines. We
are old friends To-day it is a certainty
of the business world. Surely out Of
the beginning groweth the end. That
mine has prospered from the start.
And this is the history of the begin
ming.
Less than year previously had
run the gauntlet of the terribly learned
medical examining board of the army
and had been admitted to the rank and
dignity of first lieutenant and assistant
surgeon. When I placed my first order
for uniforms with Hatfield, and ran up
bill for trimmings with Ridabocl, 1
felt more valuable than a ton of twenty
four-carat gold and more dignified than
a Hindoo god with diamond eye.
My first orders lifted me away from
scenes of intellectual triumphs and
dropped me into those of physical fail
III 'N1L-i III tilC
cactus beds near the Mexican line,
somewhere south of Tombstone The
drop was fattening. From Central
park, silk hat, tan kids and white
CATERS, to the heart Of an alkali desert,
the back of a quarterrnaster'S mule and
the nightly shelter OF Il saddle blanket.
A month before would have tainted
Of tho ciCrle+ Of r7,y-caif GyTrC,,care
mounted, made heavy-boots heavy,
hand-sewed-hat, campaign, drab, was
the description the salient points of my
field uniform bore on the quartermas-
ter's returns. The ensuing grief shook
the scales from my eyes.
It was necessary for me to learn
something without delay, and in Ari-
iona information is not acquired with
out poverty and earnest purpose, two
things l knew not of. Urged by the
sustaining spur of good resolutions l
rose betimes, and cinching my mule by
the light OF the morning sun, rode forth
into the chapparal to STAY bush rabbits
with my six shooter and fatter the
vanity of the ranchmen by asking ques-
tons. They taught me to follow a
Iaoccasin trail, throw lasso. and make
the diamond hitch over the back of a
fractions mule. There was little l
could teach them. for the sturdy fell
lows rarely fell i'll with a more serious
ailment than delirium tremens.
The novelty of their hab and man
ners and a desire to acquire the mvs-
tariac .,f MI
lions which drew me to them at first,
but as their better acquaintance with
me rendered them more approachable l
discovered n rugged honesty and sim
cere hospitality, which, added to their
reckless bravado, gave their ways an ir-
resistible charm. l sought their friend
ship, and went among them whenever
1t was possible to leave camp.
1t happened that during the annual
beef roundup l rode over and passed
the night with my acquaintances. The
following morning there occurred in
camp what the New York Herald
would Headline as ''Murder-Deliber-
ate Observation-Disclosures Shooting of a
Mexican by Cowboys" The Tombstone
Blade referred incidentally to the affair
as heated alteration between
Messrs. Q. and r., of the X-Bar Cattle
company, and Mexican named Man
rico, which resulted fatally to the lat
ter"
Being law-abiding citizens, Messrs.
Q. and Il. delivered themselves over to
the sheriff for trial l was named as
witness for the defense and served with
summons to appear IN court the follow
ing day to give my testimony
The accused, the other witnesses for
the defense-there were none for the
prosecution - and myself rode over
next morning. reaching the low adobe
building which served as county house
about noon. We found the Judge
seated behind his pine slab table in his
shirt sleeves, with his feet on q copy of
Walkers American Law" engaged in
target practice, the buli's-eye being a
retired herring box partially filed with
sawdust that stood in one corner OF
the room. After several minutes of
silent Illumination he would launch the
results with unerring certainty at the
herring box. The aim of life IN Ari-
iona IS to hit something.
The clerk of the court was there. also
the attorney for the prosecution. All
wore six-shooters, and the Judge had a
Winchester rifle standing handy for the
punishment OF contempts of court
When few OF the jurors assembled
we took seats The Judge smote the
herring box again. raped with his
heel on the table and opened the trial.
This Yer courts in session. Perceed,
Mr.. Attorney"
The prosecution arose and stated