Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-09-09

dirt 10 his rocker ana washed Ii out
The result was astonishing. The bottom
of the rocker was literally covered with
fine gold. In a few minutes the two
men were taking out tine gold at the
rate of $500 day.
Comssock came upon the scene about
this time and claimed the ground as
ais property. There was some foundation
for his claim as he had staked it out
some time previously, and the other
.wo bad such good thing of it them
selves that they let him into the syndi-
cate, and so Comst1ok became IN quail
shareholder with the others. The odd
fellow claimed an extra allowance for
the water light. and as they had already
acknowledged his right to the land
they could not GU stion his title to the
water flo ing over il. For the water
he got an extra 100 feet and the 100 feet
thus segrsCed became the famous
lSpanish mine, which IVES afterwards
sold for Sl,000,O0O. As chief shareholder
Comstock gave his name to the
combioed properties, and they have al
ways ssincs been known by that
designation.
Some of the best known minee have
discovered, as before remarked, by the
merest accident, while others again
sre the result of years of toll ard labor,
and one in while good discovery has
bsen run across when the lucky
individual whom fortune favored was
thinking Of anything but falling into a
gold mine.
The christmas Gift" mine in Cali
fornia, Is one of the most singular intanc-
es on record of man being struck with
la fortune when least expecting a wind
fall. A MIR. Snow was out on deer
hunt with party from San Francisco,
and while they were returning home
Snow was suddenly missed by the others.
His horse had slipped from a bluff and
down went horse, rider and rifle at an
angle of about forty-five degrees, rolling
over and over in the snow and finally
bridging up against mass of loose rock
in their pathway, which was covered
thick with moss and dirt. Neither horse
nor rider was hurt, as the cold, soft
cushion had saved their bones from
being bruised or damaged.
Scrambling up against the pile, Mr..
Snow observed that it was a quartz lode,
and that where the horse bad accidental
ly kicked off the mass something glitter
cd and shone. His eyes bulged out, but
he did not stop to brush off the dirt
his hands were too busy clawing OF the
mass. The few spsciments he detached
were filled with pure ore, one small piece
being at least three-fourths gold. Upon
Investigation tons of ore were found to
be exceedingly rich, and Mr.. Snow then
and there, on Christmas eve, took pos
session OK the claim, naming his discovery
the "Chis mas Gift" As to the fate of
most of the successful discoveries OF pay
ing mines the supsrstitious belief is an
old one that unless the discoverer OF a
camp meets an untimely or bloody end
his find viii never amount to anything.
This rule may not be universal, but it 10
startling fact that in numerous cases
the original discovers of successful
claims have actually died with their
boots on.
OF thirty eight booming mining towns
in the early days, the locaters of twelve
we're killed by bullet, three were buried
in their creations by cave-ins, and the
rest, drifted away by the tide of immi-
grafton, have become lost in oblivion, or
died and were buried in paupers'
graves
George HI. Fryer, from whom the
celebrated "Fryer Hill," Of Leadville.
derives its name, dlel at Denver not
long ago from an overdose of morphine,
administered by his own hand. Two
years previous to his death he was worth
million or 50; but he kied psuper at
last. and almost without friend.
'Old Vlrginney," after whom the
consolidated Virginia" was canned, and
who sold his CLAIM for S25. pony and a
bottle o: whisky, came to his death by
an overdose from the heels of bucking
mule, near Dayton, New.
Bill Bodie, the discoverer of the great
Standard mine, in Mono County, Cal,
slept his life away in a snowstorm while
wakeing his way to the mines. Col. Story,
who gave his name to the county in
Nevada where the Csmstock is situated,
was killed IN battle by the Pyramid
Lake | dians. Thomas Paige Comstock
died IA beggar in strage land. "Old
Pancake" as he was known in the min
ing camps, committed suicide at Boze-
man, Mont, on Sept. 81, 1870, by shoot
ing himself. He was the leader OF the
famous Big Horn expedition that was
sent out by Nevada capitalists in search
of the Lost Cabin mine, supposed to be
somewhere among the Big Horn Noun
.ins. The expedition was a failure,
and Comstock, weather from disappoint-
ment or some other cause, while camped
near eBoZ aman, drove q pistol ball
tnrough his head and died instantly.
He was buried near the spot, and TO this
day his grave remains unmarked and
unknown.
Near the wild spot where twelve years
before the hidden treasure of Alder
Gulch was first revealed to him VIM.
Fairweather was laid to rest. The date
is forgotten now, but, like poor old
pancake" this cratic soul stranded OIL
the shoals of dissipa ton, ALTHOUGH each
man In his day had turned q key-the
one silver, the othe goldeu-which IN
locked millions for others but nothing
for themselve.
William Farrell, who "struch" Meadow
Lake. died victim to remorse IN one of
the leading hospitals OF San Francisco,
"hovnted and prospectors passing and
repassing bis dying couch"
Theslocater of the famous Homestske,
in the Black Hills of Dakota, is said to
AdEo dllSENdCQ LufDcu EOdu dk6uJ.
Times going hard with him, be attempt
ed to hold up stage loaded and primed
for just such emergencies, and he was
planted alongside the road by the tend
er-hearted express agent whom he had
| tried to rob and kill.
81 Home, of the Homer District, Cali.
fornis. followed in the suicidal tracks of
Oometock. After tquanderiug a small
| fortune be shot his brains out on the
streets of San francisco.
"Doughnut Bill" "Old Eureka" Kelse
Austin, Lloyd Magruder. Nine Mile
lark, George Hankioson, Henry Piumm-
er and scores of others died violent
deaths in one way or another and soap
ed nothing from the rich finds each had
had made in his day.
"Doughnu Bill" was planted IN the
Love Mountain Cemetery, In Utah. in
1853. A single grave under white
pine tree in frontier mining town of
California tells where poor "Oid Eureka"
sleeps bis last sleep. Kelse Austin was
ly;Ilad m Flo Conptv Nav Hffaap