The herald., 1895-07-24
STORIES
OF EARLY DAYS IN CGUR
D'ALENE

No region IN the United States has
produced in the last fifteen years so many
accidental millionaires as the Occur d
Alene. Wild and romantic scenery, pos
sessing that supernatural beauty which
marks, sometimes, Dame Natures most
fantastic moods. first attracted old Chief
Saltese of the tribes of Occur d'Alene,
long before the Argonauts began their
journeys across the plains to find wealth
far beyond their widest dreams. The
savages believed that the abode of the
Great Spirit was somewhere in these
Kootenai hills. and they had consecrated
the spot on which the Morning mine, the
Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine and many
other wealth producers are now located.
Sixty miles away from the nearest point
where supplies could be obtained two
prospectors, Tim o. O'Rourke and Mike Sui
Ivan, were frying their last piece OF bacon
for breakfast. During two months they
had examined almost every ledge on Cabi-
net mountain, and they had started for
Trail creek, but would rather be noun
tains than men or any inanimate thing
rather than human beings. The last cent
of their grub stake was gone. They had
been prospecting so long that they had
the miners fever and they felt that they
could not work at any other occupation.
When their Ihdian guide deserted them
they had been compelled to turn back.
Discouraged and disheartened these
moody miners sat by their little fire, and
as they gaZed on the glorious beauty of
the Kootenai hills, bathed in the first
rays of the morning sun, they felt that
they had reached the end of their journey.
In all their wanderings across valley
and mountains their faithful little gray
pack mule, named "Rox." accompanied.
them. How it happened to acquire tn &
wholly Inappropriate name was since ex-
planned by Tim o. Ronrke, who says they
called him BOX" because he Was always
ION the square," meaning that he was
faithful and industrious mule. never balky
and always willing to work. He was
tethered short distance from the camp
fire, and his back was just visible over
ledge that was between the miners and
the excellent little brute. Their breakfast
finished. ORourke arose and stretched
his limbs.
Six feet and two inches tall, with mus
cles hardened by miners outdoor life,
he was known as Handsome TIM
throughout the whole country. Brave
and generous. he had by many acts of
courage endeared himself to the few in
ha bitants of the mountain district over
which he and his bosom friend Sullivan
had roamed for years. Bred upon an
Ohio farm, near West Salem. he bad re-
volted from the animal servitude re-
quired, and had obtained a reputation as
ne er-do-well. Consequently when he
had aspired to wed the daughter of the
richest farmer in the vicinity of his bu-
collie home he was promptly refused.
Then he went west and gradually became
prospector. During the winter. when
ho could find employment dealing faro,
he lived comfortably IN Spokane. but
when spring came even the allurements
of $S for eight hours did not induce him
to torsake his vocation as prospector.
His companion, Mike Sullivan, known
as Jolly Mike. " usually laughed in the
face of adversely. 1t was said of him
when he fell into Lake Occur 'Alene one
day, That his buoyant nature made it
impossible for him to sink. Mike was
about IS years of age, and had Celt's
fondness for whisky.
AS the two men started to load their
pack mule with burden that weighed
more than the animal himself, they no.
ticed thst he had paved the earth in
search of bunch of tender grass. Sulli-
van stopped to examine the animal s
shoes, and blnrted ort
"Howly Moses, Tim! Will yez look at
this?''
Tim looked. and it was high noon be.
fore the two prospectors left the place.
Then they had staked it out and marked
1T by permanent buttes and boundaries
according to the provisions of miners
law. They put up big card. on which
was pri 1ted in rude characters, made
with charred embers, Bunker Hill and
Sullivan mine. Sullivan g. O'Rourke, own
ers." Then ttey started for Spokane.
During the entire march of sixty miles
they paused only to eat rabbit which
they had killed, AMI Box probably re.
solved not to discover another mine if it
resulted in such forced march as that.
Two months atterward O'Rourke and
sullivan were wearing diamonds and
biled shirts and found it impossible TO
exhaust their income by any Ordinary
means. Both are now millonaires sever
al times over, and less than year ago
they sold the Bunker Hill and Sullivan
mines to British syndicate for 81. 5OO,-
900. Box" the real discovere1 of the
property. is still living. He never has
to carry any more big loads, for he rev.
els in clover on his masters big ranch in
the Walla Walla valley. A thousand dol
lars would not buy this humble little
mule, old as he is, and people say that
Tim O'Rourke will give "Box' a swell
funeral when he dies. This is why the
picture of little. old. gray m ule is stamp
ed on every sack of ore that is shipped
from the Bunker Hill and Sullivan mine.