The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-13
SAN JOSE MINERS LOST.
Fate of Two CaIifornianS in the
Gold Marshes of CO.
lombia.
Farthing and Cook Lose Their Lives
in Quest Of the Yellow
Metal.

SAN JOSE, CAL, June PA dispatch
to the CALL published this morning from
Veragua, Colombia, announced the death
of Messrs. Farthing and Cook, two Cali
fornia miners. Both the men named are
from this city, where they have resided for
years.
George III. Farthing had lived here for
the past eighteen years. He was for
long time the senior member of the firm of
George III. Farthing & Co., tanners and
glove manufacturers, whose factory is now
located on Bassett street. near the broad
gauge depot. Thomas J. Cook, who is
Farthing's father-in-law, is a carpenter by
trade and had resided here nearly thirty
years. During most of that time his
family has been here with him, but at
present they are located in Alameda.
Recently Farthing became interested in
mining scheme in Colombia, South
America. A wealthy man named Burk-
hardt residing in Denver was the principal
agitator in the matter, and succeeded in
getting number of San Jose citizens in
terested. AS result stock company was
formed and Farthing, his father-in- law,
Thomas J. Cook, and Burkhardt left on
the LIST of April to develop the mines.
Lie HidCc WAeT0 tH0 uQlu0 Is situated is
at the mouth of small river, about eighty
miles from Colon. The gold is contained
in black sand, which is reported to be very
rich, but the spot is difficult of access on
account of the frequency of storms along
the coast and the presence of shoal waters.
The land is covered with a thick, almost
impenetrable jungle, and the country is
marshy and pestilential.
Last Thursday letters were received in
this city from both Cook and Farthing.
They were dated May %, and stated that
they had reached their destination and
had most of the machinery in place. They
had experienced a great deal of trouble
from the outset. At first they chartered a
sloop to carry the machinery down the
coast from Colon. When near the landing
place they had to get smaller sloop and
transfer the machinery. In doing this a
boiler fell overheard, and they had a vexa-
tious time fishing it up.
At last they got the plant ashore, and
proceeded to set up camp. This required
large amount of hard work in clearing
the jungle. To make matters worse they
were compelled to work in the rain, which
at this season of the year comes down in
torrents. All these circumstances, how
ever, did not discourage them, and they
wrote that they were of the opinion that
$500 day could be washed out.
This letter was the last received from
the miners, and it was supposed everything
was still going well with them. On May
8 another party of stockholders left for the
scene of the mine. This party was COM
posed of J. III. Farthing, a cousin of
George; Henry T. WEIGH, the ex-schooI
trustee; aud M. Mentor. brother-in-law
of T. w. Hobson. This party left on the
last steamer, before the Inflated Colima,
and had rough passage. On June they
cabled that they had reached Colon and
were about to proceed to the mine.
Thomas Cook leaves a widow three
daughters and son. The eldest daughter
is the wife or widow of George Fl. Farthing.
The second daughter is the wife of Robert
Ashe, the San Francisco attorney. The
youngest daughter is unmarried and re-
sides with her sister. Mrs. Ashe, in San
Francisco.