The Portland daily press., 1896-06-06
JOHN PlERCE'S LUCK.
Picked up Stone to Throw at Cow, and
Now Has $3.50, 1000 in Gold.
(From the San Francisco Examiner. ,


John Pierce is Tombstone, Arizona,
miner. who up to year and half ago
had difficult work to provide the neces-
sarIes of life for himself and family. He
is now in this city with $3.50, 900 in gold
coin to his credit 1t is another story of
lucky find of rich gold and silver bear
ing quartz.
Plorce is the name Il the new camp,
just coming into prominence, about
thirty miles northeast of Tombstone. It
is made more conspicuous because in ad
dition to Its great ore richness it is about
the only gold camp in the Territory. AL
ready there are 500 people there, and
empty houses from Tombstone are being
| taken there bodily. An English syndi-
cate has secured the Pierce lodge, and
has organized with million and a half
of dollars, and is is said that there is
prospect Of the new camp rivalling
Cripple Greek, in Colorado.
Pierce was seen at his hotel soon after
his arrival few days ago. He tells an
interestin tory of his discovery and of
his sudden change in position from a
man without a dollar to one fwho can be
considered fairly wealthy. He is a Cor
nish man, about so years of age, with
little or no education, and who appears
totally unaware, as yet, of what his
fortune can do for him.
ga bout four years ago." said he, Il
took up claim about thirty miles north
east of Tombstone. There was a water
hole in the noun tains, and l took the
place In order to get the water so I could
raise few head of stock. There was not
much to be made from it, and us was
broken down from hard work with a
pick, my folks had to help out in the
living. One day. about eighteen months
ago, I was driving the cows home at
night, and WAS upward of four miles
away from my ranch, when, in crossing
a little ledge where there was an out
cropping of rock, stopped down and
picked up piece of stone to throw at one
of the cows, when l noticed how heavy it
was.
Upon closer examination I saw what
looked like gold quartz and I took home
several pieces of the rock, and horned it
out The result showed considerable
gold. I went back and got more rock
and took it into Tombstone and next day
and an assay showed meastbat had found
rich mine. The ledge where I picked
up the rock was not over 400 feet from a
road that had been travelled for years.
1t was just luck found it"
20 &ata hot ho Ind
no money himself he had to do all the
developing work on o small scale. He
managed to take out several tons Of ore
and ship it away. The result from this
shipment was over So, 600.
With this amount of money he sunk a
shaft and opened his claim SO that it was
possible to ascertain the extent of the
ledge. After this work had been accom-
plished some parties from Silver City.
N. NJ, came along and bonded the prop
erty for $3.50. GOO on years time. Before
the year hal expired they sold the bond
to the English syndicate for an advance
of 500, 900, and when the year was up,
which occurred last week, Mr.. Pierce got
draft on San Francisco and he at once
came to the city to get his coin.
Prior to two years ago Pierce was a
broken down miner, a man who had
never had to exceed $40 at one time, and
who WAS having hard struggle to make
both ends meet. Now he has q quarter
of millin dollars, all in gold coin, and,
like most men in similar oircum stancs,
does not know how TO spend his MONEY!
His wife, before making the strike, had
to go to Tombstone and help out the
family exohequer by doing such odd jobs
Of house cleaning as She could find, while
the son, young man, now 20, herded
cattle on the ranges. Besides one son, he
has daughter, who was given the ad-
vantage Of the public schools OF Tomb
stone. His entire family accompany him
to this city, and as it is their first visit
away from home, they arc enjoying
the mselves.