Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-11-18

colt and others for 100000. Now it
is producing quantities of gold, aud
no one knows what it will bring in the
future.
sat at dinner III Brown's Hotel,
in Denver, the othei day, beside q
norid-fsced, long-beaded man from
Colorado Springs. We soon began to
talk OF the mines of Cripple Creek.
The subject of the Isabella Company
came up, and asked him if he knew
anything as to the Cripple Creek
mines owned by it.
''Yes," said he, 'I should sayI do.
Their best mine, your know, Is the
Buena Yists.. 1t peys almost oil the
profits of the Isabella Company. Its
veins has been traced for three thou
sand feet, and it has already produced
more than $500, 600 worth OF gold. I
had a chance to buy half OF that mine
for 800, and did not take it. A man
in my employ discovered it. He was
one OF those fellows who are always
hard up, and one day he came to me
and told me that his family were ont
of provisiunp, and that he must have
money. He spoke OF the Buena Vista
prospect and offered me half interest
In IL for 800. I told him that I would
give him the provisions, but / did not
want the mine. / said ! did NOT be-
lieve there was any gold in the Cripple
Creek region. The result was that ne
went away aud sold the interest to
other parties. Within two week those
parties sold their half interest for $780,
900, and o month later my man got
sac, 9,000 for his share. The Isabella
mining stock at its present selling
value is worth more than million. 1t
has paid 800, 900 within a month it
dividends, and I could have gotten
one-half of 1t for 800. Oh, Lordl it
makes me sick when ! think of it'll
The Independence gold mine is said
to be the richest in the world. 1t has,
it is said, from five to seven million
doAlars' worth of gold in sight, and It's
owner, who was working at his trade
as carpenter five years ago, would
NOT now sell it for $40, 100000 cash.
And still the Independence has sew.
eral times been offered for sale and the
offer refused. This was in the first
days of Its history. Ono of Dave
Moffat's experts told me the other
night how near he came to buying it.
Said he:
sit was several years ago, before the
Cripple Greek region was much devel-
oped that came there from Leadville
to zee what I could find for Moffat.
Eben Smith was with me, and we
bought the Victor mine for $65, 900,
and have, as you know, made about
million cut of it. Well, one day l
was walking about Stratton's mine,
when / saw miner whom I knew
shovelling out ore and rock. asked
him whether the mine was worth any
thing. He seid that he did not think
that it was worth much, and that
Stratton would never get anything
ont OF it. / went into the building,
however, aud Clipped of bit of the
ore and put it in my pocket. That
night I had it asssyed. 1t ran 5000 tc
the ton. sounded Stratton and found
/ could get the mine for $4,000 cash
OF an option of $4,000. I replied
that could not make an offer uutil [
conld go through the mine and make
number of assays, aud that while
the first ore might run good, that
which got later might not be worth.
mining. This was agreed to, and J.
was just about to wire Eben Smith
th 1t we had better buy the mine. when
! got letter from him, saying that
the panic had struck Denver. He said
that every thing was fat, and that Moi