The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-06
GOLD KING STRATTON
THE MIDAS OF CRIPPLE CREEK AND
HIS HUMBLE ANTECEDENTs.
A Few Years Ago a Poor Carpenter,
He Can Now Draw His Check for
,OOO.OOO--His Good Traits.


stranger tale than the story Of Stratton.
the new gold king. You could count the
years on the fingers of one hand since w.
S. Stratton was Jour" carpenter. and not
a very steady or skillful one either. living
in Jeffersonville, Ind, sleepy little Ohio
river town opposite Louisville. KY. STRAIT
ton is a little, lean, five-foot-six, l25-pound
man. He would attract no attention at all
in any crowd. He has passed beyond the
half-century mark in years. almost un-
known. In Indiana he was a who
went on periodical sprees. He was almost
unknown in business circles. He had never
owned 500 in his life. and he had never
made any effort TO own as much money as
500. He had no ambition to make money;
to live. The only marks he left in his old
home were those he made with his penknife
while he sat idling his time away on dry
goods boxes and whiting them. Yet to-
day this man could buy the town of JEFF
fersonville. Ind. including the State peni-
Tertiary and the steel bridge that swings
across the turbulent rapids of the Ohio
and connects his old home with the me-
tropolis of Kentucky-could buy it outright,
give his check for it, payable in gold, and
the check would be honored at sight. Yet
If he were to walk the streets of Jefferson
vile to-day, though Ii is less than five years
since he lived there, but few would know
him.
HE GOES WEST.
He went West. The summer Of 1898 found
him in Colorado Springs, Col. where, when
he could get work. he was earning $3.50 per
day as a carpenter.
Some time during the centuries that have
formed this glohe ,lnon uhich live =, a t,,ra'
has marshaled its mighty forces. those
mysterious ones supposed to be imprisoned
in the core of the earth. and with frightful
force has bombarded the shell or outer crust
that holds it prisoner. With shot and SHELL
grape and chain, made Of copper. silver and
gold, this subterranean upheaval has forced
the molten metals into the cracks and crew
ices of their rocky prison. There they have
cooled and CONCEALED, and here man. In his
unceasing, untiring pursuit of treasure, digs
and delves for these relics of nature s
mighty battle, concealed in clefts of the
abundance that makes the story of their
discoverer read like the tale Of "Aladdin's
Lamp or of Monte Cristo;" but far Oft
ener the precious metals are found in lean,
thin, tantalizing streakS or locked securely
in ore so refractory and in particles so
small that gaining possession of them is a
foriorn hope that, followed, leads on to
bankruptcy and despair. Hence the costli-
ness Of gold.
On the western slope of Pixies Peak. form
ing one OF the buttresSeS TO the giant pile
of rock and snow, whose mighty head is
1900 feet in air, there is a group OF grassy
hills, themselves more than 10000 feet above
the level of the sea. Facing these on the
west and standing beyond the grand gorge
of the Arkansas river, the hoary head OF
Mount Ouray stands a noble outpost to
the serrated peaks and icy CANYONS of the
tops of the cloud-piercing ''Sangre de Chris
to" 0he blood of Christi range, whose rug
ged tops can be plainly seen, though nearly
100 miles away.
Only four years ago these hills were graz
ing grounds, carpeted with sweet, succulent
grasses and blooming with beautiful Alpine
flowers. purling brooks of icy water. fresh
from their glacial home above, gurgling
over pebbly beds amid the enchanting scenes
of Alpine meadows. Underneath the grass
roots lay projectiles of gold-bearing ore, not
like pellets, like those from a pistol, but
huge humps, that had they come through
to the surface would have left a wound in
the hill that a freight train could have
bombariment these hills had barely re-
sisted. The sheep herder and the cow
puncher had tended their hocks and herds
for years over this safety vault. which 1t is
a wonder the hoofs of their herds did not
unlock. But 1t was left for the pros
pector's prying pick to uncover the golden
secret Mines that could almost be worked
with hoe, pillow or road scraper
GOLD AT CRIPPLE CREEK.
About the time silver was dying and bus
mess chaos was dawning in Colorado under
the blows dealt by Cleveiand's summer of
1898 Congress the cry of gold at Cripple
Creek went out over the land. w. s. Stratton
heard it. Not having the money to pay the
railway to carry him to Cripple Creek, he
walked, carrying all his possessions on his
back, and he was not overweighted at that.
Though he was without money TO pay for IL,
he became a boarder with a lady about his
own age, who was seeking a livelihood in
that vocation. Sometimes he got work; oft
ener he got drunk. Anyhow his board bill
was several months overdue and unpaid,
when, at the invitation OF the hostess he
sought his meals and bed elsewhere.
AS does everyone in mining camp, he
laid claim and at odd times did some work
on his prospect, which he called the "Inde-
pendence' mine, but the slowly lengthen-
ing hole ne was at odd times sinking upon
i and the big name was all there was OF
the mine. and they, as an asset, would not
have secured square meal for their owner.
He had only the faintest indication of ore,
yet with his his pick ana shovel he con-
tinued his course on the short route TO
China. He had no money, and he thought
he had no friends.
One day he met Senator wolcott in the
camp. knowing the Senator by sight, and
knowing also that lie was not averse 70
putting money into good prospect, he
approached him and said:
Senator, my name is Stratton. I've got
a good prospect over on the hill, but am
not a strong man physically, and / have
no money; but if | had $500 believe l could
develop a coed mine on my prospect. Now
If you will go Ii and will give me $780,
l will deed you an undivided one-half in
terest in il, and agree to spend the money
developing the mine"
Where is your prospect" asked the Sen
ator. as he looked down at the little man.
over there on =. HILL said Stratton
My dear man." said the Senator. There
is no gold on that HILL Then he asked
Stratton what he knew of mines and min
ing, It did not take the little Hoosier long
to tell him, for 1t was not much he knew
AT the end the Senator said:
my dear sir, | would not give you three
cents for all you have over there"
4 couple OF Irishmen had struck good
pay stuff on another hill not far from
STATIONS prospect. Stratton had at times
done carpenter work for them. and when
the lady of the boarding house bounced
the old man these Irishmen took him in
told him he could eat and sleep at their
they would give II 10 him. SO he divided his
time by working little for the Irishmen.
loafing a good deal, and working on his
prospect when he had few dollars to pay
a man 10 help him. for the hole had be-
come so deep he could no longer throw the
stuff out with his long handled shovel. lie
was compelled 10 put up a windlaSS and
have a man to work 1t.
ALMOST DISCOURAGED.
Frequently he would give up and say "I'll
quit" But his friends, the Irishmen, would
cheer him up and say. Go on. man; so on.
Yez may strike it the next sho"~'<ul. Put
in one more shot and see what " I'M
cover" And one day the next 81 ! un-
cover something. 1t uncovered tn pex OF
a cone that is almost pure gold. IT'S a
pointed projectile. that sometime nature 5
artillery had aimed at the earth's crust.
Nd n had corpe uithfp rass than har