Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1896-01-15

Who ever heard of such foolishness?
There might be few stray threads of
gold, but none worth working those
rugged hills for. The miners were crest
fallen. They believed these eminent
mineralogists. Lots of them sold out
their claims for little or nothing and
went away. A few held ON and kept on
digging into the granite hills.
Finally it became noised about that,
In spite Of the scientists, these stubborn
miners were actually digging ore that
was fairly rotten with gold. The men
of science took a second look. The min
ers showed them how they could take a
piece of granite and roast it so that the
precious metal fairly oozed out in gold
en- drops. Then they believed the min
ers, bat they said that they should have
to reconstruct their books on mineralogy.
The richness of some of these holes in
the ground is almost beyond belief. On
Gold hill, which is the great center of
attraction at Cripple Creek, are dozen
shafts. The men who own them are al
ready prospective millionaires. Some
of them have actually taken fortunes out
of the ground and have only started to
work their claims
Others who have just money enough
TO meet their living expenses are refus-
ing offers of 100000 and treble that
sum in hard cash for their claims Each
one is certain that his hole in the
ground is worth cool million, and he
is going TO wait until he gets it, or per-
haps he intends to take the gold out
himself when the facilities are increased.
None of the big mines is being work
ed for anything near what it can be,
yet it is estimated that the Cripple Creek
camp is producing over 81, 900, 900 worth
Of gold every month.
There are bonarr - ':ngs, of course.
Winfield Scott Stratton is the n ost
prominent of them all. Every newcom-
or at once hears about him and is told
his history. Three years ago Stratton
was a wandering carpenter and pros
pector. He worked with the jackplane
and ripsaw when it was necessary to get
enough to "grubstake him in another
hunt for gold. He walked into Cripple
Creek when the boom first struck it and
was one Of those who staid when the
others left. ,err
Once he sold the Independence mine
for $40, 900, but the purchaser backed
out. Stratton went back into his shaft
and finally struck richer ore. Now he
has a hole 500 feet deep and has taken
out So, 000,0 600 in gold. There is yet
So, 900, 600 in sight.
The Portland mine is another Alad-
din's cave. 1t is owned by three men,
James +. Burns, James Doyle and John
Harmon. Three years ago Burns was a
discouraged plumber, Doyle was digging
irrigating bitches, and Harmon was
working like a slave in railroad grad
ing camp. Today they are all million
aires, Their mine pays regular month
ly dividend of per cent ON capitali
cation of $3,00O,000. The ore they
bring up averages $72, but some of it
assays thousands of dollars to the ton.
But let no one think that the mines
whose stocks are quoted at y, l and Q
cents a share are all Portlands. Some
of them may be miles away from Gold
hill. The men who are on the spot
and have been there for two or three
years have taken care of all the claims
which have any prospect of "panning
out big"
The men who own the Independence
with Stratton have bought up 100 acres.
Others have done the same. 1t may be
possible, of course, that every hill in
that section of Colorado is full of gold,
but there are grave doubts about this.
The soul of the cheerful promoter, how
~S<