The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-09-20

Il. 4. Scnumacnor, one OF the dlSeoYererS
of the famous Bald Eagle mine on Sum-
dun Bay, between Sitka and Wrangel,
fifty miles from Douglas Island, is at the
Commercial. Mr.. Schumacher and his
partners have sold this mine to n. A.
Trowbridge of this City for $50, 900, and
Schumacher, after many years of pros
peoting, has settled down to the enjoy
ment of the neat fortune he now has at his
command.
The gentleman was one OF the forty or
more starving miners who were rescued by
the United States steamer Thetis ON the
Lower Yukon few years ago after they
had made sundry explorations on the Yu-
kon and its tributar es, failing to find any
gold of consequence. The country was
then very new and it was not known
whether gold existed in large quantities
or not.
Mr.. Schumacher had previously pros
pected in different Pacific Coast States
and Territories. He had found some
small-paying properties, and sold them
each time for what he could get. The
money he usually expended in prospect
ing again. Altogether he has had many
strange and romantic episodes in his life.
of the free and independent prospeetor,
who more resembles the fur hunter of the
old days than any other class of men we
now have. He appears to be about As
years old. FOR more than twenty years
most of his time has been given to going
over the hills witt pack on his back and
Quilted otherwise with pick, pan and
magnifying glass.
Il had at different times made a number
of stakes prior TO finding the Bald Eagle, "
said Mr.. Schumacher, "but they were
small. l would take what l made from
them and start out again usually, and try
mining again. Once or twice l started in
business, but l found [ was ilI-suited to it.
The free ways l had contracted as miner
lily fitted me TO adopt the ways OF the
average business man, and / soon got out
of business and went to prospecting once
more.
"W hen got broke, as not infrequently
did, went to work in some mine for a
few months till L made stake. Then l
struck out again. / risked everything l
had, and if / didn't find anything, why
then / had to begin over again. 1t was win
or lose every time. But this was better
and much more ependent than sitting
around in San Francisco and trying to beat
the stock market. I was quite happy all
the time l was out, though l had some
very rough times.
when the Thetis picked me up. for in
stance, along with a lot more hungry and
ragged miners, after we had spent many
months on the Yukon, had Just 50.
after I had got pulled together little
nd 10 q I
went over to Douglas Island and began to
work in the big gold mine there at 50 a
day. put in the winter, and then having
a little stake / started out once more to
try to find mine of my own.
"Three other miners, Reed, Robinson
and Clark. were ready to try luck with
me. So we al set out We were equipped
in the rough way of prospectors in that
country, and getting over to the main
land slowly worked our way along the
coast and through the hills, digging
wherever we thought we might find a
ledge.
"In the course of several weeks we ar
rived at a curious place near the shores of
Sumdum Bay. There seemed to be a
ledge there. There was an outcropping
of dark yellowish looking stuff. We dug
into it and threw aside some specimens,
but didn't think much about them, for
they didn't look very good.
awhile we were thinking whether We
would stake out the claim or not looked
up and saw lot of bald eagles sailing
around. / had seen them before, but had
paid no attention to them. Suddenly it
occurred to me l would call it the Bald
Eagle mine. 1t was a good name,
thought. l mentioned it TO my partners,
they agreed to it, and we put down a
single stake. with our names on it, to-
gether with the name Bald Eagle
which we had decided on.
"a while after this we appeared in Sitka
with pieces of the ledge, which we had
brought to be assayed. When took them
to the assayer he counted them all out,
and there were ten in all. None of us
had been impressed with their appear
ance. The assayer said, as he chipped off
some little pieces for assay: