Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-03-17
RoalANcn. AND nEALIrY.
Our Friend Bippus Gives Us Some
Interesting Mining and Polit-
icni News.


CororAxI, Colo, March 18th, 1896.
1T Is so seldom that romance creeps
into a p~rospector's life, that an excep-
tional case, when 1t does materializs,
makes very interesting reading.
Here Is a Cripple Greek romance that
will, perhaps, interest your many read
ers among miners and ~prospectors. who
look forward to the day when their
now empty pockets will bulge into
space like Fatty Cleveland's stomach
Some years since, M. l.. Stire, now
a Cripple Creek prospector, located
some claims at Ouray. this state. The
claims had every indication Of being A
No. /, a fact which made envious men
try to force Sire to abandon the claims.
Sire, however, wasn't built that way.
He had lots OF grit and a very service.
able Winchester rifle, so he stood the
boys off, with splendid success, though
while holding down these claims with
his repeating riff, he was obliged to GO
without eating for seven days.
Soon after this episode, Mr.. Stire,
like some of the rest Of us fellows, went
broke, and had to leave these claims, In
order to raise money by daily labor
He went to Arizona, but before leaving,
he gave a Denver friend the necessary
legal PERMISSION to relocate them, If he
failed to return Ia q given time. He
did not return and finally his where
abouts were unknown.
The claims were relocated and de-
veloped by the Denver nan and proved
valuable, and Sire was put down for
an eighth interest should he
ever turn up. A chance
came to sell these claims, but the fact
that the absent Sire had to sign the
transfer papers, and his whereabouts
being unknown, no sale could be made.
A search for St;re was instituted, and
finally he was located at Cripple
Creek, where he was having a big rue
Of prospector's luck, !. g., poverty, and
hunger, with a large wad Of dissp.
pointment wedged in. In the midstros
this triple streak of misfortune, he was
found, and then presto, he was fairly
rolling in wealth; for his one-eightb
interest in his old Ouray claims wouid
net him $4,000 as soon as he went to
Denver and signed the necessary legal
documents. The old man IS happy
now, and can order pie with his din
ner every day, instead Of feastine
on ssiridescent dreams" OF square
meals, as no did until luck hit him
amldships so unexpectedly.
After his years of hard luck and un-
requited toll, 1t IS I be hoped that he
will appreciate the good fortune that
came to him, and not 'blow himself
i'm on faro and rum, as Is so 1ften the
case when a prospector does make a
ssrich STRIKE" .
The "Erie" mine, on Battle noun.
tain, has been re-bonded fl the COM
sum OF 100000, which is GER
tainly a safe Indication ttat this mine
is rich in pay ore.
1t is claimed that there are several
wildcat concerns in ripple Greek,
do a lourishing sale Of mining
and then pocket the money In
stead of using it to develop properties,
if properly worked and man.
aged, would soon become paying
properties. However, there is nothing
strange in that, for it is q noted fact
that wherever you find q big boom on,
you will invariably find a class Of men
on hand whose business it Is to rope In
.%'suckers" with the utmost impartiality.
Things are ton,pg down consider
ably at Cripple Greek. The excite
over new d~scoveries is not so
enthusing, and it is q noticeable fact
that work Is not near SO plentiful as
one would suppose,to read the .sboom"
accounts in the papers. Cripple Creek
IS a rich and wonderful camp, It is
but it will be found before long
hat the harvest Of riches will be for
he very few, while the many will go
'mpty handed.
Those who have the misfortune to
cad the Silver City Eagle can plainly
ee that Delegate Catron's success In
he halls Of congress has so badly
attled Lcomis. It's alleged editor, that
10 cannot admit q fact, however
'atent 1t may be to all the world be-
Loomis asserts Ia q recent issue of
be Eagle that Catron attracts no
more attention In congress than would
70 accorded TO q back woods moss
'ack. 1t Is evident that Editor (P)
.oomis does not read the papers, or
70 would know now that Catron IS the
My man In the history Of congress
rho got . bill passed through both
ouses in the space Of eight minutes,
nd that, too, under suspension Of the
nles that govern In this matter. To
ny man Of ordinary intelligence, this
act would prove that Catron Is al.
rainy man, who will make his mark
congress before 1t closes its session. !
We feel sorry for LOOMS. Years
60 we knew him, when he made an
oncst living at wood butchering, Ia the :
outhern Pacific shops at Deming. He 9
as a pretty nice fellow then, his one 2
reat drawback being his inordinate /,
'ndness for limburger cheese, and :
oughnuts. In an evil hour he stray .
! into q newspaper Office ct Deming, Z
nd at fell swoop landed himself !
G the iittoriia tripod, where he has c
Sen posing to a limited audience ever q
noe. =
As a political prophet, Loomis falls o
1t; as he will realize il he reads the r
test dispatches regarding statehood T.
r New Mexico, and the estimation in 4
hich Catron Is held by his colleagues y
congress. y
We have just read the cheering : :
that Numa Raymond, of Las Cru ),
8, has WOE bis suit, thereby estab. W
his CIain, IN tho oHsn a ~ ohavtff