The Irish standard., 1896-08-08
1 GOLD And SILVER King
David H. noffat, the Famous flin-
ing Millionaire of Denver,
s,. Colorado.
With a Wagon and a .r1ule He
Started Out to flake His
Fortune.
Discusses the Production of Gold
and Silver In the Mines
s:7Ey
of His State.

and Silver In the Mines
of His State.
have had an interview with the mining
king of the United States, writes Frank
G. Carpenter from Denver, Colo. His name
Is David H. Moffat. He Is said to be worth
twenty millions of dollars. He has made
fortunes out Of gold and silver mining,
and he has today some of the most valu-
able properties of the west. He sold a
gold mine last month to parties in France
which netted himself and his partners a
cold million in cash. His silver mines at
Leadvil.e have miles of underground tun-
nels, and he is the biggest owner OF stock
in the cyanide mill at Florence, which
. turns out for him every month a god
brick worth $4,000. He is developing
valuable mines today in different parts OF
Colorado, and among his great works at
Cripple Creek is an immense tunnel
which he Is forcing through mountain,
IN which supposed vast quantities of gold
I are supposed to lie. Mr.. Moffat was for
years president of the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad. He built the Denver Pa
cfflc from Cheyenne to Denver. He now
practically owns the Florence & Cripple
Creek road, which does an enormous bust
ness, and he is also president OF one OF the
biggest banks of the west. This is the
First National Bank of Denver, which has
capital Of only $500, 900, but whose de-
posits amount to more than $8,000,OO0. 1t
is now thirty years since Mr.. Moffat: en-
tered the bank as cashier, and today, I
venture, he considers himself more OF a
banker than miner. He begun his bus1-
ness. career in bank. He was fifteen
years old at the time and started life as a
messenger boy in the New York; Ex-
change Bank of New York. "A, year later
he went to Iowa to act as bank clerk in
Des Moines, and at twenty he was cashier
: of the Bank Of Nebraska at Omaha. This
was just about the time of the Pixies Peak
gold fever, and Dave Moffat got wagon
and mule and came out here to ind MS
fortune Denver was then too small for
bankers and Moffat started a book and
stationery store, selling, as an old miner
told me the other day, an envelope and
stamp and sheet Of paper for a nickel
A few years later the First National bark
was founded, and Moffat was made Its
cashier. He soon became president, and
it is through him that the business OF the
Dank has 50 IuCI Stlocu LAotLf A. AoW oAAOuAS
to more than nine millions year. 5S.
1t was at the bank that I met Mr.. MOI
fat. He watches over the interests of the
institution very carefully, and you may
find him in the presidents Office any day
between and s. I passed through a5crowd
Of business men who were engaged at
the windows Of the bank proper, and asked
q policeman in uniform standing by the
teller's desk where to find Mr.. Moffat. He
pointed to sort of cubby hole at the back
of the building, and told me to go right in.
There was no red tape, no messenger nor
watch dog about the Office of the mill
iona:re I knocked at the door, entered
and presented q letter of introduction,
which I had from Senator Teller, to- tall
well formed man Of about so years OF age,
wno sat at the desk within. He looked
more like New York club man than a.
Western mine owner, and could hardly
associate his clear, rosy complexion, his
bright eye and his unwrinkled face with
that OF one Of the hardest workers and
shrewdest capitalists in the West. 1t was
however, David H. Moffat. He asked me
to be seated, and chatted with me for an
hour about gold and silver and the wonder
full mining development which is going on
throughout the west. E}.rs
Dave Moffat knows perhaps as much
about mines as any man In the West. he
Is miner, not in the sense OF being a
prospector or going out into the mines and
working them. He is mine owner rather
than mine digger He has the s1reWdesst lest
OF experts connected with him. Hls pros
pectors are always on the march, and he
relies upon their Judgment as to bis prop
critics. With all the millions that he has
In works below ground, he seldom goes in
to a mine. He buys mines and develops
them on the Judgment Of his experts, and
his credit is such among the capitalists OF
the world that he can command any,
amount of money at any time for almost
any enterprise which he wishes to under
tske. -. =. ..z.s J.
8 During our chat asked some questions
as to the new mines of Colorado. He re-
piled: r. q, 80 asls. - !:
, 'E eve have never had so many miners at
work here as we have today. More mines
are now being developed than ever before,
md the prospect is that there will beia
steady increase in our god output. In
1889 we produced less than 100000
worth Of gold. Last year our output was
more than $18,000,000, and believe that
we Will run the figures up to at least $685.
900 900 this year. This gold comes from
all over COlOfaQO. There dFS SOOU Mlu6S
in twenty different counties, and we are
Nv no means dependent upon any one re-
zion. such as Cripple Creek, for our out
put. !" M :
Will it last q . 81 ...s III;
'S.sI don't like to predict as to the future
Of any gold mining region, replied. Mr.
Moffat. zone is apt to give either too
h.gh or too low an estimate, but the indi-
( cations are that there are enormous guam
titles Of gold about Cripple Creek. IN The z
nronerties In which / am interested and
with which I am fan.li liar show that the
camp has; q great future. The fact that
the Cripple Greek mines produced some SOM
thing Ike s., ,oOo,0 goo worth OF gold 4! last i
wear Il 4 strong argument as to thsif rich cl
4 1ess Many prospects are being opened 1
which promise well and profitable Mining min;
VII bes done 81 that camp for years to t''.
come. 81 y3 sss M 0 /. y. s.,
tng 81 recent Years has there not Ill
SI m rgp led MI. fiat. ~ came out
here ins $50 len the motto ofissYerysr:
/. gls II:
Il Aens 81 camp the gTe aaFt
WI the done aser
l'1E ii Il is