Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-01-27
RICHEST IN CRIPPLE CREEK.
Gossip About Men OF Humble ORR
gin Who Now Roll in
Wealth.


Wealth.
A correspondent of the San Francisco
Call sketches two Of Cripple Creeks
millionaire mine owners as follows:
1.-THE most prominent mining man Of
Cripple Greek today is Winfield S. STRAIT
ence mine. He was born in Jefferson
vile, Ind. in 1913. He learned the car
penter trade, and in 1872 moved to Colo
RADIO Springs. Stratton has several
times in his life saved up $1,000 or $1,000
and spent year or two prospecting, but
never met With any success. He was
one of the first to go to Cripple Creek,
and after remaining there a month or
two had packed up his few traps upon
his two burros and was leaving the camp
when he accidentally picked up some
rich float on what is now the Lone Star
claim, owned by Dick Houston, the In
dian scout and father Of Cripple Creek
The rock looked good, and Stratton con
Guided he would have it assayed. While
waiting for his assay, one bright and
beautiful morning, which happened to be
the. Fourth of July, 1891, he located a
claim, and being of a patriotic nature,
cal rcbas the Independence It h is now y
standing offer of $12,OOO,OO0 for the
property.
ct is said upon good authority that
Mr.. Stratton can hoist $1.0O0,0OO in one
day, if he SO desired, and that there is at
least .SlOOOO,0OO in sight. When asked
why he did not sell his mine for such a
large sum of money, he said: What
could l do with so much money? /
could not manage such a large sum in
one bunch; l would certainly lose it. |
have enough trouble with 100000 per
month income now: can't find any IN
is in the mine | know where it is, and
when l want more I know where l can
take it OUT
Mr.. Sratton is not the keenest fnan-
cier in the world. Most millionaires can
tell you to dollor how they stand with
the world. Last November his money
matters began to worry him. He had
purchased five mines in two months, and
had bought the controlling interest of
two mining companies, in which he had
been elected president. He began to
figure UP his deposits and drafts, and
was much worried over the possibility
Of owing a slight balance to the bank.
Now, Mr. Stratton dislikes to overdraW,
SO he wrote to his bankers asking how
he stood, saying that if there was an
overdraft he would shortly fix it up.
Imagine his surprise when he was in
formed that there was still to his credit
81, $4,000. It seems that Mr.. StrattOn
had not figured in the deposits from the
ore sold from his Independence, Portland
No. 2, American Eagle, John A. Logan,
Lottie and Caledonia mines Mr.. STRAIT
ton is peculiar in this regard that he
will have no partners in any of his min
ing ventures. He owns outright the
above mentioned mines, as we'll as the
Lowell, the Harry, Rosario and Wash
ington mines. He owns quarter of all
the stock of the Portland Mining COM
pany, which is Incorporated for 3,OO0,-
coo shares, and which is selling on the
market today at So per share, besides
the controlling interest in two other conn
panies. Mr.. Stratton is supposed to be
worth $20,OOO.0O0
Games n Doyle, the original locator
Of the little fraction, 100X195 feet, which
he named the Portland, on Battle mount
ain, after his native city in Maine, is
the youngest of all the Western million
aires He is only "a years of age, and
is worth from 100000 to $5,O000OO.
He had been working on a salary of Sl5
per week for number of years i'll Col
orado Springs. Finding that he was
$500 in debt he decided to go to the
new gold camp. Purchasing. burro he
packed it, and driving it before him he
started on his solitary and lonely jour
ney to the new gold camp. On the
second day he was overcome with ia
tigue, and he stopped five miles from
the town Of Cripple Greek. He found
upon examining the stakes where he had
camped that here was a fraction Of LOOK
100 feet that was not taken up; he To-
Gated this fraction and then went to
Cripple Greek. In few weeks he ran
short of money and provisions and Of
fered time and again to sell his fraction
for $1OO, but could find no purchaser.
He met in Cripple Greek his old-tlme
companion James f. Burns, WHO had To-
Gated a claim called the Prof. Grubbs.
After some conversation between the
two they decided to share equally i'll
both claims, although Burns was loath
to do so at first because the Prof. Grubbs
was a full claim. Doyle and Burns of
fered John Harnan a third interest in
the fraction if he could find pay ore,
which he did. The Prof. Grubbs claim
has never shipped a pound of ore, while
the Portland for nineteen months has
paid an average Of $4,000 month divi-
dend, besides producing enough money
to buy UP 100 acres of patented ground
surrounding the fraction, upon which
there are seven irregular shipping mines
which now belong to the Portland com
pany and money enough to contest to a
finish or compromise thirty-seven differ
ent lawsuits upon the property. The
property of the Portland company is
worth from Sc, 000.OO0 to $S, 900 600, at
a conservative figure.
II have only mentioned in detail two
millionaires and two mining properties
in Cripple Greek. There are 154 regular
~ shipping mines in the district, while
w. S. Stratton, James NJ. Doyle, James
f. Burns, John Harnan, Irving How
bert, Eben Smith, Bertrand Brothers,
J. N. Cone David III. Moffat and 9th
ers have made from S1,000,000 to 500
100000 in Cripple Greek in the last few
years while the number of smaller for
tunes which have been made, and, | mag
as we'll add, lost, have been very nu-
merous."
About BiltmOre.
Biltmore house, the North Carolina
1af Gonroro Nandn1hilt Star II,