The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-04-12

| In these days, when so many advanced
, women are prospecting in the neld Of
! mems work for some available employ
nent which will furnish them a good liv-
| ing and at the same time display their
| energy and ability. when all sorts Of ar
| guments and intimidation have failed 10
| convince them that they cannot compete
| with men. the story of Miss Jennie Hill
| ton, California woman. who has made
| $4,000 as a mining prospector, does not
seem so remarkable as IT would have
been few years ago. even though it is
| a rare undertaking for a woman and
surprising success I'm this instance.
Miss Hilton was born IN Ohio and rear
| ed In California where she was left an
orphan at the age Of lG. The small
amount of money left her by her parents
served only 20 complete her education.
and after graduating at the state Normal
School she became a teacher and earned
her living in this way for three years
When she was a little girl she was es-
peclally interested in minerals and care
fully stuffed all the specimens her IA
ther brought home This interest in
creased with her years until she became
a great student In mineralogy. Her yaca-
lions were spent reading and studying on
the subject. and large share OF her pin
money was invested in books on ores
and their reduction, and eventually she
acquired a thorough knowledge Of min
erals in the Academy Of Sciences In San
Francisco.
During her summer vacation in 1880
she went TO visit her brother in Phoenix.
Ariz., and spent her time studying the
rock formations in tic mountains. Later
on she succeeded In getting her brother
and uncle 10 go with her on n prospect
ing tour. She resigned her place as
teacher and gave herself up 10 the hard
task Of hunting for gold and silver with
AL the courage and confidence in her
knowledge Of ores and their values Of Tle
most enthusiastic geolOgist and she also
managed to inspire her companions with
faith in her clever qualities of judgment
and perception. The discOuracing expert
ences of men who had started out before
just as fun Of hope. and returned wiser
but very much poorer in pocket had no
effect on her spirit OF enterprise. She
was interested and eager for success so
the commercial side of her nature pre-
vailed. The old saying that women are
mothers first, then cooks, but never
teachers" has very little significance
among women Of the nineteenth century
Miss Hilton. with her brother and uncle.
prcspCcted over fifty miles OF mountain
Gus country, cleaning what Information
they could from other prospectors ard
miners only 10 find mines that would not
pay, but getting many points Which,
would never have been given 10 man.
In the winter Of 1890 they went to Globe.
a mining noted as a resort Tor
thieves and murderers, and having ma
tive population of men who had always
lived on the borders OF civilization.
But they treated Miss Hilton with the
utmost respect and so much kind atten-
ton that she says she was quite spoiled.
and she learned much about mining and
how 10 make money from her grade ores.
The following summer she started out
again. going through the san Rita noun
tains, north. to Prescott, and the Quay
mas Canon, without any success. The
winter was spent in prescott. where she
opened an assaying Office and began her
search in the early summer ON the east
shore OF the Colorado river. in the l.ar-
qua liala region. she found and located
several mines, went 10 Los Angeles TO gel
money to invest in opening one OF them,
which is called the Kansas mine, and sue
coeded in getting a locomotive engineer
10 buy a half interest for $1,000. She hired
men. suDerintended all the operations.
directed the digging of the tunnel. and
when the possibilities OF the mine were
revealed TO her she set out 10 put IL on
the market This she found TO be the
most difficult part of her work, but final
~ succeeded In selling her half interest
TO some successful miners In Harqua
Hala for S25.O'O. With this money she
intends TO develop some well-located
prospects I'm Arizona.
Miss Hilton is the first woman to take
Up mining as business.