Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-06-24

Two Blasts That showed Miner where
lie Made Iils Mistake

Two Blasts That Showed Miner where
re Made Ills Mistake
"One man cannot see ns far into The
ground MS another" said John Pritch-
ard, Of Aspen, the other day, "and there
isn't little bit OF truth In the saying
that hecan when applied 10 mining op-
erations. Thousands OF instances
might be brought forward 10 prove my
position, and learosd the lesson very
early in my mining career. The Tom
Boy story is,an illustration Of this.
Everybody thought ]. Ernest Waters
was wild to spend 80 much money on
II, and yet Il is to-day being negotiated
for S0,5OO,O0O, after paying more than
$500, 900 In dividends in less than two
years.
"I was down in the San Juan country
in 1881, and had claim over on Sultan
mountain, which I called the Jessie.
II was promising crevice, and /
worked at II faithfully until had ex-
pended nearly $500. mainly for grub
and powder, living alone in my cabin
and frequently working is hours a day.
Then I sent home and father seLt me
$500 more, which used up ny that
time had been at work nearly two
years, and had driven my tunnel In
about 200 feet, every inch Of II with my
own hands. Then became discour-
aged, as 1 knew father had n mortgage
on the old place and couldn't afford TO
help me any more. got credit for 800
and kept nt work, driving the tunnel so
feet further, and I felt that I was
az the end Of my rope.
zone day as I wns gathering up my
tools TO quit, a nicely dressed man
sauntered up TO the tunnel and began
70 look aroond. He asked 10 see the
tunnel, which was mostly In solid rock
without timbering, and after he had
closely examined both walls, asked me
" I wanted to sell. feigned indlffer-
ence, and after calculating ESQ feet OF
tunneling at $40 a foot. answered thnt
I might sell II got my price. Well.
what's your price2' he asked. Twenty
five hundred dollars replied, with my
heart in my mouth. Come down 20
town and get your money was the an.
swer, and that night I slept with $4,000
under my pillow. in clean sheets for the
first time in two years. Next morning
the purchaser asked me 70 help him put
In n couple Of shots, and Of course i
agreed. When we got TO the tunnel
he examined the wall and selected n
point about 100 feet from the mouth.
Tets drill a couple Of holes here he
said. The minute he laid hold Of the
sledge saw he was n miner, and In a
short time we had two beautiful holes
In the rock. When the shots went OF
could hardly restrain myself from
rushing into the tunnel at once, and
when the smoke cleared away was the
first on the spot. And there lay body
OF ore exposed which was afterwards
found 10 be three feet thick, and ran
over 500 10 the ton. had left the
vein. and the superior knowledge OF
my purchaser had enabled him 10 de-
tect the point Of departure.
~ stayed around there n week. by
which time he had taken out enough
ore 10 pay for the cost Of the mine, and
then I went home and paid OF the
mortgage on the farm. and I've got the
farm vet, though I am still mining.
More than $4,000 wns taken out Of the.'
hole, and then the vein was lost and has
never been found since,"-zbenver Re-
publican.