The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-08-01

to find ore in Poverty gulch. He took il to
Colorado Springs late in 1894 and the float
was found to yield $40 to the ton. Edward
de la Vergne, T. f. Fr.sbie and Dr. J. p.
Grannis then put up the Broken Box
ranch on Cripple creek. locating il claim
under the name of Colorado This was the
first claim registered in the district Next
NJ. c. Lackford located the Blue Bell IN
Sduaw gulch, and Bob Work, a Denver
barber located the Rose Maud, which
showed on one of the earliest assays no
less than S., 800 per ton.
In July, 1891, the Buena Vista and the
Gold King mines were located. When the
Buena Vista was sold to Count Pourtalls
and T, c. Parrish of Colorado Springs,
the attention of the entire country was
called to the Cripple Creek gold fields. and
the rush began. over the Wind-swept
Rocky mountain tops or waist-Jeep
through the snow in the gulches the de
termined body of treasure-seekers poured
upon the district and claims We're staked
in all directions. From Mineral hill TO the
creek bed the mountain sides We're cover
ed with claims, as was all the ground on
both sides of the LINES, regardless of the
character of the rock. Many hardships
We're endured at Cripple Creek In these
early days of its popularity, and to such
as were successful the life was rough
and dlstasteful one at best
One of the wealthiest men at Cripple
Creek at the end of 1898 was Winfield $.
Stratton, who was accounted to be worth
from $15,0000o0 TO S25,0o0,000 He had tried
his luck in all the camps in the state of
Colorado, and was one of the first TO enter
the Cripple Creek district. At that time
he had no money at all. After prospecting
around, he had made up his mind 10 pack
up his traps and go back to his old work
as carpenter when he discovered the yell
low metal on a piece of float picked up on
it, Tn,
dian scout and the Father of Cripple
Creek" 1t was the morning of July A,
and Stra tton called the claim he loca-
ted the Independence. He had at that
time no great hopes of the claim, but
few weeks later the assayers told him
that the rock he had sent them from
this location ran three or four hundred
dollars to the ton.
1t is reported that one day a man went
to Stratton and said: "Will you take SlO,-
100000 for your miner" Old Man Stratton,
as he was always called, replied: do
you happen to have a million in your
pocket"
The other said: mo but can get it,"
Then Stratton added: well, If you would
give me ten times ten millions and put
million in gold down to bind the bargain,
/ wouldn't sell. If l had the money
wouldn't know what to do with it, As
long as 1t is down In the mine no one
can take 1t away from me, and l can take
it out as fast as l please"
On Battle mountain, just above the In
dependence" was the second largest prize
won by the early explorers of Cripple
Creek This great gold mine is called the
Portland Early residents tell the story
of its beginning as follows: Jimmie
Doyle had a bit of patch on top o the
mountain that might have been big enough
for a garden, and then again 1t might not
1t was altogether about a sixth of an acre.
But ii had a vein Close by Jimmie
Burns-it is James F. Burns now--had an
other bit of a patch. They were both
Irish and both from Portland Me-, and
so they put their claims together and
called their mine in honor of their native
town. Both were tenderfeet, and didn't
know just what to do with their prop
erty, so one day John Harnan came along
and said to them: Boys whatll you
give me If III find you pay rock?' Doyle
and Burns agreed to give Harnan third
if he found the pay rock He found IL
that afternoon, and a year ago Harnans
third of the mine was 100000 in the
market"
The Portland minaohas produced several
millions OF dollars worth of gold. Stories
such as these drove Colorado wild in the
early days of Cripple Creek mining, and
from 35 600 to 5000 people flocked to the
fields, None of these places which have
been the objective points Of gold fever
rushes, however seem to have been so in
accessible as the new gold fields of North
eastern British Colombia, and whatever
hardships were suffered by the '49ers of
California or the bush diggers Of Aus
tralia may be multiplied a thousand fold
for the excited hordes who are hocking to
the Klondike.
Among the latest stories told by the re-
turned miners from the Yukon Is that dis
coveries quite as startling those which
are now electrifying the world may shortly
be looked for in territory which belongs
beyond question to the United States.
Some rich strikes on American and
Minoo creeks, Alaska, are reported, and
it is believed that since the last news from
these points was received much greater
developments have been made, In fact, it
now appears that the ruch promise of this
region has not been a secret among the
northern gold hunters during the last
few months, but the fame of the Klondike
region has become so great that nearly
every one wished to hurry to that district.
News is soon expected which may have
the effect of directing a great portion Of
the rush southwark to American rather
than British territory.