The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
THE RICHEST MAN IN ALL AMERICA

| SPOKANE, WASH, May 26, 1S97.-As
/ was lounging in the lobby of the Hotel
! Spokane this morning noticed an elderly
man, with a newspaper careIessly folded
on his lap. He is typical frontiersman,
miner and prospector, tall. biue-eyed,
stoop shouldered, iron-gray nair and un-
kempt whiskers. He was in good humor
| with himself and all the world and was
easily engaged in conversation.
II am here from Montana" he stated,
as he called my attention to a paragraph
in the Anaconda Standard in regard to W.
A. Clark's fabulous strike in the May
Flower district.
II knew it was bound to leak out some
time" he added, land have been sur
prised that it was kept from the news
paper sharps so long. You will see that
strike makes William Allen Clark the
richest man in the world. Beside him all
the millionaires OF ancient and modern
times are but as paupers. Clark is the
only living Millionaire and the only man
who ever required ten figures to represent
his wealth ~
This information took my breath and l
was anxious to hear more. The old gen.
tleman was just as desirous of i'm par ting
all the information stored away in his
shaggy head.
You see." he continued, ''it states that
Clark purchased the May Flower claim
nine months ago for S150,0o0 and at that
time there had been no developm ent work
excepting seven-foot hole"
glanced at the paper and saw the old
prospector was stating the facts.
Then from space IL by 10 feet and
only 10 feet deep the lucky owner has
taken 100000. l happen to know all
about it, for l have been over every acces-
sible foot of that claim"
"Do y ou know what happened after the
figures showed the wealth of the miner"
confessed my ignorance and curiosity.
why, Clark shut down the work and
packed off every man that had been work
ing for him, excepting myself, TO his d if
ferent properties in other sections of the
State-scattered them, as it were, to the
four parts of the earth, and they are kept
at work. When one grum bles about any
thing, seeking some excuse to quit, to go
prospecting on his own hook. his wages
are raised and he is induced to remain
where he ISL
"What was the reason for such action ?"
inquired.
"That's just what I am going to tell
you." replied the old prospector, as he
took chew of tobacco.
You see, Clark has handled some
pretty rich property in his day, but he
had never run across anythin ing like this.
and he didn't want any experienced
miners around. You see. the paper states
that this mineral belt extends clear from
the Boulder to the Jefferson River, and so
1T does, distance of nine miies, every
foot of which can be traced by croppings.
Clark has been filing the district with
greenhorns, fresh from the East, who
have staked out claim after claim, and
wouldn't know piece of gold quartz from
an old chunk of cast iron. Every one of
these claims has been bonded or sold
outright to Clark. He probably owns
| about thirty-six squar. miles OF territory,
| the richest on the globe"
II was sort of assistant foreman on
the first work. l am getting too old and
stiff to do anything but boss, and knew
Clark's people way back in Ohio fifty
years ago, when old Bill Allen-'Fogho
Allen as they used to call him-after
| whom Clark was named, was the great
| political power in the State; and so Clark
put me in charge of the May Flower work.
He sent me gangs of the greenest men /
ever saw handle a pick or shovel, and
was In terror every time blast went off.
| We ran that tunnel the Standard tells
about 100 feet below the first opening and
| we struck the ledge again, just foot or
two wider, if anything perhaps a little
richer. Then we went 300 feet lower on