The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1897-09-24
a 4 ANGUS OLD MINER.
EDWARD scHiEFFELiN ONE OF TOMB
STONES DISCOVERIES.

True Stories of a Most Typical Western
| Prospector-How the Schieffelin Broth
ers and Dick Grid Struck 1t Rich In
! Tombstone Gulch.
The Pacific coast newspapers have
been full of stories about Edward
Schiefelin, ore OF the discoverers of
I the Tom t1Stone mines, who was found
dead in a caoin in eastern Oregon. His
/ remains according TO his wish, now
/ rest upon the top Of a granite peak two
miles west Of Tombstone, a. 7. He de-
sired, he said, ito be buried in the CART
/ Of a prospector, my cid pick and cam
! teen with me, and monument such as
| prospectors build when locating q min
I ing claim built over my grave and no
I other monument or slab erected. +"
| L seems TO be generally felt through
out the Pacific coast that this plain.
ignorant. kind hearted cid pioneer and
| prospector. who had travelled many
thousands Of miles in search of neY
mines, has thus unconsciously made his
mark upon our romance and history.
| That lonely granite cairn in the desert.
rising upon the extreme point OF a tree
less promontory. will long be pointed
out as the gra- of one of the most IA
nous Of American prospectors.
Ed Schiefeiin's one great strike
yielded him fully third of 1000, 900.
At yariops times in his adventurous
career he plodded painstakingly over
the widest portions of the Rocky noun
tains and Sierras. he visited Alaska,
Mexico. South America and South
Africa, but never again found such a
mine. When ne died, his fortune. at
one time said TO be over $500, 900, had
greatly decreased by reason OF bad in
Testments and costly expeditions.
The story Of the finding OF Tomb
stone, that briefly famous Arizonian
mining city. has been told in many
different ways. until it is fast becom-
ing one Of the most attractive OF Pacific
coast myths The simple facts are that
late in the seventies the two Schiefeln
brothers and Dick Gird were prospect
ing, sometimes together, sometimes
I Ii oA-C-4s hlSiIAItS III ALI
zona and New Mexico. 1t was a time
OF terrible Indian outbreaks, and the
Apaches were on the warpath, killing
lonely miners and prospec1ors. attack
ing the stage coaches and running of
cattle. Ed Schiefelin finally wandered
into the neighborhood of a disputed
claim, the Bronco. where eight men
had been shot in various attempts 10 de-
eide its ownership, and was hired at 50
a day to sit On hilltop and lock out
for Indians One day, while hunting
up stray horse, the hitherto unsuccess-
full prospecfor stumbled into what was
aftegwam called Tombstone GuIch and
found some copper stained rock on what
became the Tough Nut mine. This he
sent TO Gird for an assay, and soon after
sent ore from the Lucky Cuss. When
development was begun, thin vein in
granite widened. and promised immense
riches. The claims were sold for very
large sums, and when the a paches were
driven out capitalists poured money in
TO the district. But the mines did not
Justify expectations Tombstone was
very far from being second Comstock.
The unlucky Broncho never paid dol
lar The Schiefelin and Gird claims
yielded for a time but soon ran out,
and the camp sank into decay.
The first time met Schiefelin, that
most typical Of western prospectors,
was about six years ago. After hearing
some Of his picturesque prospector
yarns I told him about the various
treasure expeditions 10 Coos island and
the legends which had caused these ex-
citements- He seized upon the glitter
ing tale Of diamond hilted swords, bags
of doubloons and bars of gold with the
faith OF child and at once offered to
fit out schooner for the islands and to
pay my expenses as well as give me
third of the treasure if / would go along
TO repeat the legend as often as desired.
He had prospected for almost every
thing, he said, except pirate treasures,
and he wanted those diamond hilted
swords to put IL his parlor'
did not know at that time the story
about his parlor. Having bought
$1,000 house in the town OF Alameda,
he kept several tons of quartz in one
corner, on top Of which his old pros
pecting tools. burro's saddle aud camp
outfit reposed when not in use / never
heard what his wife thought of this
unique furniture, but there is no doubt
that the diamond hiIted swords would
have rested peacefully on the quartz
pile, and it was with sincere regrets
that acknowledged to him my entire
lack Of faith in the picturesque Spanish
legend OF Coos island
Schiefelin' $ Alaska experiences have
long deserved chronicler He fitted
out an expedition years ago and pros
| pected over vast areas of that region.
His little steamboat ascended the broad
Yukon, and the party wintered in the
[ interior. One man, since dead, Charles
Farciot, remained behind when the
steamer returned TO prospect further.
When he desired 70 return. he built one
I Of the most remarkable little steam en-
/ gines ever seen on the coast 1t was
made from few pieces Of pipe and
some old cans picked up about the de-
serted Schiefelin camp, and his only