The San Francisco call., 1897-03-16
STRAIT TON
IN TOWN
The Famous Owner of the
independence Here to
See the Mines.
HE MAY MAKE LARGE
INVESTMENTS.
Is Pleased With Discoveries
Near Yuma and Will
Return There.
HE WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE
MOTHER LODE.
His Story of the Work on His Great
Properties and the Progress
of Cripple Creek
HE WILL ALSO EXAMINE THE
MOTHER LODE.
His Story of the Work on His Great
Properties and the Progress
of Cripple Creek

| w. .. StrattOn, owner and dlScOverer
of the famous Inde pendence mine at
| Cripple Creek, and the largest owner in
the Portland mine in the same camp and
also widely known for It's richness, arrived
| here yesterday and is at the Palace. He
is ACCOMPANIED by AUGUSTUS House of
| Colorado Springs. Mr.. Stratton is by far
| the most conspicuous OF all the bonanza
kings OF the Western States who have
| arisen during the past few years.
| His wealth is va.iously estimated at
| from $20,000,000 to $50, 100000. Only four
| or five years ago he was carpenter in
| Colorado Springs. Times being hard, and
| unable to get work at his trade. he set out
prospecting. He wandered a few miles
| away in the mountains to the west, and
| there struck the ledge of the Independ-
ence, a name cele brated now throughout
the globe. Then arose Cripple Greek. one
of the most fascinating and entirely
unique gold camps of the world.
The man who has accumulated the
wealth of Cresus in so short time yet
bears all the marks of the prospector.
Last night at the palace he wore an old
drab-colored hat with liberal breadth of
brim, and his garb throughout was that of
a plain and unprstentlous man OF the
west.
He is of medium size, has grayish eyes
and mustache almost snow white, while
his hair is iron gray.
81 never was in California before. ex-
ceptlng for few days twoycars ago." said
Mr.. Stratton. II wasn't here long enough
to find out much about the mineral re-
sources. This time l want to stay longer.
1 have come partly TOR business and partly
for pleasure. / have been struck with the
evidences OF mineral richness IN Southern
California. not at Randsburg, for 1 have
not been there. but in the vicinity of Yu-
ma and about seventy-tive miles from
there, whore the recent strike was made.
From what could learn from inquiry of
different persons, l came to the conclu-
sion the country was pretty rich, The
mountains about there look much as
they do in the San Juan country.
lit is my intention to 60 back there,
for l want 10 find out more about it. I
may also visit some of the mines OF the
mother lode in the foothills of the Sierras,
but as to this l can tell better later.
mo, in my judgment that great tunnel
under Pixies Peak will never be built. 1t
is all nonsense talking about it. Why. it
would take twenty years to complete
it, and then the mines of Cripple Creek
would be all played out. And they don't
know whether they would get any min
eral under the peak anyway or not.
They might just as we'll go out and run a
tunnel into these coast mountains any
where.
"The mines of Cripple Creek are show
ing up now better than ever, but the town
itself is slower. There are too many pec-
pie there or have been. 1 suppose that
there are not less than 10000 now scat
tered around in the district. The
town is like most all of the towns west OF
Ohio-overdone. 1t is the same way in
Denver. and the same way on this coast.
Il am only working about seventy-five
men now on the Independence, but
have great many powerful drills and
other machinery which las taken the
place of many men. The work am doing
is largely development. The Portland is
working good force. / am interested in
three very large groups OF mines besides
these. One is the Gold Crater. and in each
group there are some thirty or forty acres
or more. The development on these is
going forward steadily.
"It seems to me from what l see that
California miners do not push things as
much as we do. If we had in Colorado
the big veins and rich ore that I con-
stantly hear about here we would do
great deal more with them. 1t seems so
to me, at least.
~ know your Mr.. Lane here who is
manager of the Utica. He is a big broad
gauge man. met him in Denver during
the last campaign.
''It was in that campaign that I offered
to wager $100, 900. Some people in New
York were putting up $500, 900 against it, or
wired me that they would, and wanted to
place $3OO,0O more. They never came to
the front on either wager. however, and
convinced me by this act that they were
only bluffing."
Mr.. Stratton and his associate will
pro bal bly, be here several days before set
ting out to see the mines.