New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
A GOLD MINE WIZARD.
ROTHERMEL's REMARKABLE SUCCESS IN
FINDING PAY DIRT"

build branch lines into the Ragged Top District
They knew that rich ore had Deen iouliu ,;tric,
but they could not be certain that the uloii
promised to afford traffic enough 10 warian' Wv.
expense of construction OF STUB iihes IN. ~ dis
Derts had made thorough Inspection VI .re noa
! trict. SO the two great railway coiPnnJ
whose lines penetra ed the hills pooled ISSUES a0
employed DR.. A. w S. Rothermei, a inhins It
| gineer who possessed most wonderful lacu.y
for locating ore deposits with unerrlng accusa
| The doctor made thorough Inspection Oh t,le
! district, and upon his report the rairoaus u'
| termned to build their tracks. 49,,
Dr.. ROthermel Is veritable WlZaru VI tn
mines. He is known to the miners OF Coi0 o,,
quite as well he is to the men or the blacn
| Hills His almost supernatural gifts have won
for him fame and fortune. and he is In great T ne
mand in mining circles all over the west. ~
day he is here, engaged in most lhPoi 'ane
work and promises another sensation before ne
leaves again to enter upon the performance Oh d
large contract on a claim in the far-famed Camp
| Mckinney, in British Columbia
His most notable work in this region was on
the Holy Terror property The owners OF this
mine which had produced large quantities or
valuable ore, were in despair by reason OK the
| fact that the vein which ran along the edge OK
| the chain struck off into the adjoining caim'
and, of course. could not he followed by the own
| ers Of the Holy Terror They heard of the doc
tors marvellous powers and sought to engage
his services in an effort to find ledge on their
claim which might be tapped by crosscut from
| one of their levels
several samples Of from the mine and made
a casual survey of the surface of the claim
Then he locked himself up and began TO WORK.
In ten days time he was ready TO make re-
port yet he had not entered the shafts or the
mine but made his deductions solely from
study of the rock and ore samples taken from rom
the various levels He told the owners just
where they would find another vein OF gold, gave
them instructions how to proceed at the ieast
cost to get it, and also outlined the drift OF the
deposit, showing its extent and depth.
| The owners not without some msgivings, pro-
| ceeded with the digging of the tunnel according
to instructions, and IN the exact spot measured
| ba cta
into a vein of fabulous richness, placing the
| Holy Terror again in the forefront Of great pro-
ducers of gold ere. Dr. Rothermel was given an
interest in the mine as reward for his labors
| 1t IS little wonder that this remarkable per"
Torrance caused no end of talk. The doctor be-
came the idol of the miners heart There was
one man. however, disposed to rob the doctor OK
any credit which flight attach to his work IN
| the Holy Terror. This was Ed Blackwell. Ed
took it upon himself to go about Deadwood ana
berate the doctor, saying that anybody might
have done the same thing that the finding OK
the new vein but the happy elimination Of
an intelligent guess. Rothermers friends told
him what Blackwell had said, and grew impa-
tient with the doctor when he did not express
some resentment
LET him say what he pleases I'll fix him later
on" responded Rothermel.
The following week small party OF prospect
ors went up the gulch to look after their claims.
Blackwell was a member OF the party, which
was later Joined by Rothermel. tent was
pitched and unch.set out. While they were eat
ing the doctor spoke to Ed
You have claim here Ed?'
Yes"
when finish eating I'll go out and find a
ledge for you.
Ed was the first to leave the table. and the
doctor soon followed. They walked possibly a
hundred feet
This is my claim" said Ed.
"All right-go and get pick and shovel"
With some hesitancy Ed complied In his alb
sence the doctor took a hurried survey of the
contour and surroundings generally He pulled
a red ribbon from his pocket and tied it to
bush Then he walked further down the slope.
When Ed came back he was told to go to the
| bush and dig three feet when he would en-
counter the ledge and find pay dirt there.
The day was hot and Ed had his doubts. His
countenance denoted the msgivngs he certainly
felt The doctor urged him on and he began to
dig in = half-hearted way. But he managed to
go down two feet. and the shovel brought up in
dications which strengthened his faith percept-
IDLY. Down he went AT three feet he encoun-
to make a showing He was nonplussed, yet
overjoyed with his find.
Now" said the doctor walk down to that
stump dig it out and go down twenty-one
inches There you will find another ledge which
crosses the first one" Ed did so, with success
full results. BY this time he was wild with ex-
citement. Rothermel turned upon him and saw
agey said:
Ed. you have been talking good deal about
ne Now you go back to town and tell every
man you meet what have done before your
own eyes. If you don't do it I'll cram every
tooth down your lying throat!'
Ed lost time in setting the doctor right
again. spending most Of the night in recting the
interesting exploits of the day, and as the new
day daWned they took him home in hack
| ROthermel's methods of work known only
to himself. He has n system of recording his de-
auctions paper, and the studies resemble
huge spider webs wrought in vari-coored lines.
He says every kind of rock has its affinity, and
the presence Of one attests the nearness Of 9TH
ers On some stones he sees the photography Of
their native surroundings. but the lessons thus
taught he alone can read.
| There Is necromancy in his art. for he
/ reaches all his deductions along scientific lines.