Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-01-02
WON AND LOST
HOW FORMER SENATOR TABOR
ACQUIRED VAST RICHES.
startling Career of Laura ID. Smith,
Who Now Succeeds to His Prop
Crties-BOth Uncarthcd Millions.


z plaintiff is granted"
The entering Of this order in the
records OF the District Courts Of
Arapahoe County II few days ago, says
Denver letter to the New York Her.
aid, was an incident passed unuoticel
by the casual frequenter of this hall
of Justice, but to those who have kept
track of the fortunes and misfortuues
OF the early pioneer it meant the last
and most painful act Of drama
which wiped out OF existence the last
dollar OF the once magnificent fortune
of former Senator Ii. A. w. Tabor
and the first appearance i'll business
circles of q woman whose wealth twas
made by lucky turn of fortune.
The petition of Mrs. Smith was one
praying for an order from the court
giving her possession of the Tabor
block, u seven.story brown stone
structure covering block OF ground
on the corner of Sixteenth and Llri.
mer streets, and the Tabor Grand
Opera House, the handsomest theatre
in the West, under foreclosure ag.
gregating $S00,00O.
On the day this property passed
from his hands Mr.. Tabor was allowed
to remove from the box Office OF the
play house one large iron safe AMI
beautiful lile-size oil painting Of
Richilicu and Julie. representing them
in the scene where the great Chancel.
lor of France defes the Kings brother,
which was presented him by the citi-
zens OF Denver on the opening Of the
house by Emma Abbott, September
5, 1881. These two articles are all
that lie retained out of property
md cash which fifteen years ago
amounted to more than $6, 1000, 900.
When young man of twenty-five
years Tabor was lighting grasshoppers
nnd starvation on small claim IN
Eastern Kansas Becoming disgusted
with that kind of life and learning
from returning trappers OF the rich
gold discoveries made along Cherry
Greek in 1858, he packed his wife and
few belongings into prairie schooner
and in 1861 started for the new El
Dorado. For many years he followed,
with Indifferent success, the tickle god.
lless through tho exciting days of
Golden, Central City, Black Hawk,
breckenridge and Buckskin Joe. In
1877 he sold his last yoke of oxen,
and with the proceeds opened little
store on the site where Leadville now
stands.
In April of 1878 August Richie and
George +. Hook, two shoemakers, who
had been prospecting for long time
with poor results, applied to Tabor
for "grub stake" agreeing to d.
vide, share and share alike, in any
thing they might find. Tabor sup
piled them with the necessary arti-
clcs and the cobblers went directly to
the top of Fryer Hill and began dig.
ging. Everyone laughed at them for
wasting their time and stake in SO un.
promising place. They persisted in
their work, having to make frequent
acquisitions upon the store for sup.
plies, which were always granted.
About May l, after reaching depth
Of twenty.six feet, they encountered
vein of rich carbonate ore, and in that
hour the famous Little Pittsburg Mine
became reality. The first wagon
load OF ore taken sold for $215, and
tho yield during the last half OF the
following July was at the rate of
$4,000 week.
When the ore body had been thor
oughly developed its richness was
revelation to every one. In Septem-
Der Tabor aud Richie bought Hooks
interest for $08,OO0. The mine paid
$1,000 month in dividen Is for
many months, and then Tabor sold his
half interest to Senator J. B. Chaffee
and d. H. Moffat for $1,OOo,OO He
Immediately entered into partnership
with Marshall Field, OF Chicago, and
bought up the Chrysolite and adjoin.
ing claims. The first five dividends
paid out of this property amounted
to 81, 900, 900, and Its production dur.
ing the eleven months prior to April
|, 1880, at which time he sold his in
terest for 81 800, 900, was $3,100, 900.
In the meantime Tabor had become
interested in the famous Robert e.
Lee mine, which has produced more
rich ore than any mine on tho cont.
nent outside of the Comstock of Ne.
vada. The average daily output Vi
the Lee during it's best days was $l5,-
900 or the startling total OF $5,475,.
900 year. On the 18th day of Janu.
ary, 1880, this mine gave its owners
in the twenty.four hours $126,000, n
O sum never equalled by any mine in
the world. Much of this ore ran as
high as 1000 ounces in silver to the
ton, aud as the white metal was then
worth in the neighborhood of $l.25
nm ounce, the enormous profits can
readily be imagined.
Besides these fortunes, which came
in rapid succession, Tabor made from
100000 to $4,000, 900 out of the
Morning Star, Matchless and other
Leadville mines, and at one time it
was said his daily income was greater
than that OF any other man between
New York City ana Nevada.
In 1880 the city of Denver was q
prosperous town of 80, 900 inhabitants.
T9bor's. confidence in her future in.
duced him to come here in that year
and begin the erection OF La Veta
place, terrace, "out on the prairie,"
as the town folks declared, which cost
him in the neighborhood of 81, ,000.-
900, and at that time was the hand
soonest residence west of Chicago.
This he Immediately followed by the
Tabor block and the Tabor Grand
Opera House, at cost of nearly
s2, 100000.
Fortune came quickly, so did his
financial troubles, and five years ago
he was compelled to seek assistance
from New York insurance company,
1t advanced him 100000. The panic
Of 1893 increased his distress, and
second mortgage for 1915, 900 in favor
of Mrs. Smith was placed on his prop
erty, and in the end she came into
possession by settling the first and
forclosing her own.