New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-07-25
INCIDENTS OF THE MINES.
ODD "REMINISCENCES OF VETERANS OF
THE GOLD FIELDS.


OF PIXIES PEAK COUPLE MINES 10
GATED DY THE MEREsT CHANCE
AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH
AFRICAN SToRIlS.
II is believed by some that tn IRE VIII be
great deal OF Sailing" process when was ex-
planned by an old miner who had a bitter ex-
perience in that line. He said: sailing mines
used to be a favorite occupation on the part OF
the natives of Montana. and many n 'tenderioot
could tell all about it, If it wasn't for the Iact
that the laugh would be on him. nugget ot
good size would be so arranged In the fochs
that IL would attract the attention Of the pros
pector who would find it. show IT, nave II
assavod and would of course find it valuable.
and if he failed to bite after this first balt hao
been thrown out a little more salt in the way
of nuggets would be dexterousy placed In ms
way After q second dose the patient usually
succumbed. good price was pald ior 'ie
mine which wac found worthless and the de-
frauded tenderfoot took pains to get even with
thu next gullible gold hunter by the salt method"
When gold was discovered first at the foot or
Pixies Peak the excitement over the find was
| greater by far than that which exists in the
/ Northwest now over the Alaskan gold discovery
One OF the pioneers Of that time said that great
trains Of prairie schoonefs could be seen moving
along the country for months toward the newly
! discovered Eldocado. most Of them inscribed with
! the favorite legend, pixies Peak or Bust The
prospectors in this case went to beautitul couh-
try. and the great territory at the foot of the
snow-covered mountain was inviting because of
its natural beauties even after the search for
gold along the lines of the Manitou Creek had
been abandoned. and hundreds of men who had
come from the thckly populated parts OF the
country remained there and retrieved their losses
| by agricultural pursuits. hunting and trading
! One of the men who went out early at that time
! and worked in the San Juan district told the
following story to illustrate the perseverance OF
some of the men who made up the early popu-
| laton:
David Swickhemer and his wife ran store,
| saloon and boarding house near Rico, Col. They
worked a claim and put into labor every dollar
that they made in their store and boarding
house. But they never received any returns and
| their friends marveed at their stupidity in put
| ting money continually into what appeared
useless enterprise. They dead broke
finally, with not enough money to buy the neces-
stiles of life when d forgotten ticket in a South
ern lottery won 5000 for them. With this
! they paid their debts and began once more the
search for gold. But the money lasted only
short time. and one day. when David was max
! ing a purchase at the store. where his account
| had gone beyond the limit set by the store
keeper the stte1 said to him. That's the last
box Of powder ytDu have on trust l can't
see any use in giving you cre@t. because thereh
be no way to pay The next day. and with
the use of that last box of powder Swlckhelmer
struck one of the richest veins Of silver ever
found in Colorado. He took from the mine him.
self about 100000. and then sold it for 81 4Ooooo
| to Posey & Crawford who were then the owners
of the Yankee Girl mine receiving 81 100000 in
cash when the sale was consummated But IL
seems the money brought him no luck. He ana
! his wife had worked together industriously
through the hard times. each encouraging the
other and when Fortune smiled on them. when
what they had sought for years was within
their grasp they celebrated the event by being
divorced, after dividing the proceeds of the sale
He invested his money in Galveston ana lost
every cent of it, she placed her money with
! Senator Tabor and probably has little to show
for it,
Some of the large mines which have become
famous because Of their tremendous yields were
located by accident; thus. the stumbling OF his
mule caused the prospector Creole to find silver
which yielded him fortune and 70 build
| town which bears his name. The Little Pitts.
| burg" NINE which the source of great rev,
! nue. to Senator Tabor was also the result Of
! accident of a different kind According to the
| story which is told by men who knew him in
those days. Tabor kept little store then at
| Leadvilie. He had been doing some prospecting
on his account with 10 success, and one
day. turning to friend ne complained. saying
that lac didn't know where next to try. The