Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-08-25
A FAMOUS OLD MINER.
EDWARD scHiEFFELlN ONE OF TOMB
STONES plscovERERS.

True Stories of Most Typical Western
Prospector-How the sehiefroiln Broth
ers and Dick Gird Struck It Rich In
Tombstone Guloh.
The Pncific coast newspapers have
been full Of stories about Edward
Schieffelin, one of the discoveries Of
the Tombstone mines, who was found
dead in cabin in eastern Oregon. His
remains, according TO his wish, now
rest upon the top of granite peak two
miles west of Tombstone, a. T. He de-
sired, he said, "to be buried in the garb
of prospector, my old pick and can
teen with me, and monument such as
prospectors build when locating min
ing claim built over my grave and no
other monument or slab erected
1t seems to be generally felt through
out tho Pacific coast that this plain,
ignorant, kind hearted old pioneer and
prospoctor, who had travelled many
thousands of miles in search of new
mines, has thus uncOnBciously 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 grave of ono of the most IA
nous Of American prospectors.
Ed Schieffelin's one great strike
yielded him fully third of 81 600, 600
At various times in his adventurous
career no 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
mine. When he died, his fortune, at
one time said to be over $500, 900, had
greatly decreased by reason of bad in
vestments and costly expeditions.
Tho 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-
lug one of the most attractive of Pacific
coast myths. Tho simple facts are that
late in the seventies the two Schieffelin
| brothers aud Dick Grid were prospect
ing, sometimes together, sometimes
separately, in various districts Of Ari-
l
of terrible Indian outbreaks, and the
Apachps were on tho warpath, killing
lonely miners and prospectors, attack
ing tho stage coaches and running off
cattle. Ed Schieffelin finally wandered
| into the noighborhood of disputed
| claim, the Bronco, where eight men
had been shot in various attempts to de-
| eide it's ownership, aud was hired ut Sa
day to sit ON hilltop and look out
for Indians. One day, while hunting
up a stray horse, the hitherto unsuccess
full prospector stumbled into what wa
afterwnrd called Tombstone Gulch hnC
found some copper stained rock on wha
became the Tough Nut mine. This HI
sent to Gird for an assay, and soon nfte
sent ore from thu Lucky Cuss. Whei
development was begun, u thin vein ii
granite widened, and promised immens
riches. The claims were sold for yer.
large sums, and'when the Apaches wer
driven out capitalists poured money in
to the district But tho mines did no
justify expectations. Tombstone wa
very far from being n second Comstock
The unluoky Broncho never paid dol
lar The Schieffein and Grid claim
yielded for time but soon ran out
and the camp sank into decay.
Tho first time met Schieffelin, tina
most typical Of western prospectors
was about six years ago. After hearing
some of his picturesque prospecto
yarns told him about the variou
treasure expeditions to Coos island an
the legends which had caused these e.
elements. He seized upon the glitter
ing tale of diamond hilted swords, has
Of doubloous and bars OF gold with ii
faith of child and ut once offered
fit out schooner for the islands and
. pay my expenses us well as give me
third of the treasure II would go alon
,, TO repeat the legend as often as desired
He had prospected for almost ever!
I thing, he said, except pirate treasure
and he wanted those diamond hilte
: swords to put in his parlor.
Z did not know at that time the stoi
: about his parlor. Having bought
y 81, 900 house in the town Of Alarmed
o no kept several tons Of quartz in OIL
1 corner, on top Of which his old pro
Il pooting tools, hurro's saddle aud can
n outfit reposed when not i'll use. new
II heard what his wife Thought Of th
n unique furniture, but there is no dou
n that the diamond hilted swords won
.s have rested peacefully on the quar-
IL pile, and 1t was with sincere regre
t. that acknowledged to him my emit
IF lack of faith in tho picturesque Spani
~ legend Of Coos island.
= Schiedelin's Alaska experiences hn'
d long deserved ohroncler. lie fit
le out an expedition years ago and PFC
~ pocted over vast areas Of that regio
= His little steamboat assembled the broi
h Yukon, and the party wiutered in Il
~ interior. One man, since dead Charl
~ F0rciot, remained behind when Il
is steamer returned to prospect turtle
BE- When no desired 10 return, ho built O
~, Of the most remarkable little steam @
a., gines ever seen ON the coast. 1t W
N made from u few pieces Of pipe al
N, some old cans picked up about the d
y, serted Schieifelin camp, and his on
" tools were tile nud pocket knit
ne with "a stone for hammer. He put II
m rude little engine in the stern OF sml
a. rowboat left behind for his use n
steamed 1000 miles without an ac
" dent. The outfit was afterward on exi
lttfa,, c.. .,,,.l ...-,,..l 4.