Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1897-09-17

hEuo bboEhoo vi - Nhobt AypIOhA WebyoEh
Prospeotor-How the schisnslin Broth
ers and Dick Gird Struck II Rich In
Tombstone GuIoh.
The Pacific coast newspapers have
been full of stories about Edward
5ohieffelin, one Of the disooverers Of
The Tombstone mines. who was found
lead in u cabin In eastern Oregon. His
temains. 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 prospeotor. 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. 4"
1t seems to be generally felt through
out the Pacific coast that this plain,
ignorant. kind hearted old pioneer and
prospector, who had travelled many
thousands of miles In search of new
mines, has thus unoonsoiously made his
mark upon our romance and history.
That lonely granite oairn In the desert,
rising upon the extreme point Of a tree
less promontory, will long be pointed
,ut as the grave of one Of the most ia
nous Of American prospeotors.
Ed Schieffelin's one great strike
Yielded him fully third Of 81, 200, 900.
At various times In his adventurous
rareer he plodded painstakingly over
the Widest portions of the Rocky noun
tains and Sierras, he visited Alaska,
Mexico, South America and South
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.
The story OF the finding Of Tomb
stone. that briefly famous Arizonian
mining city, has been told In many
different ways, until 1t is fast beoom-
ing one Of the most attractive Of Pacific
coast myths. The simple facts are that
late in the seventies the two Schietfelin
brothers and Dick Grid were prospect
ing, sometimes together, sometimes
separately, In various districts Of Ari-
iona and New Mexico. It was a time
of terrible Indian outbreaks, and the
Apaches were on the warpath, killing
lonely miners and prospeotors, attack
ing tho stage coaches and running Off
cattle. Ed Sohieifelin finally wandered
into the neighborhood of disputed
claim, the Bronco, where eight men
had been shot in various attempts to de-
eide its ownership. and was hired at ~
day to sit on hilltop and look out
for Indians. One day, while hunting
up stray horse, the hitherto unsuocess-
full prospeotor stumbled into what was
afterward called Tombstone Gulch and
found some copper stained rock on what
became the Tough Nut mine. This he
sent to Grid for an assay, and soon after
sent ore from the Lucky Cuss When
development was begun, q thin vein In
| granite widened, and promised immense
| riches. The claims were sold for very
large sums, and when the Apaohes were
driven out capitalists poured money in
to the district But the mines did not
Justify expectations. Tombstone was
very far from being u second Comstock.
The unluoky Bronoho never paid a dol
lar. The Schieffelin and Grid claims
yielded for time but soon ran out.
and the camp sank into decay.
The first time met Schieffelin, that
most typical Of western prospeotors.
was about six years ago. After hearing
some of his picturesque prospeotor
yarns / told him about tho various
treasure expeditions to Coos island and
the legends which had caused these OK
elements. He seized upon the glitter
ing talo OF diamond hilted swords, bags
OF doubloons and bars Of gold with tho
faith Of child and at once offered to
iii out schooner for the islands and to
pay my expenses AZ well Nv give mo a
third Of the treasure IL would go along
| 70 repeat the Legend AZ often AZ desired.
| lie had prospected for almost every
thing, he said except pirate treasures,
aud no wanted those diamond hilted
swords to put in his parlor.
did not know at that time the story
about his parlor. Having bought q
| 81, 900 house In the town Of Alameda,
he kept several tons of quartz In one
corner, on top Of which his old pros
peoting tools, burro's saddle aud camp
outfit reposed when not in use. never
heard what his wife thought Of this
unique furniture, but there IL no doubt
that the diamond hilted swords would
have rested peacefully on the quartz
pile, and 1t was with sincere regrets
that acknowledged to him my entire
lack Of faith In the picturesque Spanish
legend Of Coos island.
Schieffelins Alaska experiences have
long deserved chronicler. He fitted
out an expedition years ago and pros
pected over vast areas of that region.
His little steamboat assembled the broad
Yukon, and the party wintered In the
interior. One man, since dead. Charles
Farciot, remained behind when the
steamer returned to prospect further.
When he desired to return, he built one
Of the most remarkable little steam en-
gines ever seen on tho coast 1t was
made from few pieces Of pipe and
some old cans picked up about the de-
serted SchiefYelin camp, and his only
tools were file and pocket knife,
with stone for hammer. lie put this
rude little engine in the stern Of small
rowboat left behind for his use and
steamed 1000 miles without an acct
dent. The outfit was afterward on e1hi-
bition in San Francisco and excited the
astonishment and indeed the profound
admiration Of the best machinists. who
agreed in saying that Farciot's meohan-
ical genius was of a very high order. -
New York Post.
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