Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-05
THE LOST KOMSTOCKER.
A Redfsc0vered Mine Recalls the
Story Of q Crazy SWcsle,a Rich Find.

A Redfscovered Mine Recalls the
Story of a Crazy swcde's Rich Find.
From the ST. Louis Globe-Democrat
Mining regions can turn up more pecu-
liar facts and romances and superstitions
than any other localities in the world. for
the reason that all classes and conditions
of men bump elbows with one another in
booming mining camp" said N o. Har-
desty of Denver
Last summer there was a boom in
Whisky Park. mining district near CO.
lumbine, Col, and there was a rush of
miners and prospectors to locate claims
During the excitement a man of the name
OF Martin pushed out several miles ahead
OF Whisky Park. and while prospecting
one day found pile of rocks that attract
ed his attention on account of the peculiar
way in which they had been arranged
Inc rocks bore the appearance of having
been piled together by the hand of man.
Martin began to investigate. and he remov-
ed but few rocks until he found an old
shaft. This old shaft had been abandoned
ana the top covered with this pile of rocks.
IL was evident from other reasons that
some man had covered the shaft as the
rocks bore pick marks. The SHOWS of
many winters had been melting in the
mountains and washing down debris that
had almost filled this shaft to the surface.
Further investigation proved that this old
shaft had been sunk on an extensive lead
and that 1t had been filled and abandoned
after much money had been spent in de-
velopment work. Near by was also found
large pile of mining timbers rotted
down partly to a dust heap, but still show
Ing signs of having been carefully stacked.
1t was estimated that it would take at
least thirty years for a pile of mining tim
bers to rot in this way. Therefore the
conclusion was drawn that this mine had
not been worked for thirty years. Then
the questions arose: What was the name OIL
mlneI Whose hu
was it abandoned? Did this old shaft leao
to great riches?
of course the accidental discovery of the
pile of rocks, the finding of the old shaft
and the pile of mining timbers created
much gossip throughout the district. The
old-time miners, sitting around their camp
fires at night, revived the story of the los,
komstocker, and it is an interesting story
of the pioneer days of Colorado. 1t is g
sad story of a poor. lonely Swede in search
of gold The name of this Swede is not
known. He made his appearance in Raw
Inns. Wyo., soon after the Union Pacific
railroad was completed. Everybody consid-
cred him to be slightly daft and he was the
butt for the jokes of the rough miners and
frontiersmen. He was called the crazy
Swede.' He was a believer in spiritualism
and as he had been an old employee on the
Comstock lode he declared that the spirits
had informed him that he would be the
discoverer of a mine far richer than that
lode. He thoroughly believed that he
would find another Householder as he
expressed it in his Ole Olsen dialect The
Swede had saved several hundred dollars
by hard work and economy and he pur-
chased a pony and a camping outfit and
disappeared in the mountains to the south
While he had never been in that section,
he declared that the spirits had given him
secret information. All he would tell was
that the spirits said he would find a rich
gold mine far to the south Of Rawlins to-
ward the HahnS Peak country in Colo
RADIO, where gold had been newly discoy-
cred. The Swede dropped out of sight and
he was almost forgotten in the rush ana
change of the pioneer towns.
But the following spring, after the
Swede had been absent one year, he came
into Rawlins one day, and his pony was
loaded down with bags of rich ore. He
was extremely secretive, but dropped the
remark that he had found his 'Komstock-
err, as he called it. He sold his ore, bought
new supplies and two more ponies. The
word went around that the crazy Swede'
had struck it rich, and there was much ey-
element among the miners. The Swede
was watched. as the miners and prospect
ors intended to follow him when he left
town; but he was shrewd enough to d.
vine their intentions. and he eluded his
watchers. Nobody could find his trail
The next fall a number Of cowboys In a
roundup near the present location Of
Dixon. Wyo., found the carcasses of a
saddle pony and two pack animals and
also found the saddles They were identi-
fed as the property of the Swede The
he left Rawlins the last time. It is supposed
that he was murdered. Years afterward
the old miners in that section still told the
story Of the lost Householder. Now the
story of the poor Swede is revived since
Martins discovery"