New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-10
WOMEN IN MINING CAMPS
AS LABORERS AND ORGANIZERS THEY
HOLD THEIR OWN.
PATIENCE. ENDURANCE. STRENGTH AND sA-
dACT1'Y ARE FEW OF THE QUAIL
tiles THEY POSSESS


tiles THEY POSSESS
In former times with tho gold hunter. whose path
lay in remote places months. and sometimes years.
would pass without the welcome sight OF a woman's
face; but the day has gone by when the feminine
element In a mining camp IS something unusual.
and at the present time a number OF women are
actively engaged IN searching for the precious
metals. Such is Miss Jennie Hilton, OF
Arizona
Miss Hilton was born in Southern Ohio. and was
taken 70 California when a child Her parents died
when she was sixteen and she began 10 make her
own way in life teacher in the schools OF
her adopted State.
In the mean time she studied geology and miner
alogy and when In the summer Of 1890 she visited
an older brother at Phoenix. Ariz.. she resolved to
turn the knowledge she had gained TO practical
use Before a month had passed she had per-
suaded her brother and an uncle TO join her in
prospecting tour among the mountains of the ella
Valley. She returned from this trip ernpty-handed.
but convinced that woman could hunt for gold
and silver as well as a man Accordingly she
wrote 10 the trustees Of tho school in which she
was employed resirung her place. drew some OF
her savings from a bank in Los Angeles and be-
came a full-Aedged prospector
Miss Hilton spent the winter OF 1921 in Globe. then
n prosperous mining town. and during the spring
and summer prospected in the San Rita Mountains.
finding however little nothing OF value IN the
way OF ore In the winter Of 1892 she opened an
assaying Office in Prescott. The miners liked her
methods, and asked her to stay in the town, but
in the spring word came from her brother that
he had found in the Harqua Hala region the best
looking aurferous rock IN the Territory. She closed
her assay Office and Joined him Before
the summer had ended she had located seven
claims. among others the Kansas Mine. which She
felt from the first would be a success
Her funds running low. and time
and money were required to open the property 50
he hN,
Hilton went to Los Angeles TO secure the needed
capital and after repeated failures induced
locomotive engineer 10 buy hall interest In the
mine FOR 81 900. This the beginning Of her
success With the $1,000 she hired several aborcrs
and opened up tho claim. When weeks Of digging
and blasting had proved It 10 be valuable mine.
she set forth to put II the market. This she
found be the most difficult task OF all Capitalists.
sceptical CT womans ability to know good mining
property. either refused 20 listen TO her or
put her of with promises that never fulfilled
stin repeated refusas only caused her to rcdoube
her efforts. and in April 1896 Higgins Brothers, Of
Salt Lake city. bought Miss Hiltons one half in
terest in the Kansas Mine for $500. With this
money she is developing the other claims owned
by her in Northwestern Arizona. and declares that
she IS IN mining for life.
Miss Hilton Is not the only woman prospector in
the Southwest. Another IS Miss Nellie Cushman.
who some fifteen years ago went from Dodge City.
Kan to Tucson. There she fell into the habit Of
examining tic as fl came from the mines or
that famous camp. and soon became as good Il
Judge Of value her brother who worked In
one OF them Then her fame spread. and the
miners always superst!tious. came 10 believe that
TO have her around and get her opinion brought
good luck She knew where TO dig for ore. too.
and some OF the ore IN the Contention Mine was
found by following her advice in running dr!it
In Graham County. Ariz.. she made a hit on
copper and when she went to Tombstone after
her
there. William Virgins sold the Excelsior and
Grand View mines her advice. and the only
dividend they yielded the $4,000 he rot
from them. Other mines bought after she
had examined and reported favoraby on them.
ihese are nov good paying properties
IN Tucson. Blsbec Tombstone and other camps
MISS CushFnan had conducted general stores and
Oe logging houses for the miners. She was also
III business az Castle Dome. She IS as adventurous
IN pushing forward to new region as any nomadic
miner NO sooner does she hear Of new camp
IMAM she starts for q. She has had much ex-
peTienoe that sic almost Invariably It TO good
account getting town lots placer sites ard lode
Claims FOR next 20 nothing and selling them at a
handsome p-of;. Al frs, she did get out Of the
camps soon enough Consequently, she has been
many times poor. However she has abundance
o PUCK ana II she fails in place she soon re-
covers herself. When going about among the mines
VI e"'h0ihg tho hills for outcrOppngs. Miss Cush-
ihSn wears heavy shoes ard strong boomers usual
- So'e'en VIVA cloak. She the first woman
~ 'ae camp OF HarGGa Ha.a. where there were
WI "i'een hundred men and other women
CREEDE RESTAURANT AND NINE.
~ "'st restaurant opened In Creole Col, was
o"ne' ahd conducted by n She IS a widow.
NO "e' name Is Mrs Reid Miller On April !. 1881.
sc 'edchch Creole. too poor 70 pay tho frelghter
VIZ '"oH heT there In exactly year 10 day
". vas IN receipt OF an income Of 500 month
"no nae snug sum In the bank. She Is now worth
s"."" Several other p,ucky women also made
ioi<unes IN tho early days Of Creole.
ono OF them Is Mira Ella c. Love who born
~ Oho' ana when girl taught school thee Thcn
snc married and moved to Kansas where with her
r nus osio she went through some OF the Kansas
Ieai estate booms They Invested I'm The new
o; aild iound as all but the sharks do on such
sb.. III. me Investment permanent but ,n'Pront-
Iuc .drs Love has considerable money Looked up IN
AAnsas pra'res. Ten years ago she was left with