Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1899-09-15
HOW THE INDEPENDENCE
NINE WAS DISCOvETED.

Edward -. lI6 verge nsppoA0u y
meet w. s. Stratton at COLORADO
Springs. The two former had beer
prospecting in the Cripple Creel
District during the proceeding win
ter. Stratton was at that time
carpenter and builder BY trade
but he had for many years been II
the habit Of prospecting in the in
tervals OF his regular occupation
be had learned the use OF blow
pipe and was familiar with ele
ments Of mineralogy and geology
he was, 10 fact, an energetic, we'll
informed man, well equipped fol
prospecting work OF any kind. Al
this particular period he was en-
gagged in a search for the minera
cryolite, which, as the chief source
OF aluminium, was then in active
demand. His camp was on the
Little Beaver, on the west side OF
Pixies Peak, toward Cripple Creek.
When he met Frishee and DE La
Vergne, they exhibited the results
OF assays from samples broueh'
down by them from their claims
near the Bennett and Myers ranch,
the cite OF the present town OF
Cripple Creek. The results were
30 encouraging that Stfatton went
40 10 see the district and there
met Bob Womack, who took him
to zee what work bad been dona.
Robert Womack was, without much
design on his part, the discoverer
of Cripple Greek. He once owned
n small ranch in the district, but
it became absorbed among the
larger holdlogs of Bennett and
Myers, the proprietors OF the cat
tie range which. in the years be-
fore the gold WAS found, extended
over the sunny hills lying on the
southward slope OF Pixies Peak.
Womack took Stratton to see
his prospect in Poverty Guich and
accompanied him in his trips to
other claims. Among the pros
pectors was Dick Houghton, an
old mountaineer and specimen
hunter, whose labors have enriched
many museums. One day Hough
ton brought down piece OF ore
from his claim on Gold Hill and
showed it to StrattoD, telling him
that he found some galena. The
future owner OF the Independence
examined it with his msgnifyins
glass and expressed doubts upon
Houghton's determination of the
presence OF galena, Incidentally
Stratton detected several little
cubes OF rusty gold, one of which
had become FURNISHED by being
rubbed in Houghton's pocket.
The two men went to the camp
and blow pipe test proved STRAIT
toms surmise to be correct. Nell
ther of them knew that the bright
mineral which Houghton
took to be galena was sylvanite,
the telluride of gold and silver. 1t
ia not recorded who first recog
nized the tellurides OF Cripple
Creek, but there is story that a
miner built a camp fire place with
some pieces OF rock which con-
tanned the mineral. and that the
heat OF his cooking operations
roasted the ore so as to bring out
the fact that 1t carried gold. Isl
non 9 vero. Q ben trovato"
Stratton went up Gold Hill and
located claim next TO Honghton's
It was named the Gold King and
is now part OF the Gold q Globe
On June 4'h Stratton.
accompanied by Fred Troutman,
walked up the ridge above Battle
and seeing clump OF
willows at the head of Wilson |
Creek. they descended the hill to
reach the spring, the presence Of
which WAS inferred This locality |
is nov covered ny the town OF
Geldhald After getting a drink |
fbey climbed hill to the north |
Ani found feveral Ioose pieces OF
J o. one of which was broken !
ppeu aui found to b. emo,hered