The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-09
TAINTED: a Mall
fortune Ubitb Is Waitins
q MISSING expert.

Herald, sends the following interesting
story in the Eagle from Galena, Kansas:
Wanted, at Galena, Kansas, an old man,
a college professor, name unknown, home
unknown, missing twenty-five years, dis
coverer Of the richest zinc and lead mines
In the world. heir to a vast fortune TINS
Is the strange want ad" OF certain
wealthy pioneer mine owners OF the Mis-
eouri-Kansas lead and zinc mining dis
trict; it is, in brief. the story of man,
stranger, who, twenty-five years ago
came INTO southeastern Kansas, and
through a profound knowledge Of geology
and mineralogy OWNED natures hier-
oglyphics in rock and soil, ''staked off,
the most fertile lead and zinc field yet
discovered. designated the exact spots
where lay hidden vast vaults Of mineral
wealth. revealed his secrets to one man
and then departed.
During the years thai have passed sincS
that stranger stood where the little city
OF Galena, Kansas. has since been built,
over $3O.0O0,OO0 worth Of lead and zinc
ore has been added to the worlds min
eral wealth as a result Of his visit 10
Kansas. He paved the way whereby
many men have become rich. He caused
an uninhabTed country to become the
homes Of thousands OF prosperous peo-
pie. but their prosperity he never shared
he disappeared and left no sign"
The story Of this stranger Is both al
Turing and pathetic. and yet Il Is so faith
ful 10 facts that the Historical Society OF
Kansas has filed IL among the important
records Of the state.
Colonel W. B. Store. who Is the oldest
pioneer Of Galena. and who Is one Of the
widest known and most successful lead
and zinc mine operators in the United
States. is the man to whom the 'discov-
erer Of Galena" told his geological Sc
crets.
Colonel Stone relates the following
strange story Of the discovery OF the Kan
sas lead and zinc flelds-ields that dur
ing the last six months have become the
Mecca Of zinc miners IN every part Of the
world:
''In April. 1877, I in company with sew
eral marshals and deputy marshals came
from ST. Louis to southeastern Kansas in
pursuit OF cattle thieves who had for some
time been stealing cattle belonging to the
man for whom ! worked at Kansas City.
During this trip our little party camped
for several days on the very ground where
Galena has since been built. There was
then not a single house for more than a
mile in any direction from our camn
Joplin, Mo. several miles to the east
was the nearest town. II was then Il
thriving little lead camp. but as yet no
zinc had been mined there.
One day two outlaws were discovered at
mediately gave them an urgent invita-
ton to quit the camp This invitation
was accepted without ceremony. the out
laws turning their faces toward the west.
They passed directly over the present site
of Galena. and beyond Il a short distance
they made a discovery Of surface lead
ore. Reports of this discovery soon be-
came noised about Joplin, and people
focked to the new find In hundreds. Our
camp was within site OF the main con-
grega ting place OF the men as they daily
came over from the Missouri! camp to
prospect.
The excitement constantly increased,
until a thousand men. more rather than
less. assembled each day on the slope be
low our camp. I myself became imbued
with the spirit Of things. and while the
marshals were away in pursuit Of the cat
tle thieves I would often Join the throng
Of fortune hunters. II was during my
second trip to the slope that I first saw
the man who has figured 50 much In my
destiny as we'll as in the destinies of hun
dreds and thousands Of others interested
in the Kansas lead and zinc fields.
"Our meeting happened in this way: I
ara no mis-
giving little heed to anything in particu-
lar. and noting things only in general
way. Having just come from city. my
clothes were very different from those ot
the men about me. In fact. / was the
hest dressed man N all the crowd. Then,
too I was not tanned and calloused by
outdoor exposure. and my appearance was
quite different from that Of the miners.
As a result of this difference I was no.
ticed perhaps more than any other man
In the crowd.
well. among the men I saw one
strange. sad face. Drowned by the sun,
and vet intellectual in every lineamcnt-a
face full Of kindness and wonderfully sad.
II was the most attractive face that I
have ever seen. and l dare say that even
the most unintellec.ual man in all that
throng Of people must instinctively have
said at first sight of it, here is a Won
derful character
Il could scarcely look away from the
mar-that face. lie. too, seemed to look
much at me. although doubtless from
widely different reasons from those at
tracing me toward him. HIS hands We're
hardened and his clothes were such as
the miners wore His hair kas dark and
vet streaked with gray. ! believe him tc
have been a man who had seen at least
fifty years Of life and just as much OF
sorrow.
eve did not speak-we simply looked al
each other.
ION the day following I was again
mingling with the men-not now as a gen
eral observer with little interest in any
thing-I was looking for 4 face. After
weaving in and out among the men fol
more than an hour. I suddenly came fac,
- face with the stranger again. l dom
know why looked for him; don't know
why he spoke TO me when we met, but
DO know that our meeting brought sbou
the discovery cf the richest zinc mines II
the world. l. caused TO be written ou'
Of the most interesting and importan
chapters III the history OF the great west
I'VE sat down together. as il by com
mon consent. although neither OF Us IA,
said as yet more than good morning.
For moment neither spoke. Then n
inquired il l was a detective. ! rep'ie,
that I was not that I was simpl,
passing through the country on my va,
TO the Indian Territory. asked him hi
name. but he pretended TO; 10 hear me
/ asked him where he lived. AMI he locke,