Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1899-05-27
husband made up his mind that it was

gulch, where there we're rumor of
good strikes, and business was resumed
at the new place.
SThis new place was subsequently
Leadville, by Tabor's naming. 1t is
said that the name was given in this
way: Several of the old-timers were
talking of a name for the place when
| it had become certain that there was
to be a permanent settlement there,
and several suggestions were made,
kOne hopeful spirit suggested Goldtown.
"after the metal that's common around
here" 1t so happened that the night
before there had been general shoot
i ing at the saloon and bullets had flown
in all directions, with fatal results to
three of the men concerned. Having
this in mind, Tabor spoke up:
"If you're going to call the place
after the metal that's plenty, what's
the matter with Leadville ?" he said.
And Leadville it became.
Soon he began to grub-stake needy
prospectors, who with the outfits fur
nished by him would 60 back into the
hills and hunt for precious metal,
which they usually didn't find. Ia
boris friends said it was bad business
and predicted his ultimate ruin; but
he kept adding to his business, and
despite the items charged to profit and
loss on account of his grub-stake bus
iness, he prospered. 1t was generally
supposed that his aid to the prospec-
tors was not regarded by him as an
investment, but as charity which he
could afford to dispense where it was
most needed !; and it is certain that he
saved many men from want and hun
ger in this way. Everybody knew
that these items of profit and loss
were all loss, and as usual everybody
knew the thing which was not.
For one day in 1878 there came to the
storekeeper an Irish prospector and
German tailor, badly smitten with the
gold fever and without means, whom
Tabor started on their search with q
good outfit. They went up on the hill
and dug until they were exceed
ingly weary of digging and attaining
to no gold-only a species of curious
looking gravel, heavy in shade and not
pretty to look at. When they became
finally convinced that no gold was in
reach at that point they abandoned
the claim and went away, the Irish
man taking with him a bag of the
gravel, saying that as he had dug so
much of it, he would just find out
what it was that made it 80 eternally
heavy to hoist. The assayer to whom
he took it told him it was silver, al
most pure. The Irishman and the
German survived the shock, went back
to the claim, and sold out for 100000
apiece. This was the Little Pittsburg
mine. One-third of it belonged to
Tabor as his stake for the grub. He
was regarded as an irresponsible idiot
when be refused $780, 900 for his share.
There was plenty of time, however,
for those who so regarded him to
change their minds during the days
when the claim achieved the neat little
output of $4,000 day. Tabor finally
sold his part of it for 81 100000, and
said that as he'd done tolerably well
on his profit and loss account he'd just
keep on in the mining business tor a
while.
This was a source of unselfsh sor-
row to his friends, who knew that an
innocent sort of chap like Tabor would
get swindled right and left if he tried
to increase his capital in gold instead
of soaking it away. The first person
who thought Tabor would be good
subject for a confidence game was
"Chicken Bill" Lowell, exmail carrier
for the district. "Chicken Bill" had a
claim on Fryer Hill not far from the
spot where the two prospectors located
the Little Pittshurg, and he had work
ed it for six weeks without taking any
thing out in exchange for his labor ex-
cept tons of Improbable soil. One
day he helped himself to some pay
dirt from another and luckier mans
claim and dropped it in the mud vein
he was working. Then he sent for
Tabor, showed him the the dust and
offered to sell out for $3.50. Unhesi-
tatingly, the innocent Tabor paid the
the price. "Chicken Bill" went down
to town and bought drinks for him
self for a week. At the end of that
time he was looking for some one to
blow him off to a carbolic acid cock
t. j., for Tabor had dug FIVE feet deeper
than he had gone and had struck gold
that had not been transplanted. Be-
fore the vein was worked out it
brought in a million dollars. That
was the way the Chrysolite Mine was
discovered.
People said this was bullhead luck,
and Tabor was a good fellow, but
didn't know enough to 60 in when it
rained. After he had organized few
stock companies and come out far
ahead on all of them public opinion
had another opportunity for second
guess.
Among those who thought that Ia
bor was "easy" were Foley and Will
gus, owners of the Matchless claim,
which showed some color, but not
enough to convince them that it was