The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-16

Mineral Wealth as a Result OF
This Mans Visit to Kansas-The
oldest Pioneer Talks of the Man
Who Has Dropped Out OF
Sight.
GALENA. Kan, July 13.-Wanted, at
Galena, Kan, an old man. college pro-
fessor, name unknown, home unknown,
missing twenty-five years, discoverer of
the richest zinc and lead mines in the
world, heir to vast fortune. This is
the strange want adj of certain wealthy
pioneer mine owners of the Missouri
Kansas lead and zinc mining district; 1t
is, in brief, the story of man, strang-
er, who twenty-five years ago came into
Southeastern Kansas, and through pro-
found knowledge of geology and mineral
ogy OWNED natures hieroglyphics in
rock and soil, "staked off, the most fer
tile lead and zinc field yet discovered.
designated the exact spots where lay hid
den vast vaults of mineral wealth, re-
vealed his secrets to one man-and then
departed.
During the years that have passed since
that stranger" stood where the little
city of Galena, Kan, has since been built,
over sSOOOO,GOO worth of lead and zinc ore
has been added to the worlds mineral
wealth as a result of his visit to Kan
sas. He paved the way whereby many
men have become rich. He caused an I'M
inhabited country to become the home of
thousands of prosperous people, but their
prosperity he never shared-he "d1sap-
peared and left no sign"
The story of this stranger is both al
Turing and pathetic, and yet it is so faith
full to facts that the Historical Society of
Kansas has filed 1t among the important
records of the state.
Col. w. B. Stone, who is the Oldest pio-
neer of GaIena, 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
srets.
Col. Stone relates the following strange
story of the discovery of the Kansas lead
and zinc fields-helds that during 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 I worked at Kan
sas City. During this trip our little party
eamped for several days on the very
ground where Galena has since been built
There was then not a single house for
f1<r, frnF
our camp Joplin, Mo, seven miles to
the east, was the nearest town. 1t was
then a thriving little lead camp. but as
ket no zinc had been mined there,
zone day two outlaws were discovered
II Joplin, and the citizens OF the place
Immediately 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 1t a short dis
lance they made a discovery OF surface
lead ore. Reports Of /&flis discovery soon
became noised about Joplin and people
locked to the new find in hundreds, Our
camp was within sight of the main con-
Gregating place OF the men as they daily
came over from the Missouri camp to
prospect.
''The excitement constantly increased.
less, assembled each day on the slope be-
low our camp. I myself became imbued
with the spirit of things, and while the
nnarshals were away in pursuit OF the
cattle thieves I would often Join the
throng of fortune hunters. 1t was during
my second trip down the slope that ]
first saw the man who has figured so
much in my destiny as well as in the
sdestinies of hundreds and thousands OF
Others interested in the Kansas lead and
zinc fields.
%, Our meeting happened in this way; !
was sauntering along among the miners
giving little heed to anything in partic-
eular, and noting things only In general.
Having just come from g. city, my clothes
were very different from those Of the
men about me. In fact, 1 was the best
dressed man in all the crowd. Then, too,
I was not tanned and calloused by out
door exposure, and my appearance was
quite different from that Of the miners.
AS result of this difference ! was no.
ticed perhaps more than any other man
In the crowd.
MEETS A STRANGE CHARACTER.
''Wen, among the men I saw one
strange, sad face, Drowned by the sun,
and yet intellectual in every linement-
q face full of kindness and wonderfully
sad 1t was the most attractive face that
even the most unintellectual man in that
throng of people must instinctively have
said. at first sight of 1t, here is a won
derful caracter.
at could scarcely look away from the
man-that face. He, too, seemed to look
much at me, although doubtless from
widely different reasons from those at
tracing me toward him. His hands were
hardened and his clothes were such as
the miners wore. His hair was dark and
yet strealIed with gray. 1 believed him to
have been a man who had seen at least
fifty years Of life and just as much OF
sorrow.
I'VE did not speak-we simply looked
at each other.
ION the day following I was again
mingling with the men-not now as q
general observer with little interest In
anything-I was looking for a face. After
weaving in and out among the men for
more than an hour. I suddenly came face
to face with the stranger again. didn't
know why looked for him; I don't know
why he spoke to me when we met, but
I do know that our meeting brought
about the discovery of the richest zinc
mines In the world. It caused to be writ.
ten one of the most interesting and i'm.
portant chapters IN the history of the
great West.
I'VE sat down together, as If by com.
mon consent, although neither Oh us mac
said as yet more than good morning.
For moment neither spoke. Then he In
Quired If was a detective. I replied thai
I was not, but that I was simply passing
through the country on my way to Indiar
Territory. I asked him his name, but ht
pretended not to hear me. I asked hin
where he lived and he looked away and
began talking Of the prospects of finding
ore where the men were working. I wa:
more than ever interested to know some
thing of the stranger with whom I hat
met. and I made repeated attempts t