The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-18
He WAS A CHARACTER
"Oney" Thornton Was Uniquely
q Butte Man.
HAD FAITH IN THE CITY
How He Jumped a Claim When Other
Men Re used-But the Mine Did
Not Yield Its Promised
Millions.

"Oney" Thornton, who was killed
Saturday by an explosion of giant pow
der, was one of the city's unique char
acters. He was distinctively a Butte
man; this city, he always said, was The
best In the country. 1t was here he
intended to make his fortune. Il have
been in all the big camps" said he,
but none Of them can come UP to
Butte. You can all go to the klon-
dixie, but Oney stays right here"
This explained his attitude on the
proposition of going from one place
to another in search of wealth.
On the LIST of last January, shortly
after the clock had tolled the hour
dividing 1898 from 1899, "Oney' was
climbing the hill towards the Bell
mine. He was going up there to
jump claim in that vicinity. 9TH
ers were interested In the venture, but
none of them seemed to care to post
the required notice. They all agreed
that it was good thing, but they
imagined that something unpleasant
would accompany the posting of the
notice. "Oney" listened to their sug-
gestions and noted the expressions of
fear on the faces of his partners.
Say, boys. I've been in the war; and
y
your buttons that l am not afraid of
anything. Give me the papers and Iii
go up there alone and jump the
claim So "Oney'' started out with
determination and a brave heart. He
would not intentionally iniure a man,
but he had lived in the camps Of The
country long enough to know that a
faint heart never jumps a claim, and
that some of the richest mines in the
world once belonged to men who failed
to do the necessary representation
work. Not a soul was in sight. The
returned to the city and told his part
ners how easy /. all was.
But the mine did not yield the prom
ised millions, for, as the jumper put
1t, marry a tap was done on 1T, by
gosh.
During Mayor Harrington's admins
tration "Oney' worked with the street
and alley improvement force. Here he
had what he called a home and with
John Brannagan as street commission
er, he fel. that his home would ever
be. During the weeks of contention
tration, the history of which Is well
known, "Oney" stood faithfully by the
Brannagan guns and didn't give up pc
fore it was absolutely necessary. He
was regarded by the street working
gang as kind Of mascot for the
CfOWQ. IL any one on the IoTCe want
ed to find out anything concerning his
work, in the absence of the commits
sioner. he always got what he wanted
from "Oney." For he knew all about
it. On days when work was slack and
1t looked as if half the force might
be laid off. "Oney' would come to the
rescue and say: 'Lets go down here
and load up a lot Of boards and go
and fix up the sidewalks" All hands
would join in the expedition, and some
times two or three days would be con-
sumed in repairing walks, thus en-
ploying the time that at first appeared
to hold out nothing in the way of work
for the men who were anxious to put
in a full month.
One night "Oney" sat in the city
jail office with his friend, Sol Levy.
who was then jailer They talked
about things in general and mining in
particular.
"What about the Klondike?" asked
Sol This did not strike "Oney" as be-
ing little bit good.
whats the use of going off on
wild goose chase when there is so
much to be had right here in Montana,
the best state in all the world where
everybody makes money and nobody
starves?"
The faithful old man worked in his
little shaft in Granite street. His
hopes never once deserted him. he la
bored during long hours of increasing
hope, and built castles in the air, and
at last met the fate which is held by
all miners to be the most cruel.