The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-02
Rich Finds by Men Who Know
Little of Science.
THE CASE OF DAWSON CITY
Net the kIondike Town, But the
New Boom in Colorado - Famous
Mines Discovered by TenderfeeT--
Many Who Have Failed to Profit
By Their sudden Good Fortune.


made. with few exceptions. by men who
he'd little or no knowledge of mining or
mineralcgy Rank tenderfeet have STUN
bled upon fortunes which experienced
pTospectors had trodden upon for years
and neglected in their wisdom.
The lucky strike over at the new Daw-
son City illustrates the truth of this state
ment. The Dawsons came from crop
raising Kansas about year ago, and sank
4 shaft in search Of copper on one of The
Greenhorn hills. named so by those y.
thought that none but greenhorns would
lcuk for mineral there. They found moth
ing Of value after going down about forty
feet, and abandoned the hole until last
month. when they started TO tunnel some
distance below if. The prospect looked
brighter, and they decided to put up
cabin. While eXcavating the side of the
hill to make room for il young Dawson
chirped OF bit OF rock full OF free gold.
Following up his ind. Dawson discovered
an unusually large and rich vein, from
which samples were taken. One piece of
ore assayed S4,324, and another gave the
enormous value of S16,41S to the ton. The
discovery was case of luck, and nothing
else
In the Winter of 1880 three lads. John
Curran, Thomas Kelly and James H. DON
ovan. left Gelena, III, and went to Lead
vile. where they dug away six feet OF
snow on Breeze to put up cabin. In this
they froZe and starved all Winter. Young
Kelly died from illness brought on by ex-
posUre and priyatiOn. and was soon TO
lowed by Curran, after whom the mine
was named. Donovan is still living.
They knew nothing about mining located
their claim haphazard, and yet discovered
one Of the richest gold mines in the world.
But Kelly's heirs are said to have sold
their interest for only 81 ,000, and the Cur
rams for s., 500. The amount Donovan got
Is unknown.
August Rische and George T. Hook, who
found the famous Little Pittsburg, which
gave Leadyille its boom, were shoemakers.
They worked at their trade most of the
time. and only went prospecting when
some enc grub-staked them. II is a fact
that they were about to desert their claim
ana leave s10O90.0 600 behind when Rische,
10 satisfy his curiosity as to the charac-
ter Of the stuff they had been digging
through for weeks. had an assay made
and learned OF its great value. That GER
tSiDly was good luck and not the reward
of knowledge or experience.
How much the Dillon brothers Pat and
Dick, knew about mining, metallurgy and
miueralogy when they discovered the
al LeadvilIe in the Winter of Is7S-79 no
one seems to know. When they located
their claim 1t was regarded by the other
miners rs barren ground and they were
laughed at by many who thought that
mining was an exact science. Judging
from this. the billions did not know much.
They had an idea, however, that the ex-
pericnce Of Rische and Hook with the
Little Pittsburg could be repeated; so they
laugh. Al a comparatively shallow depth
the rich ere was struck in such an i'm
mense body that the billions and their
partner, Peter Finuerty, speedily became
wealthy men. In less than two years the
DiilOns mad run through more than $780,
800. the product OF the Little Chief and
Other claims. and we're nearly broke Dick
Dillcn is now working in Cripple Creek
as miner at 50 a day. Pat Dillon kept
his money better and made some good in
yestments in Cripple Greek, and is reputed
10 be worth $4,000. He lives on big
ranch in California. Finnerty was the
shrewdest Of the three and has accumu-
lated sZ50G0O.
The very best mines in the Cripple Creek
district were discovered by poor men who
had luck and good muscles instead of
capital and scientific education. Winfield
Scott Stratton. who located the famous
Independence mine, had always been a Ger
penter and never got rich following his
trade. 1t was nearly a year after the
great rush to Cripple Greek that he picked
out the group where the mine is 10
Gated He had seen the ledge a hundred
times before he located ii. and others with
greater or less experience as miners had
seen and examined II thousand times
and passed it by just as he had No one,
not even Stratton, asserts that the dis
coyery Of the Independence mine was any
thing out pure luck. lie happened 10 be
fortunes favorite al the time.
The experience of Jimmy Doyle. the mil
lionaire mayor of Victor. in the Cripple
Creek district. also illustrates the element
Of lack in mine finding in Colorado. Doyle,
who had learned the carpenters trade.
but did not follow il. WIS driving = hack
in Manitou when the Cripple Creek excite
meEt began in 1891. In Colorado Springs
there was young plumber named Jimmy
Burns. The two were acquainted. and to-
Eeibes they went to Cripple Greek TO try
their luck. Neither knew anything about
mining. Battle Mountain. near Victor,
vas then covered with location stakes
There Was 3 piece Of land comprising about
one-sIzih OF an acre that had 10 owner
because il was considered worthless. Doyle
and Burns took M this land in the belief
that something was better than nothing.
They sent for John Harnan, who was EN-
plOye4 III driving a street scraper in
Colorado Springs, to come and help them
dig heir claim. Harnau's mining exper-
iencp consisted of what he had learned
as child in picking slate from the screens
Of Pennsylvania coal mines. For months
the trio put in hard work sinking a shaft
with not sign Of pay ore. Their ac-
quaintances sought TO discourage them. but
they persisted. and were rewarded by
striking a vein that made them miIlion-
aires.
Possibly Dennis Sullivan studied mining
and mineralogy between stations when he
was conductor on the New York Central
Railroad back in 1876. but it is doubtful IL
he would have applied this knowledge had
10 not been for his weak lungs, which drove
him 10 Colorado. He helped 20 locate the
May Queen silver mine at Leadville, and
the money he received for his interest in il
enabled him TO buy into the Dead Pine al
Cripple Greek. which adjoins the Portland.
=. y. Stark. the locator OF the Raven prop
critics AT Cripple. WAS a butcher In Color
ado Springs, and had been a raRchman and
cattleman before that With no knowledge
Of mining whatever he made fortune A.
D. Jones, who opened up the Pharmacist
another big paying proposition at Cripple
creek, Was a drug clerk at Colorado
springs previous 10 his debut as a mining
man.
The Creole boom was started by the find
lns Of some good-iooking stuff or Bachelor
--founiain by poor prospector named
George X Smith. He had scratched
around all over the mining districts with
out success. and finally got an Idea that
luck might hit him up around Creede,
Nbeft The Holy Moses had found ore. Mrs.