Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-04-13

store for miners. Here he remaIne
Tor several years and here also he wa
appointed postmaster. But his love 10
Oro City remained and he returned I
tnat place In 1867 and again opened hi
old store and again settled down us
small shopkeeper and also as a pros
pector.
After his return to Orc City he 4
tered more vigorously than ever b,1re
INTO mining operations and scorS or
men he grubstaked and sent uyn the
mountains. For ten years the wns
no chanSe Ter the better inns ior-
tunes. Old friends say that dring this
period he was often withdt money.
but still he gave with a libral hand to
aIi who applied and no mn ever went
out Of his store without PROVISIONS be-
cause he could not pay
Mr.. Inbor again bean grubstaking
miners and among oters who came to
him was August RSche and George
I. Hook. They wfe two old timers
and were shoemaiers In Fairplay,
iark county nnS who. having heard
or Mr.. Mbor, hpi come to him. Rische
In 1868 had .ocated in Fairplay, fol-
lowing his tp4de. or Hook little was
known. Those two men are interest
Ing, innsmvch rs they were the men
who marked the turning point Of Mr..
Tabor's fortunes.
Mr.. Tabor grubstaked Rische and
Hook. the three forming partner
ship TO share and share alike In any
strike that might be made. April 20.
1878, this partnership was formed, and
the two shOemakers started out from
Orc City. working along California
gulch. The men saw what they be-
lieved was n good prospect on the top
OF Fryer hill and began work. It was
We're subjects Of laughter from other
miners, but they kept Mt work. g..
May 1. 1878. when their shaft was
down 26 feet they found the ore. They
gave the mine the name OF the Little
Pittsburg., 1t made millions of dollars,
and In addition made Leadville the
greatest cnmp In the history of the
world. In the July following 1t was
paying $1,000 week. The first wagon
load taken from It sold for $500. Ta.
Dor. ltische and Hook. the firm. ab-
sorted adjoining claims and soon were
the owners OF several mines.
Hook. who was OF free and easy dis
position, was satisfied In September
with the money he had and sold out
his interest to his partners for $685.
600, and then began dcvoting himself
to travelling about the country. Rische
shortly nfterward sold his half inter-
est to David II. Moffat and ]. h. Chat
fee for $500 600. November 1S. 1870.
the Little Pittsburg Consolidated CON-
pany owned the Little Pittshurg. New
Discovery, Dives ana Winnemuc. The
Ifttsburg had paid $375.OO0 and the
Winncmuc S153.OOO. $4,000 OF the
Inter sum being profit. Operations
were extended and In 1870 the compa-
ny wns Incorporated In New York for
SIC. 100000.
From the discovery up to April 1.
1850, the mines paid S2,m1 .534.al for
receipts OF ore sold. and SI.2iV. .2l:s.. 81
actual yield. New York share holders
began demanding 100000 per month.
and this drained the mine OF Its valu.
able contents. MIR. Tabor In the latter
year sold out to his partners for ST..
100000.
Mr.. Tabor was n plungcr In mines
and was Interested In n series Of prop
critics and mines. As his wealth came
In he went heavily into mines. After
selling his interest In the Little Pitts.
burg the firm OF Borden. Tnbor & Co.
wns formed and Marshall Field OF Chi.
cngo was one of the men Interested.
lie daZZled meh with his successes.
for he had n Midas touch. and 1t Is said
thnr in 1870 and 1850 he made over
s5,OOO,0OO and n dozen mines like Chry.
sofitc. Little Chief, Mntchlcss and 9TH
or properties were paying fabulous re.
turns.
In the summer of 1870 Mr.. Tabor re.
moved from Lcndville to Denver. and
for twenty years has been n resident
OF this city. He plunged into Denver
real estate speculation with the same
energy thnt he was plunging in mines.
His first purchase was the Broadwell
property. Sixteenth and Lnrimcr
streets, where stands the Tabor block,
built for $4,000. This he followed by
buying the Anderson Brown property,
on Broadway and Seventeenth street.
and next by the purchase OF the corner
OF Sixteenth and Curtis. where he built
the opera house. These Investments
created considerable excitement In
Denver. then n town OF 10000 people.
and the prosperous days for Denver
had their beginning Mt that time.
In 1850 lie began the Tabor block.
and In the same year the Tabor opera
house. His announcement that the
opcra house would be the finest In the
United States created much comment
throughout the country. II cost over
1000, 600, and IL even In this day ac-
counted n magnificent playhouse. the
woodwork being as fine today rs
when put in. -I
The beginning of the end Of the for
tunes OF Mr.. Tabor began when dull
times swept over Colorado and the en-
tire United States.
In 1893 hc began investing in gignn-
tic mining deals In Old Mexico and In
Arizona. which proved losing ventures.
the Vulturc. in Arizona, 1t Is said cost.
ing him 81 100000. He had disposed Of
many OF his big mines. and others had
been worked out. He was taken into
various schemes in which he lost nd
ditlonni money. and ns the years
passed his property disappeared. His
Denver holdings were mortgnged. and.
being unable to meet the demands for