The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-24
IN THE OCCUR D'ALENES
Tom Boyle's Experience in Min
ing Stampedes.
JUST MISSED A FORTUNE
His Partner Discovered the Bunker
Hill Mine After Boyle Had Re-
turned to Civil zation-Phil
O'Rourke's Great Luck.

Day Jailer Tom Boyle has had a
world of experience in mining STAN
pedes and the hardships and hard
knocks incident thereto. Mr. Boyle tells
an interesting story about his trip into
the Occur d'Alene country Is years ago
when that section attracted world wide
attention. He left Colorado in COM
pany with Phil O'Rourke, who struck
the famous Bunker Hill mine. When
they went there quartz was an unknown
quantity--it was placer everywhere.
There We're some rich deposits discov-
cred, but the country's reputation was
established after the finding of ore.
Mr. Boyles tour was devoid of any
thing worth mentioning but hard
knocks. He struck nothing but high
prices, such as SIS for 50 pounds of -four,
etc. AS soon as possible he took up the
return trail. Before he left Phil
O'Rourke tried to induce him to stay
and accompany him on an extended eX
ploration of the country. But Boyle had
had enough and left, coming to Butte.
The next year word flashed over the
country that Phil ORourke had dis
covered a great mine. known as the
Bunker Hill. When Tom heard about
it he was in the Sisters hospital in this
city with a broken leg. A gambler
named Green called on Tom and asked
him to give him a letter of introduce
ton to Phil as he was going to the
Occur d Alenes and thought that word
from Tom would put him in good stand
ing with Phil. Green and Tom used to
work together in the mines of Colorado.
Tom said:
IF l We're not in this condition /
would write note to Phil; but under
the circumstances I cant do it, for Phil
would think of course that | was MAX
ing a play for money You just go over
there and incidentally say to Phil that
you and l are old friends and l guess
Phil will do the proper thing by you.'
Green did go to the Occur d Alenes
and Phil did set him up in business.
While Tom never thought for a minute
that Phil ought to remember him imam
cially, he did think it queer that he
never even heard from him. 1t was re-
ported that Phil told some one that he
sent Tom $500 through the postoffice and
that the letter was returned to the
writer, but that is hardly probable, as
Tom was we'll acquainted with ali the
postoffice employees under Egbert Smith,
who was then Butte's postmaster.
O'Rourke sent $500 to his wife in
Maryland, but she never received it.
The man who took the money with
promise to deliver it instead of doing so
told Mrs. ORourke that her husband
was rich and was living with another
woman, spending his money recklessly.
Mrs. ORourke Immediately wrote to
her husband telling him to never again
recognize her not to write to her. This
made Phil mad, and he set about to
find out how she got such an opinion
of him. To think that his wife would
distrust him piqued him, for he as
was we'll known, never associated with
women and had always thought much
of his wife. 1t all came around all right
and Phil sent his wife $4,000 and later
she removed to Wardner.
Pills luck continued and he soon be-
came possessed of nearly 100000. The
consolidation of the Sullivan and Bun
ker Hill mines Melted him fortune.
Phil was a gambler from soda to
hook" and time arranged the cards so
that Phil was one day left flat broke
He lost great sums at faro, one night
in Spokane $4,000 leaving him. He came
to Butte about four years ago, it was
understood, to get a stake from Con
Sullivan, after whom the big mine in
Idaho was named.
Phil met Tom Boyle and exchanged
greetings. Tom had a job and was pros
porous. His erstwhile partner was fiat
on his back
Phil is now up in the Klondike." said
Tom yesterday, and hear that he has
not struck anything. l might have
owned half of the big Bunker Hill. but,
you see, L do not. That's the way luck
goes with the prospector."
Mems 81 overshoes, now SO cents, at
TaSSe1IS shoe store West