Gilpin observer., 1900-03-29
Sailing MIN rs.
Some Notable Instances OF Thls Ancien
Industry.

Industry.
The recent Two-Bit excitement and
the subsequent stories that We're set
atioat about doctored specimens to de-
ceive the nuwary has brought out Il
number of stories concerning salted
mines. says the Leadville Herald-Dem-
OcIat.
1t has always been favorite game
of INSCRIPTIONS prospectors and min
ing men when they had Il property to
work off on II gullible tenderfoot. to so
doctor the samples of ore that the pur
chaser believes he is getting some
thing valuable when in reality he is
getting nothing at all. OF late years
salting II mine is very difficult, owing
to the care taken in taking samples
Nowadays an ASSAY out of the breast
of drift will not sell n mine. But in
early days some very clever schemes
We're resorted to by bunco steerers to
salt properties in order to effect II sale.
One of the most notorious of these was
Chicken Bill. a well known character
of early days. His salting of the
Matchless shaft and subsequent sale
of the same to ii. A. w. Tabor is one
of the best known stories in the camp.
Bill had sunk the Matchless shaft for
some little distance, but not finding
anything he concluded to get rid of the
property. AT night he stole II lot of
rich Robert Il. Lee ore and tamped II
into the bottom Of the shaft. Tabor
was invited to inspect the property.
and take some assays. The result of
course WAS phenomenal. Assays ran
thousands of ounces I'm silver. Tabor
paid a round sum for the property. and
soon discovered that he was bunkoed.
He had the shaft. however. and went
on down. In ten or fifteen feet he
struck II genuine body of ore that made
the Matchless II fit companion for the
Little Pittsburg. In fact the bulk of
Tabor's fortune was amassed from the
saltcd property he bought from Chick
en- Bill.
This man was quite n character In
his way, ana sailing mines was his
speciality. Probably one of his most
clever schemes was worked on an Eng
lish syndicate. who had sent their rep
resentatives out here to pick up some
thing good.
Bill had heard that the two English
men We're here. and learned their OBJ
ject. so he made up his mind to fleece
them. He approached II man named
Judson. who owned IA lot of jacks,
and requested him to allow him
the use Of the pack animals for
u lew 'uNS. JuuSOH WIS 10 uSk no
questions. but do as he was told. and
Bill promised him part of the booty.
A day or two later Bill. who had al
ready scrlpcd an acquaintance with
the Englishmen. called their attention
to II number of jacks apparently load
ed with ore going past the old Grand
hotel Bill said that 1t was his ore. and
invited the Engllshmen out to look at
the stun. Judson, who was driving
the animals. halted the caravan. and Il
couple OF the sacks We're unloaded
opened and samples taken. SO that the
Englishmcn could have tests made of
the stun. The jack train then proceed
ed on its way toward the smclter but
turned out ut n convenient place and
the loaded animals were returned to
their corral. and relieved of their pre-.
ciOus burden OF waste rock and stones
The samples that Bill had carefully
prepared were duly assayed by the
nglishmen, and proved to be so rich
that their eyes fairly bulged at the
wealth of the mine. Next day the same
process was gone through with. The
jack train was parndcd ostcntatiously
by the hotel. and more samples were
secured. by this time the Britishers
were worked up to the proper heat
and Bill proposed n visit to the mine"
He had tunnel dug In the north side
OF Big Evans. carefully salted. When
the Englislimen arrived the burrOs