Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-05
THE MILLIONAIRE BuRRO.


Declared by Law to he the DfseOy-
erer of u Mine.
| From Ainslee's Magazine.
| The Millionaire Burro was self-made. He
never had pedigree. He was born to toll
amid the rough life of the mountains. His
| companions We're Adventures, eager for a
| prospect" fond of drink seldom choice
| in their language, and just seldom gen.
tie toward the pack animal that carried
their burdens up steep hiisides and down
gullies in their search for hidden wealth.
In 1883 the Occur d'Alene mountains were
known only a picturesque range, where
deer roamed almost unmolested by hunters,
where trout leaped and multiplied in rush.
ing streams, and where bears We're COM
moner than men. But in the winter Of 1855
81 the word flew abroad that these haunts
of game were scanned with gold The pre-
ciUus metal had been found on the north
fork of the Occur d Alene river, and thither
rushed thousands.
1t was in September of 1885 that Cooper &
Peck of Murray, Idaho, had gruD-staneo n.
$. Kellogg. an old prospector, to look for
gold. Part of the outfit was the burrO. KEEL
losg found some samples of silver-iead ore,
bur an asSayer told Cooper 4 Peck that
this mineral was of insun4cient value to be
worth any trouble in that country and as a
consequence the partnership was dissolved
Kellogg, however was not willing to give
up. He showed his samples to Phil
O Rourke, an old Colorado miner, who
recognized their value. The two imme-
diatey started out, laboriously packing
their outfit on their backs. While entering
the gulch at the mouth of Milo creek, Kel-
losg deserted wandering in the solitude his
companion OF the last prospecting tour, the
burro. When the partnership with Cooper
Il Peck had been dissolved the donkey had
been turned adriet. The animal had wan
dered for two weeks, and now joyfully re-
joined his old friend, and willingly carried
the packs of the tired prospectors.
But the pair found only .,oat or surface
ore. Their search for lead brought no re-
suits. One disappointed evening they made
their camp ana failed to tether the burr ,
securely. In the dead of night the animal
stole away. The next morning the two set
out to find him, strewing profanity as they
searched. The tracks We're plain. and wads
of hair scraped off here and there against
rocks and fallen logs helped them keep the
trail. 1t led along and down a steep preci-
pice that they had difficulty in descending.
Finally, after entering a canyon and fol-
lowing 1t some distance. they saw the bur-
ro,. standing immovable on the side of a
hull and gazing abstlactediy across the can
yun. The men stole cautiously forward, eX-
pecting a chase.
But the burro remained like a statue.
When the pair reached the animals side
they found that he was standing on out
cropping mineral vein. while he was gazing
at the spot where shortly afterward was
found another outcropping of glistening ga
lena.
At the place where the burro stood the
Bunker Hill mine was located, KellOgg's
name being signed as discoverer and
ORourke's as witness. After talking the
matter over the two men concluded that if
Kellogg was named as discoverer, Cooper
& Peck might claim a share on the ground
that their burro was part of the outfit, and
that. therefore, Kellogg was still in grub
stake partnership with them. Consequent
ly. the next morning the original notice was
torn down and O'Rourke's name substituted
as discoverer.
Returning to Murray the prospectors
showed their samples, and a stampede
started-but nobody knew where the NINE
was. O'Rourke cOnfided in Dutch Jake
Goetz and Con Sullivan however. and
the latter two located the Sullivan mine at
the point at which the burro had been graz
ing the day he stood on the Bunker Hill
lode
After many discouragements the property
was sold for S1.5O0.OC0 Cooper & Peck
sued for an interest in the mine on the
ground that the burro they had furnished
IN grubstaking was the real discoverer of
the bonanza. Judge Henry Buck of the dis
trict court of Idaho, at Murray. affirmed
their clam. In his decision he said:
This court is of the opinion that the
Bunker Hill mine was discovered by the
Jackass, Phil o. Rourke and n. s. Kellogg.
and as the jackass is the property of the
plaintiffs. Cooper Peck they are entitled
To half interest in the Bunker Hill and a
Quarter interest in the Sullivan claims"
The mines are now worth S4OO0OOO.