The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-21
KING OF CRIPPLE CREEK
THE LATE WILLIAM s. STRATTON
AND HIS INDEPENDENCE MINE.
How He YEARLY sought Gold and
Finally Found IL I'm Quantities tina
Made Him vastly wealthy.
New York Mail and Express.

AH@W A0AFh
In Colorado '.Stratton's luck" Is a IA
mIliar phrase which suggests only part
OF the romantic story of the discoverer
OF the famous independence mine. whose
death In Colorado Springs, Col.' last
night removes one OF the most picturesque
millionaire miners OF the West.
The history Of the Independence, ending
with its sale to an English company for
slo.Oo.OO1 Is one Of the most Illuminating
instances in the records of the mining In
dustry.
The phrase "Stratton's luck" is unjust to
Winfield Scott Stratton; for not luck so
much as persistence and pluck and inde-
pendent intelligence made of the fral car
penter one OF CoIorado's most picturesque
muIti-miliionaires. But as most miners
have a profound regard for chance. STRAIT
toms luck will remain in the vocabulary
at least as long as the Independence mine
continues TO pay dividends.
Cripple Creek was a cattle range when
Stratton went there in 1891. Four or hve
years before that there had been some ex-
element over reported rich discoveries at
Mount Pisgah. in that region. but the great
expectations bred there had not been re-
allied. Learned biologists said there
couldn't be any gold in the low hills that
lie in the shadow Of Pixies Peak and in
sight OF the pink Sangre de Christie range.
So miners generally let the district alone,
and with the exception of some Indifferent
placer diggings, the grazing cattle had the
land much TO themselves till about the
time Stratton. James Doyle, James Burns
and others now famous in mining history
went there in defiance of all the definitions
OF the scientific folk.
To Stratton more than any other was
due the glory OF Cripple Greek, where gold
Is found at the grass roots and gets richer
with depth. He had gone West for health
and fortune; and fate compromised with
him by holding back the one and giving
vile. Ind, on July u, 1S4S, he was the only
son In Myron and Mary Halstead STRAIT
tons family OF nine children. The fatneT
was a boatbuilder and contractor, and
when the boy was seventeen years old ne
was apprenticed to a carpenter and
draughtsman.
t, he went to Eddyville. KY, and was for
six months a clerk in a drug store. he
drifted TO Sioux City. Omaha and Lincoln,
and reached Colorado Springs in 1872, with
$500. a trade, a weak constitution, and a
determination TO make a fortune. He Is re-
as a thin, quiet, unassertive young fellow.
who had almost nothing at all TO say, and
made but Few close acquaintance.
HIS FIRST INVESTMENT.
Stratton got some contracts for buildings,
and soon had saved 5000. This he in
vested, with some associates, in the Yre-
taba mine. near Silverton. in the San Juan
country. The property proved to be a de-
fusion, and after one summer there STRAIT
ton returned to his trade in Colorado
Springs. After an Improbable expedition
looking for cryolite deposits on Cheyenne
mountain. he went to the Cripple Greek
country. with a supply of bacon, -four and
l6osatoes loaded on the back Of one burro,
and his pick and shovel and assaying outfit
on another. 1t was just about the crudest
and most u~npromising Argonaut expedition
that ever was made.
Something instructive, perhaps, led
Stratton to almost the very spot where
he later made his discovery of the richest
gold mine in the world. He camped out
at the head of Wilson creek. on one of the
slopes OF Battle mountain, and began his
prospecting there. Day after day, in those
raw spring days. ne turned up foat rocs
the aid of his microscope and tested them
for gold. There was no lack of signs, fol
with traces Of gold in it in the Cripple
Creek district. but Stratton for many days
found nothing that pleased him.
Other prospectors, most OF them on Ten
derfoot hill, were doing as Ill as Stratton
and II looked as If the biologists were
right. To make things worse, the mai
failed to keep his word after having made
one small advance to him. So. discouraged
Stratton went back to Colorado Spring:
TO think IL over. That was July 3, 1891.
In his later years Stratton related Will
a good deal of pleasure the feeling he hat
when he arose from his bed the next morn
Ing. The fireworks were popping on tn
street outside, for IL was the Fourth o
July, and a glorious sky and cool breez'
from OF the White Peak combined t.
<roahDn and afinnnlnfa him LIa Caf1 -
never could quite understand the moot
he was in that morning. nor why. as sool
as ne got his breakfast, he set out Oh
horseback for Battle mountain. Somethin,
president in his feet led him to the south
ern slope OF the hill Che had been pros
pecting the northern side before.) 1t wa
not far from night when he found, at tn
grass roots, ore that showed SO well unde
the blow pipe that his spirits rose at once
The claim he staked off there he names
the Independence, in honor of the day
The first sample OF rock assayed $3.50 t
the ton. and IT was not till two years late
that the famous vein that ran as high a
$4,000 TO the ton was uncovered.
TROUBLES AND SUCCESS.
Though he had something at last, STRAIT
tons troubles were not over. 1t is on
thing to find gold and another to mine II
From rich man 10 rich mar Stratton went
telling them what he had and Offering (
sell them an interest for barely enougl
money to develop the property. He toll
Senator z. o. Wolcott what he had o.
Battle mountain and proposed to give hir
q half interest in the claim for $500. Hal
OF the independence for $500! Such chance
are COMMON in Colorado. so no special lac
OF perspicacity can be charged TO Senate
Wolcott. Besides. OF all the places in tn
Rocky mountains to find a gold mine tn
bleak cattle range below Pixies peak wa
Just about the most impossible.
SfrattOn put his teeth together and wen
70 carpentering, after he had done enoug
work on his claim TO hold IL. In the sprin
of 1892 there was a new rush into the dis
trict, attention having been called to Ii b
STATIONS talk and by the favorable report
other prospectors were making. The owne
OF the independence gave a lease on tn
Washington claim. not far from the Inds
pendence, and secured $4,000 cash, wit
which he went to work az once sinking h
shaft.
With every foot he went down the OF
grew better and better. In the spring {
1893 the famous ore chute that Melted s3S.O
TO the ton was found. and everybody bega
talking Of the Independence. and the CriI
pie Creek boom was fairly launched.
Stratton made of his mine the be,
eouippeS property in the world, as n va
the richest When he sold IL TO the Ventul
Corporation OF London in 1899, the mine W.
500 feet deep. with four miles OF levels. +
had taken out 81 1905 O In gold, the net prof
on which was $2,000.00. 1t was estimate