The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-07

This suit bids fair 10 further compiicate
matters that are already in a deep tsngIc.
II it is decided against the Stratton es-
tate It viii wine out large portion OF
the fortune A strange feature OF this
part Of the case IS. however. that the In
dependence mine is still heavy shipper
and large bodies of ore are reported in
sight, though the mine stock is not quoted
at anything like the figure il commanded
when ii was fl0ated on the London mar
ket The suit alleges the biggest case of
mine sailing in the history OF the
West
Regulations Of several famous mining
experts are al stake In the matter. John
Hays Hammond is representing the En-
gl.sh stockholders. and il was doubtless
or the strength of his recent examina-
tons Of the property that the suit was
brought.
The career Of the man whose grave was
hardly closed before his fortune was
threatened on every side Is one Of those
rcmances Of the West that read mora
Ike fairy tales than the plain truth.
Stratton drifted 10 Colorado from Indi-
ana a little more than twenty years ago
lie settled in Colorado Springs. where he
followed his trade as q carpenter. In 1891
b. was making little better than a bare
living. He had followed prospecting az n
side issue. and had even done a little
biowpipe assayine. TO famiiiarize himself
with various kinds Of gold ore IN the
?, ugh. His prospecting trips did not lead
him far away from Colorado Springs Tor
the obvious reason that he had no money
- go 10 the better known ard then more
promising parts Of the state.
Stretching southwark from Pixies Peak
VAS a grazing territory. most u which
was known IS the Bennett & Myers
r. uch. 4 little creek somewhere ia the
monotOnors prospect - buffalo grass end
cactus was known IS Cripple Creek. Many
cattle feI into the creek bod while they
were grazing. and were injured. Thir
gave rise 20 the name ~ Cripple creek
which Stratton WAS 70 rake famous
On one of HE prospecting tours in this
vicinity St-atton met cowboy named
Bob" Womack. who Rad hoisted few
buckets Of ore IN what r. now knogn 8s
Poverty Gulch. one ~ the busiest places
il the greet gold came. stratton 'peeEed"
out claim 81 thu vicinity. as W0macE's
ore looked promising in his eyes. lie dug
? few trenches. unfortunately raralleiing
veins that have since produced miiiio-s
for the lille Nlndicstor and Christmas
zine companies
Stratt0n was puzzled AZ hfe uon-ercrcrs
but not cast down. Tie Rad picked I'D
some "foat OF surface ore. that looked
promising and an assav showed tfaf tht
lfHNa NHfNFIfft aa-ifs- ANUS So"
was determined &c End the lode. ~ Vei1.
frcni which this ore had heeorse detached
Fer dave Re searched. and hnal'y sat 6ovr
in Obscure cement or q great granite
outeroppinE that reared its had eIose.fa
q cattle trail
Ncariy every cowhov ard urosrecfrr
who had wondered through IRIS disfrict
had passed close a. this zrarits leige
bat had never thought that q insight enn-
.-f- e.-.f- sIaaa.slf
tor TIA; he was sitting 1n che gufeFoB
~ the lode f0r which te was searcfinr
RE stakel two ciaiu7. naruiag the frst
Gre I1derendsnce. fn fe1cr n the DAY
e. being the Feurfh ~ July. Tire ar
rzyoT report rhow that the rock which
had been es.utinx itsff before ffr eyes
u c5vhevs ard rrnssee for 81 many
yrara carried nfnrfaaa erurss - gold -
tfia Ton aiov= the surfeca
with rars god serse Stratfan tereforn6
rs nr1Dcrrs - Tar IS RS. Hasars To1f
hermit All erfraded tfs srrIu~z tors fir-
81 - had n-ift uu 40 rraersf 6sine TIE
srsiapenf5e1 sie1E=s f-oz s. eea5 81 g.
ea annually an1 Shady Il s-cuE1f
81 Fsa o. 80 th- F.o-aon narsft r1z1 ~
was sols - trr Tsrrgre Cprp0-atig1-
After fhe sale = his fr1eEenaeree prep
e-fy StTatten .areEIad 1uea money n
neW elrerrriEcs 81 CrsFFie Greek ~
Eefe-rn5rsa t1 8 rCrTeT t1e trath - rts
therrE thar c1As fa5lge Increased Wtfh
d1ush 81 fhe Cr.ppts cree dssrfict sHe 81
ttaf cd - En rart zs-sfier Tars
81 seine ~ Efs rrapsTttss- retztsF te
j hn A. LaEan -sae kr raF Frf pared q.
fr1 rslsts IL s1knT g. e1rTnolss
Eertrs Ard err-fsas4 fiFEEef e. eszH-
6faf fhst sod ralgss rei1 ,rrrssse -
TIE shafts vre slrE
Slrsttaa also possessed rzrs=if - snurr
r.fnser e-5 Co.f-n8r s-rfrzs rFzi Fsrate
phEch ircrez So E-tatis r. Tsis%
Bese~tat AZ sae-z& 1lt8 tts last
49, Wouf rot sef fse aetr~z a-1rares
hs fatal E-sFs aaH "a teeth ass
-fref Been BAD - 1r1tfor tze G-si
rre1r fz-sfT zhlrn 20 ~. rretfsS
tt--zh II = 500 reretz b r.aHres 81 E1re
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