Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-29
GREAT GOLD HUNTERS
American Mining Congress
to Be"Held in September.
MEETS TN DEADWooD
HUMoR AND PATHOS OF HUNT
ING FOB GOLD.
All Kinds Of Good and Bad Luck-In-
cidents Of Black Hill
History.
MEETS In. DEADWOOD
pe.ial Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

History.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
DEADWOOD. 8. D.. August %. 1903
The eyes Of the mining world are just
now fastened upon the Black Hills. where
the American Mining Congress will soon
be in session. During the second week of
September this city will entertain the most
representative body OF mining men. both
theoretical and practical. scientists and
prospectors. OF the world. Every mining
expert who can possibly attend the meet
ings Of the American Mining Congress
does SO, and to be invited to read q paper
before that body Is an honor coveted by
all.
It will be the sixth annual session. and
this is the first time the body has ever
come to the Black Hills. In fact, to q
large majority of the delegates and visit
ors. the Black Hills will be q new country.
Mining on Manufacturing Basis.
The visitors will find a country where
mining has practically been reduced to a
manufacturing basis, and where immense
quantities Of low-grade ore are treated so
cheaply that large profits result. For in
stance. the Homestake mine produces ore
1t has never missed a dividend in twenty
five years. and during that time has pro-
duced $1OO. 100000 in gold. The Homestake
Is the largest gold mine In the world. hav
ing about 1000 employees and working a
dozen levels twenty-four hours out OF each
day and seven days each week.
Nearly every discovery of gold in the
Black Hills has been made by accident, and
large number of the very best discoveries
were made by "tenderfeet' who did not
know gold unless 1t was stamped with the
American eagle AS in almost all gold
camps, the first mines were placer ones.
and the placers of Deadwood were famous
in their days. But they worked out. and
then began the hunt for the lode and the
vein. And some amusing Incidents are told
of how some of the mines were discovered.
Joke That Melted Fortune.
The Ragged Top district. one Of the
very best in the Hills. was discovered as
the result of joke. The discoverer was
a green prospector. He didn't know gold
and he knew he didn't. But he was doing
his best to learn. and one day. while pros
pecting, he happened across some old min
ers. Their, conversation showing them to
be old hands at the business. the tender.
foot asked their advice as to where to
prospect. saying at the same time that 1t
was new business to him. The oppor-
tunity to load tenderfoot' was too good,
and could not be resisted. He was direct
ed to the top of Ragged Top mountain.
composed of hard limestone. in which gold
had never been known to exist He thank
ed them and proceeded to the mountain in
dicated. The joke was too good to keep.
and when the party of prospectOrs return
ed to Deadwood they told their friends
and enjoyed many laughs at the expense
Of the tenderfoot.
Tenderfoot Turned Tables.
Three weeks later. these same prospect
ors were working for that tenderfoot on
10 u
hundreds of dollars per ton. The tender
foot didn't know enough about gold to
know that 1t never occurred in limestone
in the Black Hills so he tested it. 1t was
one of the richest strikes in the Hills In
late years. and made the tenderfOOt rich
while the iokers are still working for day
wages in his mine.
Four different times Louis Deylin located
claims only to abandon each in turn md
then see another prospector locate the
same property and become wealthy from it's
gold. But the nth time DevIin was de-
termined to stay with his claim, and after
nine years he sold 1t for a fortune.
Got Right Side Of the Creek.
Billy Delaney. youth from Maids On,
Wisconsin. came into the Hills and imme-
diately left for the discoveries on Elk
Creek. He wanted a mining claim. but all
the old California. Montana and Colorado
prospectors had located on the north side
Of the creek and they jokingly told Billy
to go to the south side and get all the
money on the creek. He did so, and today
his find. the Manila gold mine. is the best
on the creek. and the old prospectors are
still prospecting.
Tom Tferney. an early prospector, while
out hunting and prospecting. was climbing
| over a reef Of rock when his revolver slip
ped from his belt and fell to the base He
climbed down to the gun. picked it up and
at the same time picked up a piece Of
quartz When he reached camp, he an
alyzed 1t and found 1t very rich In gold.
Early the next morning he staked a claim
and there was big stampede. 1t made
him wealthy. too.
Joe Browder and two companions were
prospecting. I'm crossing small stream
panfons laughed and half in anger half in
fun. Joe picked up loose rock and threw
at his COMPANIONS. It struck on another
rock on the bank and scratched yellow A
good paying mine was discovered.
Newspaper Man Got Left.
T. r. Porter, an Omaha newspaper man.
while tramping through the hills with two
Old prospectors, was laughingly told, by
them to take up a claim lover there by
tfat big rock He laughed and passed on.
Three months later Porter passed that way
again and saw a Jew from Deadwood taxi
ing out gold-bearing sand worth 81 900 oer
ton from lover there by that rock. Tho
Jew is now wealthy; Porter Is still String
ing. That was the only chance Porter
ever had to get rich.
The Lost Cabin mine, somewhere on
the western slope Of the Black Hills, has
been searched for for twenty years and is
still missing.
In addition to ludicrous and amusing in
cidents connected with gold discoveries in
the Black Hills. there are others pathetic
and pittful. 90
The Dark Side Of It All.
Fred Thompson was an old-time prospec-
tor. He had been at it for years without
making a stake although many of his as
sociates had become wealthy. At last. six
months ago. his time came and he made
a f1rst-class strike down in the Southern,
hills Standing in his little prospect hole,
with his hsnds fall of the yellow nuggets.
which would place him in a position of
honor and wealth. the old prospector sud-
denly dropped his newly found gold, threw
up his hands and sank to the ground