The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-24

time II Vas thought ] was making a de-
scent IN the social scale. You see. the
farmer In ireland considers himself above
the mechanic. clerk or tradesnan. Had
remained on the farm might have
q come to the United States, but 1t would
have bec1, as a farmer. without any me-
chaiiicai knowlcdge,larn should be no
better off to-day, perhaps. than thou.
sands OF poor Irish farmers In different
parts of the United States. Ely making
me 1nillwright ] was forced to learn
all about building mills aid hanging mill
atones. knowledge WHICH became very.
valuable when / had TO construct works
for operating mines. I worked with tbs, the
@millwright employer for four years and
then crossed the Atlantic
Singing Houses in Massaehu-
sets.
..IIow did you happen to come here7"
,srhe time was just after the close OF
tire Civil War" said Mr. Walsh. IRE
land had many men In the Union army,
and tho whole country was little moro
than county Of the United states.
had brothers In the army. and we read
& the s,rewspapcr# reports Of the battles.
I got the American fever at a very early
age, and at nineteen crossed the Atlantic
Ito Massachusetts, My first work was a 81
n carpenter, and much of 1t was shingling
4 houses. This was new to me. as We
have no shlngling In Ireland. using slate
and other materials for roofing. 1t was
easy to learn. however. and I had no
troublet stayed there two years work.
Ing for 1850 or - a day. That seemed a
lot of money to me then. "
How did you como to leave Massa-
8chusetts? ?" Y
LIT was through one OF my brothers
who had been in the Union army. He
went to Colorado at the close OF the war.
and wrote me to come out there as
builder and contractor. ] did very well
at that and built more or less after i
began to dabble In mines. One Of my
most successful buildings was a big hos
tel at Lndville. Col. I built also In the
pect for gold.
Prospecting for Gold.
What kind OF a prospector. are YOU.
Mr.. Wa1sh?''4 asked.
81 have never been a prospector in
the ordinary sense OF the word. !" was the
reply. u ~ mean have never travelled
over tho country with pick on my ba ok
digging about here and there to find
gold. 81; Il have v examined many mining
properties and have investigated much
been on horseback and by train have
done but little OF the dirty work Of min
Ing. Shortly after went to Colorado
II 8 began to stud VI geology minerallogy
and etallnrgy. from a practical stand
point II soon found that l had a natural
anniity--an intuitive 8y perception. you
might call 8it--as to the values OF ore In
the rock 81 The Lord gave mo this. and i
take no credit for IT.. It enables me-.
however. 10 tell good thing when y
see it. II and my mining experiences re-
made up OF the hunt for good things and 4
Investing In hem. IN my prospecting Il
have neye or. asked TO d whom 81 the mines
sbelonged. 4 II have gone in 81 and tested
them and II i thought they were good
investments N have boought them amt
developed them AS a result II have been
very successful. ',59
"a minute Mr.. Walsh 2? ~ II as
4 .8' mo. ~ have met with success and
failure. but as "a rule have gone on /
and better I had mad enough to retire.
and In fact, had left the West and come
East to i've y had then an income of
stendily doing better and better. had
~, 40 eroug tire eighteen years Ego
about $4,000 ear II " llich at that time
seemed to me enough FOR any$nan. Then
the panic came on and my fortune was
lost AS a result. went back 10 min
Ing. II have succeed ed very well since
tnss, ] consider mining my bust mess. and
expect to keep at It for years to come
\ Modest Millionaire.