The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-02-26
FORTUNE In DESERT
RICH FIND MADE BY A LONE
PROSPEcTOR-
George Simmons Discovery Of Lons
Abandoned Mine Made Him the
Turquoise Kins''-Assassinate b.
Discharges Foreman

The turquoise king is dead. A career
OF thrilling adventures and hair
breadth escapes, a life in which the
smile OF fortune came at the most IN
expected times and places. has been
ended. ike the lives of so many others
bearing royal titles. BY an assassin's
bullet
George Simmons. the turquoise king
was a frequent visitor IN Denver dur
ing the later years Of his life. Dir.
Simmons wa5 murdered on October
10 at Marvel. Cal, an isolated mining
town near the Nevada line While get
ting into a wagon TO drive home he
was shot and instantly killed by ". II.
Miller, a foreman whom he had dis
charged a year or so ago
The discovery OF his mine was an
example Of his keen scent for the
unusual. Riding through the Crescent
mountains in the Moiaye desert one
day. he noticed at a little distance a
slight elevation or mound. which
although perhaps undisturbed for cen
turtles, had apparently been built BY
human hands A closer examination
OF the heterogeneous materials com
posing the mound convinced him Of its
artificial character. and as il was too
large for an ordinary grave. he deter
mined 70 investigate further. Digging
down into the center OF the mound. be
came upon-a stone and later complete
sets Of the rude stone tools used in
mining By uncivilized persons. Con
tinuing the excavation. he opened up
the workings Of an ancient mine and
the deposits OF turquoise which after
ward brought him wealth
For years he kept the location Of
the mine a secret. working Il in a des-
ultOry manner. The property was not
patented. and lest some wandering
prOspectOrs should run upon il by
accident he built a stOckade around q
and kept a man with a Winchester on
guard night and day. People who tried
70 learn the location Of his mine By
following him into the desert found
that IL was a dangerous business For
instance. there was Jim McClurg. one
OF the first men whose acquaintance
Simmons made in Den-er- Unknown
to Simmons. GcClurg boarded the
same train with the owner Of the mine
and followed him TO Nevada Simmons
quick eye, however. caught a glimpse
Of McClurg as the latter got down
from the rear end Of the train at their
destination. and the Denver man was
promptly warned that a bullet would
stop him If he attempted 10 follow
Simmons to the mine.
On Simmons first visits to Denver
he used to bring with Inn a large trav-
cling grip filled with splendid tur-
Quoises- The stones were pale blue in
color. while those from the old mines
in New Mexico were dark blue. and
at first il was hard 10 find buyers for
the product OF Simmons mine. Now
the light blue stones are the fsvorite
and find a ready sale
Failing TO get enough money from
the sale Of the turQuOises TO patent
the property and develop it. Simmons
went 10 London TO secure capital. He
put a valuation Of S70O. 600 on his mine
and floated il on that basis. although
it was really worth three times that
amount
When he returned to New York.
'A--nAoAS E1- UP a. INT ~ a-4DA u
Astoria The collection Of turquOises
he had with him were the talk Of the
hotel Some one got him 10 show
them to a party OF ladies, including the
wife Of the manager. BOldt. The lat
ter asked him 10 put a price on a par
ticularly fine stone weighing % karats.
Simmons said 81. 1000, not for a moment
expecting 70 make a sale, but Mrs.
Bolt turned to her husband and had
him write out a check for that
amount One Of the stones in the col
lection was the largest in the world,
weighing 164 Carats. An agent Of a
New York dealer followed him. offer
ing him $1,000. II was Simmons am
bitiOn to get a 20O-carat stone and he
finally s1cceefad -Denra- Tines