Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1904-07-18
FORTUNE IN DESERT
RICH FIND MADE BY A LONE
PRCSPECTOR.
George Simmons Discovery Of Leg
Abandoned Mine Made Him the
"Turquoise King''-Assass;n Ey
Discharged Foreman.

discharged Foreman.
The tr=,.'r,i. { -. IS deaG 4 c.
Of thrf,ita -, "attlras al
breadth ,.,caIo5@. q life in Whi".. =.
smile ii ie..,g,4e .ftle al the lt0st IL.
eNpe@,t: l...-1.5 ana places. has Boon
ended. like TIE lives of So many othe1-
bearing roy,.. tides. ~ all as,as. IL 5
bullet.
George Simmons. the tHr( uGise king
was a frequent visitor in Denver dur
ing the later years of his life. Nj
Simmons was murdered ON October
Is at Marvel. Cal. an isolated mining
town near the Nevada line. While get
ting into q wagon to drive home he
was shot and Instantly Killed by w. II.
Miller foreman whom he had dis
charged q year OF - ago.
The discovery OF his mine was an
eNamEi Of is keen scent for the
unusual. Riding (hrough the Crescent
mountains iii the Mciave desert one
day. he noticed at Il little distance
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 it's
artificial Character and as it was toe
large for ar ordinary grave he deter
mined 10 Investigate further Digging
do"n into the center OF the mound. he
came npon a stone aud later complete
sets Of the rude stone tools used in
mining by nnciviliZed persons. Con.
timing the excavation. he opened up
the workings of an ancient mine and
the deposits of turquoise which after
ward brought him wealth.
For wears he kept he location OF
the mine a secret working il in a ties
ultory manner. The property was not
patented. ard lest some wandering
ospectors should run upon it by
accident he built a stochaGe around ii
and kept man with Winchester or
guard night and day. People who tried
to learn the location of his mine by
, following him into the desert found
] that it was a dangerous business. For
instance. there was jim McC!urg one
Of the first men whose acquaintance
Simmons made in Denzser. Unknown
to Simmons, McClurg boarded the
and followed him 10 Nevada. Simmons
quick eye, however. caught glimpse
Of McClurg as toe latter cot down
from the rear end Of the train at their
destination. and the Denver man was
promptly warned that a bullet would
/ stop him ii lie attempted 10 follow
/ Simmons to the mine.
On Simmons first visits TO Denver
| he used to bring with I'm a large trav-
cling grip filled with splendid tur-
! quoises. This. stones were "aic blue in
color, while those from the old mines
in New Mexico We're dark .bfUe, and
at first il Was hard 10 fud buyers for
the product of Simmons nlne.
Failing 10 get enough money from
! the sale Of the turauais - ~ i
the property and develop H. Siln:Gl, n,
went 10 Londou to secure capital He
pun . valuation Of %700. 00G on MS mine
and ltoated it on that basis.
When he returned 10 NeW York
Simmons put NJ al TIE Waldorf
Astoria. The collection. ut tNH4uo 50.
he hat with AIN W=ae TIC teih Of ~.
h0tel Some ere aet hi.s % S. y
them 10 a paefN af ladies. including tAe
wife OF Jho. naanasrr. Eoldt Tive ~
ter asked him to putt ts.ica on 9 pr
ticHlarIg Hue *fenc (,ei-a5i.-- - :s;.gttS
simmons ~ = 8 600 f5a5 for I fs.s,l....8l