Gilpin observer., 1904-09-08
NEWS FROM THE nINEs AND MILLS.
The oId.rlme Prosp ectors.

Inc Old ime Prospoctors.
To the prospector for gold and silver
the United States owes the rapid de-
velopment of the West. The tremen-
dous travel induced by the discoveries
of gold and silver in California, Ne
vada, Utah, Montana, Idaho and Colo
rado undoubtedly caused the building
of transcootinental railroad at least
twenty years sooner than otherwise
would have been the case. 1t would be
incredible il the men who dared the
.terrors Of what was then the Great
American Desert and the hostile Sioux
and Apaches were forgotten. Yet it is
fact that the names OF Comstock,
Gregory, O'Reilly, Mclaughlin and
scores of others are almost as complete
ly forgotten as If their work had been
that Of obscure factory hands. Surely
those names should be remembered and
honored by the western common
wealths. Before it is too late, and
while men yet live who knew them, the
facts as to those forgotten heroes
should becollected and preserved for
future generations.
Too generally an impression prevails
that these old prospectors were not
nice" men. The fact best known con-
corning Gregory. the first discoverer of
quartz gold in Colorado, is his pictur-
esque blasphemy when he made his
epochal discovery at Black Hawk.
What finally became of Gregory and
what kind of man he really was, the
school children of Colorado are not in
formed. So far as we can find out it is
not known with certainty, even. where
he died.
x,,b;I MT HU-
ures from old government reports,
which also are not appreciated as they
should be, we came on an account OF
the last days of Henry Comstock. after
whom was named the great Comstock
lode of Nevada. The old man was liv-
ing at Butte. Montana. in 1867, and in
1868 we find in the Mineral Resources
of the United States this pathetic ac-
count of a magnificent character:
Although a man of the strictest tenn
terance, using no stimulant stronger
than tea or coffee, and not even to-
bacco, years and the hardships and eX-
citement incident to frontier life are
telling painfully on his faculties. In
conversation with him he referred to
his past career, especially his connec-
ton with the lode that bears his name.
His intellect appears to wander, al
though his hand still retains its cum
ming. He is skillful prospector, but
his fading recollections carry cloudy
images to his darkened understanding
He imagines he owns the whole Com
stock lode, and the cities of Gold Hill
and Virginia; but, as he has no imme-
diate use for them, he allows others to
live in his houses. The people are poor,
and it would be hard to turn them out,
especially in the winter. This feeling
of benevolence in the old man is gen.
uine, and one that he habitually prac-
tees. He has a small claim that pays
little more than wages. If poor
miner comes along without means, he
gives him an opportunity to work in
the claim until the suffering stranger
has the means to go on his journey.
Recently an emigrant came along
who was sick and could work but little.
Comstock and he worked together in
the claim, the old man doing the most
laborious part, until the emigrant con-
cluded to leave Comstock then di-
vided what was taken out and, seeing
1t was too small for man to travel on,
said: Now we will divide my half
again; you will need it,
Should brave, generous and simple
characters such as this be forgotten?
Nor was Comstock an isolated man of
this class. We can recall many such
prospectors in our travels through the
western mountains. Three fine old fell
lows. especially, we are proud to have
known: Joe Campbell known all
through the deserts of Nevada, Califor-
MIA and Arizona; Jacob Bright of Com
stock days; Galloway of Montana. All
of them loyal, generous, courteous men.
strictly temperate and of the. finest.
truest character. One. at least, was
scholarly and of wide and deep reading.
Truly these men are worth more to hu-
manity than the schemers who rule the
mony markets of the world.-Mining
Reporter.