Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-10
'LUCKYBOBg!!' N0MACK.
The Man Who Found Gold at
Cripple { Creek
=. bE- - 4.
a 4 Do
HELPLESS ON. HB BACK
STORIES TOLD OF HIS ExTRAvA-
CANOE WHEN I'm FUNDS
Reaped Little Wealth From the Mil
lions He Pointed Out to the World
Win STATIONS Career @#l Z.
BY WIN. E. CURTIS.

BY VIM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald
Bob womack, the man who discovered
gold at Cripple Creek. and thereby added
about $50 600 to the worlds wealth. is
lying helpless and paralyzed in a sanata-
rum at Colorado City. where had an In
teresting talk with him few weeks ago.
He used to be known as Lucky Bob" but
1 should think from what. / have heard Of
his history and from what he told me him
self that "Unlucky Bob would be more
appropriate name He was always what
people call IAN easy mark" he has had
plenty Of money at times, and told me that
he once owned 10000 worth of cattle, but
he has been a high roller" and never
could keep his money. He has been q
spendthrift and has gambled 1t away. and
has been in the habit of blowing 1t in,"
like other cowboys.
Once, when he had sold a thousand head
of stock in Colorado Springs. he took his
pay in SO bills and sitting on a curbstone
on TETON street, handed one of them to
everybody that passed. as token Of his
regard. The news that Bob Womack was
giving away $40 bills naturally spread like
a prairie fire, and a long procession was
promptly formed. Bob" sat on the curb
and exchanged repartee. cowboy fashion,
with the people as they passed him, and
handed each bill. Some Of his friends tried
to interfere, which made him furious He
informed them with great dignity that he
was capable of taking care Of himself and
of disposing Of his money in any way he
liked. That he had not entirely drowned
his reason In his cups was evident by the
manner in which he detected "repeaters" In
the line. Nobody was able to fool him.
whenever man or a woman would come
Iln al
them sternly. and in good. strong, ranch
language. and he told them what he thought
of their manners as he ordered them out of
the line.
Bad Judgment, Poor Bargains.
He sincerely believes that he was swim
died out Of his ranch his CATTLE his mining
claims and other property which he has
owned at times, but people who have
known him all his life say. that his poverty
Is due to bad Judgment, poor bargains. dis
sipation and excessive generosity
His father Is still living, He went to COL
orado in 1857, and has aseeny the state de-
velop. He also has been a ranchman and
prospector, and has seen his ups as we'll
as his downs. Although eighty-eight years
old, he is still In goodo health, and lives
with daughter at Colorado Springs
Bob Womack Is lying onlhis. back. help
less, one side being completely paralyzed.
He said he was glad to see'me. and was
cause he feels that hea hasD done great
service to mankind which has not been
properly recognized, If he9fcoufd have a
commission on all the gold that Is dug out
of the soil of his former ranch at Cripple
Creek he would be quite content--seven X 1t
were very small commission.
He tells a fascinating story and loves to
talk about his adventures He was born
in Colorado, he told me: his father was a.
COW man and a miner alternately, and he
was raised in miners cabin and on
cattle ranch. He is a bachelor and has no
relations except his father and his sister
In the early sos Womack located four
claims Of 100 acres each in the great amphi-
theater now occupied by twelve towns and
mining camps. called the Cripple Creek
district an area Of a little more than six
miles square. The trail to Leadvilfe crossed
his ranch. and before the railroad was
built hundreds of wagons and passenger
stages used to pass his cabin every day.
But no one thought of looking for gold
there. because the practical prospectors and
scientists both agreed that it could not
exist In that formation.
The Discovery of Gold.
Everybody was looking for something
they had seen before" said Mr.. Womack,
land as they could not find 1t In the Cripple
Creek district they turned 1t down. My
father prospected all over that district In
81. and says there wasn't anything there
that looked like gold to him; nothing but
pudding-stone. One day In 81 I picked up
a rock to throw at a steer. 1t was as heavy
as lead. know good deal about miner
ais, and, when I tried to smash 1t, 1t
wouldn't break. l was convinced by Its
weight and other signs that 1t had mineral
In 1t. and 1 found a number of similar
pieces lying around In the grass. I took
them to Colorado Springs to be assayed,
and they ran $4,000 to the ton, but
couldn't get anybody to believe my story. /
tried to convince some of the rich men here.
but they gave me the laugh. offered my
claim all around. but nobody would listen
to me. The professors at the college said
had sailed the ranch. Professor Lamb
said / was crazy; that one might as well
look for gold in a brickyard. Finally I
went to Denver and sold my land for 5000.
less $500 commission, to fellow named
Anderson, who said he wanted it for a stock
ranch; but he was fooling me, and turned
the property over to Bennett & Meyers.
who organized the Ell Paso Gold Mining
Company and commenced operations They
have made millions out of 1t, and when
they made their first strike and proved
what 1 had said to be true the crowd
took hundred and fifty millions out Of
that ranch of mine, but haven't got any
thing. They've lawed me out Of every cent
I ever had, and there amt one of them
millionaires that ever done a thing for me
except Win Stratton, and he's dead.
How did the camp come by the name OF
Cripple Creek? =.
had a cabin on the creek. and suppose
got Its name that way"
Mr.. Womack told me that he Is going to
Arizona as soon as he gets we'll. as he con-
siders that the country Of the future, and
II he ever gets another mine, he Is going to
hold on to 1t; but 1t IS evident that his days
are numbered; he will newer handle pick
or brand a steer again. al 3e.
Unique Conditions.
There are now about 5o,oo5 persons living
on Womack's ranch. There have been as
many as 10000 there. and I'll Is connected
with the outer world. by three railroads.
The district Is gridironed ny trolley lines
1t is the only district In the, world where
a miner can go to work lp an electric
street car. descend the shaft In an electric
elevator and work by IAN, electric light
instead of the olddashioned lamp which
miners wear in their caps, The drills are
operated by electricity, and the blasting
Is done from a switchboard, remote from
the point OF explosion. There are more than