The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1904-02-20
FORTUNE In DESERT
RICH FIND MADE BY A LONE
...- PROSPEcTOR.
George Simmons Discovery Of Long
Abandoned Mine. Made Him the
Turquoise king"-Assassinated by
Discharged Foreman.

The turquoise king is dead. A career
of thrilling adventures and hair
breadth escapes, life in which the
smile of fortune came at the most I'M
expected times and places, has been
ended, like the lives of so many others
bearing royal titles, by an assassin'a
bullet.
George Simmons, the turquoise king,
!: was afrequent visitor in Denver dur
ing the later years of his life. Mr.
Simmons was murdered on October
Is 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 w. H.
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 Mojave desert one
day, he noticed at 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 it was too
large for an ordinary grave, he deter
mined to investigate further. Digging
down into the center of the mound, he
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 uE
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 it in a des.
ultory manner. The property was not
patented, and lest some wandering
prospectors should run upon 1t by
accident he built a stockade around it
and kept a man with Winchester on
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 McClurg, one
of the first men whose acquaintance
Simmons made in Denver. Unknown
to Simmons, McClurg boarded the
same train with the owner of the mine
and followed him to Nevada. Simmons
quick eye, however, caught 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 to follow
Simmons to the mine.
On Simmons first visits to Denver
he used to bring with I'm large trav'
cling grip filled with splendid tur
quoises. The stones we're pale blue in
color, while those from the old mines
in New Mexico were dark blue, and
at first it was hard to find buyers for
the product of Simmons mine. Now
the light blue stones are the favorita
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 to London to secure capital. He
put valuation Of $500, 900 on his mine
and foated it on that basis, although
it was really worth three times that
amount.
When he returned to New York,
Simmons put up at the Waldorf
Astoria. The collection of turquoises
he had with him were the talk Of the
hotel. Some one got him to show
them to party of ladies, including the
wife of the manager, Boldt. The lat
ter asked him to put price on par.
ticularly fine stone weighing 81 karats.
Simmons said $1,000, not for moment
expecting to make sale, but Mrs.
Bolt turned to her husband and had
him write out 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 $4,000. It was Simmons am
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