The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-02-27
Story OF A ruRQu1OsE KING.

The turquoise king is dead. A
career of thrilling adventures and
hairbreadth escapes, a life in which
the smile of fortune came at the most
unexpected times and places, has been
ended, like the lives of so many 9TH
e5Sbearing royal titles, by an assas-
sins bullet.
Geo.ge Simmons, the turquoise
king, vas a frequent visitor in Den
yer during the later years of his life.
Mr.. Simmons was murdered on Octo-
Der IS, d Marvel, Cal, an isolated
mining town near the Nevada line.
While getting into a wagon to drive
home he vas shot and instantly kill
ed by w. r. Miller. foreman whom
he had discharged a year or SO ago.
The discovery of his mine was an
example of lis keen scent for the un-
usual. Riding through the Crescent
Mountains il the Mojave Desert one
day, he noticed at little distance a
slight elevation or mound, which, al
though perhaps undisturbed for CEN
turies, 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 de-
termined to investigate further. Dig
ging 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 Continuing the excavation,
he opened up the workings of an an
cient mine and the deposits of tur-
quoise which afterward brought him
wealth.
For years he kept the location of
the minea secret, working it in a des-
ultory manner. The property was
not patented, and lest some wander
ing prospectors should run upon it by
accident he built stockade around it
and kept 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 acquain-
tance Simmons made in Denver. Un-
known to Simmons, McClug boarded
the same train with the owner of the
gins snd dIe f0ll9Eede hj%S hH5SlselN ta lNsyada
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 bullet would stop him if he at
tempted to follow Simmons to the
mine.
On Simmons first visits to Denver
he used to bring with him a large
travelling grip filled with splendid
turquoises. The stones were 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 favorites and find 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 hoated 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 As
toria. The collection of turquoises he
had with him were the talk of the
hotel. Some one got him to show
them to a party of ladies, including
the wife of the manager, Boldt. The
latter asked him to put price on a
particularly fine stone weighing 81
carets. SimUons said $1,000, not
for a moment expecting to make a
sale, but Mrs. Boldt turned to her
husband and had him write out a
check for that amonnt. One of the
stones in the collection was the larg-
est in the world, weighing 164 carets.
An agent of New York dealer fol-
lowed him to Denver and tried to buy
it, offering him S. 900. 1t was Sim
mons ambition to get a 2oo-caret
stone, and he finally succeeded
Deu5er Times.