Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-05-26
PIONEER MINER FOUND
DEAD IN HIS CABIN
Had the Record of Sinkins the
Deepest Shaft Ever Put
Down by One Man.

Adam Schmitt, who for years past
has mined on jackson creek, was
found dead in his cabin last Friday.
Little Adam had not been to jackson
Vile for two weeks and his friends
went to his cabin and found him ly-
ing ON the floor and partially empty
bottle of strychnine on the table told
the cause of his death. Little Adam
had worked placer claim each win
ter for years and had taken gold
sufficient to meet his wants. The
past winter being very dry he had so
little water that he could not mine
to any extent, and being too old and
too much of recluse to go out to
work he found himself in want and
becoming discouraged ended his exist
ence. Little Adam was 20 years old
and known to all the old.time miners
of the Jacksonville district. He was
a well educated man, quiet and kindly
and we'll thought of by those having
his acquaintance, but what was the
cause that led him to live the life OF
a hermit he never told, for he never
mentioned his past life, but il was
supposed by those knowing him best
that girl, in the years ago, in the
lar off Fatherland was the cause OF
his burrying himself from the world.
Southern Oregon has hid in its fast
nesses many such men, who for the
death of loved one, the ickleness of
woman, financial reverses or some
other cause fed from civilization
and became a hermit miner in some
placer gulch. Nearly all of these
hermits are men of good education,
and some even are called graduates
and their correct language and polish
ed address prove that they had seen
the time when they could have been
the equal of any in the literary
gathering or the social function.
Many of these recluses never visit n
town except to get supplies aud their
mail, of letters there are none, but
of magazines and papers plenty.
Strange things these recluses will
accomplish, and Little Adam success
fully carried out mining undertak-
ing the like of which was never
probably equaled by lone miner.
Some years ago he disooyerd ledge
on his claim and to ascertain its
value he sunk shaft over 40 feet
deep, and with not person to help
him. He rigged up a windlass and
bucket for hoisting the rock and a
ladder for himself to go down and NJ
on. He would descend to the bottom
of his shaft drill hole, then bring
his tools to the surface and take down
a charge of giant powder, insert it in
the hole, light the fuse and then at q
lively rate shin up the ladder and gel
away from the shaft before the blast
went off and the shower Of rock'
NOulu hllOOt bub VI bilb ohhlb NhoA
the smoke would clear out he woult
replace his rope ladder, let down hi
bucket and then go down aud fill i
with rock and returning to the sur
face he would hoist it up, repeating
that operation until. all the loos'
rock was gotten out. Pateitl!
Little Adam worked on his shaft fol
months at a time during the dry sea
son. when he could not operate tn
, rocker at his placer diggings, an,
with persistence tina was worthy o
J more practical undertaking, he di
not cease his work until he had gon
to such depth as had proven to him
self that his ledge was barren Of tn
! golden riches for v hich he was search
ing. That his method Of sinking tn
shaft was both extremely laborou
! and highly dangerous ana withal yer
slow is known to all miners. Had h
: ever made a misca leu lation as to th
length of the fuse or had a slip whe
climbing his frail, unstable ladder, h
y would have been torn to pieces by I'll
flying rocks and Little Adam woul
. have been spared the sorrow OF wal
> in his last days and the terrible ordei
\ and suffering of death by stryol
: mine.