Los Angeles herald., 1905-05-01
REMARKABLE CAREER OF FOR
MER LOCAL MINISTER
WALKED TO NEW ELDoRADo
Threatened With Trial for Heresy,
Henry W. Kniekerbooker Left
Los Angeles Four Years Ago
for New Fields

pastor of a Los Angeles cnurch because
he announced his mind had altered
regarding certain essentials Of theolo-
gical belief. Henry w. Knickerbocker
four years ago looked for new avenues
of usefulness. Now he is a mining
rnagnate and a man of large property
holdings throughout this section, having
been one of the first to enter the Gold
field country and share in its great
mineral wealth.
Mr.. Knickerbocker has been In Los
Angeles the past week on business con-
nected with his mining properties. His
career since resigning the pastorate
of the Trinity Methodist Church South
of this city has been very remarkable.
Walked to Goldfleld
Attracted by the news of the strikes
made in the summer of 1908 Mr.. Knick
erboclser and Jas. O'Brien, newspaper
man of Tonopah, walked to Goldfield
from Tonopah being without the means
necessary to hire a vehicle. 1t took
them two days to walk a distanceNof
twenty eight miles. Upon their arrival
at the scene of the new strike they
found but three tents (the population of
Goldfeld now is estimated to be about
100000. Mr.. Knickerbocker and his
companion Immediately proceeded to
prospect the region and located large
number of claims. By the time they
had made several promising locations
they found themselves practically PEN
niless. Then it was that Mr.. Knicker-
booker proved his resourcefulness by
drawing upon a natural and quietly
cultivated talent Outside of gambling,
diversions were few and far between
at Tonopah at that time. The idea was
conceived of giving a Shakespearean re-
cital with which to raise funds needed
in the further prosecution of the pros
pecting work. Without any conceit, but
with doubt as to his histronic ability,
he undertook this rather unique form
of entertainment. The initial recital,
much to Mr.. Knickerbocker's surprise,
proved a splendid success, the hall i'll
which it was given being crowded to
overflowing. other recitals followed,
each one proving both an artistic and
financial success.
Worth Quarter of Million
With the funds thus raised Mr..
Knickerbocker continued the mining
operations that he and his associate
1,oJ MI nnonlQ who
ought to know, state that he is worth
at least quarter of million dollars,
with the prospect of being worth mil
lions, as the properties he is interested
in are developed He is the president of
the Goldhill Mining company, vice
president of the Blizzard Mining COM
pany, secretary of the Cache Gold Min
ing company and resident manager of
the California-Goldfield Mining COM
ipany and the owner of innumerable
claims not yet under exploitation.
Speaking of the Goldfield district Mr..
I<nickerbocker says it is world beater.
He says it has surpassed the record of
every quartz mining district on earth.
having produced within the past year
and a half approximately $5,OOO,OOO in
gold. Mr.. Knickerbocker contiued:
Must Not Be Impatient
People interested in the companies
operating in the district must not grow
Impatient, but remember that it takes
time to perform the work and do a
multitude of things necessary before
properties are brought to their produce
ing stages. While all over the district
We'll defined ore outcrops may be
tIaced. Goldfield's great values do not
lie on the surface. For four months
the ore taken from-the Jumbo mine
the principal producer of the district
averaged only So. 40 in gold values. But
with depth came riches and in about a
year that property has produced over
$i,6O0.O00. The same may be said of the
'Combination' the surface returns
were meager. but when the buried
ledge was struck the gold came plenti-
fully and the mine has produced con-
siderably over 100000, and dividends
of 20 per cent a month are being paid
on the stock.
"The Combination mine illustrates
the luck that sometimes obtains in
mining. The property was located by
a scratch. Two weary prospectors;
who had been grubstaked by a syndi-
cate of ten men. were returning to
Tonopah from fruitless search for a
pay streak in the Tokop region. far to
the south of the Goldheld site. They
pitched camp and one of them re-
marked that they ought not to return
TO Tonopah without a location. Well
said the other. waving his hand in the
direction Of what is now the 'Combina-
tion property. over there is about as
likely piece of ground as any; sup
pose we file on it, They filed. calling
the location the Combination the
name being suggested by the fact that
they represented a combination of ten
men. one of the prospectors, a man
named Myers, had so little faith in the
property that he sold his share for $40.