Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-10-31
MONUMENT FOR DONKEY
Marble Shaft to Be Erected
Over Its Grave.
DIsCoVERER OF RICH GOLD MINES

| Tells How Little BurrO was the
Means of Locating Two Valuable
| Mines-Pet of Children and Given
Every Luxury For Years.
Jacob GoetZ, proprietor of the Occur
| d'Alene theater, has given orders for
| the erection of Il marble shaft costing
| $3.50 over the grave of a donkey which
| died a few days ago, says Boise Qda)
| correspondent of the st. Louis Repub-
| lie
Bill, the name that will be inscribed
| on the shaft, was no ordinary donkey,
| but was known far and near as the
| famous 100000 donkey" Even this
title did him scant justice, as he was
| the discoverer of the Bunker Hill and
Sullivan gold mines, estimated to be
worth S1O,OOO,000, and the total output
of which has already exceeded twice
this sum, with yearly dividend or
$2,1GO,O0O.
The mines were estimated to be
worth S4O00,000 at the time the dom
key, while standing in the court at
Boise. Ida. marked Exhibit A." heard
Judge Norman Buck hand down the
following opinion, which determined
the ownership of the mine:
From the evidence of the witnesses
this court is of the opinion that the
Bunker Hill mine was discovered by
the donkey, Phil O'Rourke and \. s.
Kellogg, and as the animal was the
property of the plaintiffs. Cooper &
Peck, they are entitled to a half in
terest in the Bunker Hill and quarter
interest in the Sullivan claims"
y. :. Kellogg thereupon bought the
donkey for $3.50 cash and employed
Il man ut Il salary of $50 n month to
care for the animal the rest of his life.
That was twenty-One years ago. Bill
was six years old at the time. For
twenty-one years he has enjoyed every
luxury. has been the pet of children in
the neighbOrhoOd and honOred by Wis
itOrs from all parts of the world.
\ few days ago Bill was called to
that place where all good dOnkeys go,
and it was the receipt of this news that
caused Goetz TO announce that he will
erect Il monument to the memory of
the famous animal
Goetz and Con Sullivan located the
Sullivan mine. Goetz tells of the find
ing of the famous mine by the donkey
as follows:
In the fall of 1885 y. S. kellogg, a
veteran prOSpectOr. rode into camp at
Murray with samples of ore which he
had just discovered. He was in the
employ of Cooper II Peck of Spokane,
Wash, having been grub staked by
them. His employers pronounced the
specimens he brought in worthless,
whereupon Kellogg showed them TO
Phil O'ROurke, who saw the value OF
the ore and arranged with Kellogg to
return to the claim. At that time
O'ROurke was being grub staked by
GoetZ & Baer of Spokane. These men
supplied the grub stake for both KEEL
logg and O'Rourke when they started
in quest of the claim which Kellogg
had located. They hadn't the price of
Il mule and started with their equip
ment on their backs.
The second day out, however. they
CHANGED upon the donkey. which had
wandered from camp. They transfer
red their equipment to his back and
tramped up the canyon until they reach
ed Mile Creek, three miles from tie
south fork of the Occur d Alene river
There the donkey wandered away
again, and when O'ROurke found him
he was browsing on mountain side,
where he had paved up some moss, I'M
covering Il quantity of solid galena lead
and silver ore.
When Cooper * Peck found that their
donkey had been pressed into service
they claimed an interest in the mine
under the grub stake law, and after Il
long legal battle through two courts, |
finally established their rights.