Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1907-11-14
ODD NAMES OF MINES
Peculiar Titles Given to Some of
the Black Hills Claims.
WHIMs OF PIONEER MINERS.

Many Of the Early Prespeetors Select
ed the Names of Wives or Sweet.
hearts, Which Stand Now az Remind.
ers Of Romanees Of 6ysone Days.
Behind the names OF many Of tho
mining claims and mines of every min
ing district in the west there lies a
wealth Of romance and history, both
pathetic and ludicrous. The Black
Hills furnish as many and as good ex
amples OF the peculiar circumstances.
under which many claims are named
as any locality in the country.
One Of the best known mines IN the
southern hills is the Holy Terror. Back
in the early days this claim was To-
Gated by an old miner who had work
ed some years without success. The
claim was hard one to work. When
the man went home in the evening
after locating his claim his wife asked
him what he named it. He smiled and
told her, For you, my DEAR" and her
further inquiry drew forth the fact
that he had called it Holy Terror. An
other man once named his claim Gen.
tie Annie for his wife, while still \
third perpetuated the memory Of his
Wife. who was noted clubwoman, by
naming his claim Silent Julia.
The hills are dotted with the names
of claims recalling romances of bygone
days. Many a young ambitious man
came here when the mining boom of
the eighties was at its height, lured
with hope of a fortune, and all that re-
mains to tell the tale is the name Of
Katie w. or Mabel E. or Lulu ]. Many
a sweetheart or wife In the faraway
east was honored in the naming Of
claim that its owner hoped would prove
a bonanza. Some few made good. Wit
ness the Annie Fraction and the Josie,
both of which were named for the
eastern wives Of their owners. They
are In the Bald mountain district and
have produced thousands Of dollars for
the locators.
In the Galena district there is
small abandoned claim known AS the
Widow. with which there goes a story.
Years ago youth named Hanley ap-
peared from somewhere with a few
thousand and with zeal commenced to
sink his money in hole in the ground
in the hope OF vast fortune. Back
in the old home little widow waited
in vain for the golden wealth he said
was sure to come and the wedding
day that would celebrate ii. 1t took
but short time for the youths smaA
savings to dwindle away with his in
experience. and, chagrlned and dis
heartened. he put bullet through his
brain on the site of his blasted hopes.
One prospector who worked diligent-
ly on claim which was staked by an
outsider and had difficulty In even get
ting his living expenses secured his re-
venge by naming his claim Old Per
simmon.
Men Of patriotic turn OF mind have
chosen names Of those famous in his
tory. as Washington. Lincoln, etc.
Each of the presidents has been re-
membered, famous generals. all Of the
states, seafaring heroes and heroes of
the Philippines, as Dewey and Fun
ston. Indian names by the score are
found. as Hiawatha. Minnekahta and
Nanoma. Those Of sporting proclivi-
ties chose race horses. as Nancy Hanks,
Salvador. Maud s.. Red Wilkes. Joe
Patchen. Favorite authors have been
remembered. us Longfellow. Burns and
Dickens. One student named his
group Miltiades. Mark Anthony. Attila
and Cleopatra.
One man Of pessimistlc vein chose
What's Left and Some Left. The aver.
age business man in naming claims
will choose simple name and use q
series of numbers, as. for instance,
Thomas No. 1. Thomas No. Q. etc. One
man favored his wife by calling his
claim Red Headed Woman. Two ad-
joining claims are known as On Time
and Late
An odd case was known In the name
of the Hoodlebug claim. which was To-
Gated by German and an Irishman
and intended by the former to be called
Heidelberg. When the Irshman reach
ed town TO record the location he had
forgotten his partners selection Of d
name and said it was something like
HOodlebug. which, for convenience,
was the name recorded.
The Prodigal Son lived up to Its
name by bankrupting It's locator. who
returned to Iowa at the behest Of the
father who had put up the funds for
the venture. Among the names that
doubtless conceal stories never known
are Old Whiskers. She Devil. Crack
Brain and Crank.
Some of the gulches have names
that refer to Incidents. Two Bit was
named because placer miner de-
clared his first painful would yield
about two bits. Then there are Poor
Mans Gulch. Sheeptail Biacktail,
Whitehall. Crooked Arm, Poverty and
Prosperity. y.--D"adwood Cor ST. Louis
Republic.