Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-09
PIONEER OF
ARIZONA DEAD
CAPTAIN JOHN D. BOYD DIES IN
POVERTY
SORROW CAUSED BY DEATH OF
OLD MINER
Original Owner of United Verde Mine,
Which Has Paid Millions,
Dies PenniIess but
Mourned

Captain John d. Boyd, original discov-
erer of the great United Verde copper
mine at Jerome, now owned by former
Senator William A. Clark of Montana, is
dead, and in his death Arizona loses one
of the brave pioneers who helped blaze
the way for civilization in many of the
mining districts of Yavapai and ella
counties, infested, at the time of his ad-
vent into the territory, by the blood
| thirsty Apaches and desperate characters
from other climes.
The locator of one of the richest copper
mines in the world died November 25, at
| 80 o'clock, in the county hospital at
Prescott, Ariz., practically penniless,
while those who have profited by his pri-
vations and hardships in searching out
the ledge which has proved veritable
| bonanza, have made millions out of his
| discovery.
| In the early days of California his name
was familiar to hundreds of miners and
| prospectors in the various mining camps,
and he was known to them as a man alb
| sofuuely devoid of fear one ready to risk
his life, If need be, in his search for the
| hidden wealth of the mineral world.
| After many narrow escapes from death
at the hands of the redskins, while pros
| pecting alone in the mountain Businesses
| of Arizona counties, Boyd headed a pros
pecting party which crossed the Black
Hills in 1873, and located in the Upper
| Verde valley. With two brothers, John
and Ed Dougherty. he located the famous
United Verde mine, making the find him
| self.
Located Famous Mine
John O'Daugherty was an expert assay
| list, and his brother Ed, q medical stu
dent. After making their locations they
found places where the Indians mined the
material from which they made war
paint, close to where ore was found on
the groupings of vein which carried
values of 1890 ounces to the ton.
Continuing farther south, Boyd located
what is now the Copper Chief mine, val
ued at 81, ,25C. 900. He also assisted in per.
fecting the first body polite in the district
and was elected it's first president.
Later he disposed of his holdings in the
mine, which has since paid over $4,000, 900
in dividends, for mere song, and in 1876
he departed, with the same partners, for
the Mazatel mountains and the Tonic
Basin district, then In this county, where
the Tonto and Last Chance mines were
located by them. With the Dougherty
brothers he mined there for many years,
being the first man to erect mill for the
reduction of ores, in this part of the
territory.
The wanderlust seizing him again, he
disposed of his holdings and once more
returned to the Black Hills, where he ac-
uuired and disposed of several excellent
claims, which have since developed into
good mines.
Sixteen years ago, when the noted suit
over the possession of portions of the
Copper Chief mine was being waged be-
tween ex-senator Clark and John Duke
and other owners of the Copper Chief,
Clark settled an annuity upon the man
who had made II possible for him to pur-
chase the United Verde mine. which has
assisted so materially in making him a
millionaire many times over, but after this
suit was compromised, the payments
which amounted to 800 per month,
were stopped, and Boyd was dismissed
from Clark's services.
Noted for Honesty
| Speaking of Captain Boyd's integ-
rity, Mr.. Duke, who was opposed to
Clark In the suit said: "Clark may
| have paid him that 500 monthly mere
| ly to influence his testimony, but
do not believe that any influence on
earth could have induced Captain Boyd
to utter a falsehood on the witness
stand"
After the payments from Clark stopped
| Boyd became practically charge
upon the county. Shortly after, his
health began falling, and he was COM
pelled to enter the county hospital,
where he passed the last year of his
eventful career. When his resources
were exhausted, Captain Boyd turned
for assistance to the county for which
he had done so much in making 1t mt
place in which to live, rather than to
those whom he had assisted on the
road to wealth, and his many friends
On July 2, 1901, occurred the last ex-
citing episode in his rugged life. He
was seated upon the porch OF the Rod
gers and Wingfield store, in Camp
Verde. Suddenly there sounded shots
on the inside of the store, and r. NJ
Rodgers and Clint Wingfield fell dead,
shot down by an assassin. Boyd arose,
and, meeting the murderer coming out,
armed with a sixshooter, started to
grapple with him, despite the cap
tain's advanced age.
The assassin ordered Boyd to leave
the place at once, or he would also be
killed. Needless of the warning, Cap
tain Boyd continued to advance, and
was shot in the thigh by the desperado,
who then made his escape from the
store.
The deceased pioneer was native
Of Sligo county, Ireland. and was S6
years old at the time of his death. In
his younger days he was a man of
magnificent physique which stood him
well in hand in the many hardships he
underwent in his search for the pre-
cious metals. He was unmarried, and
no known relatives survive him in this
p:.rt of the world.
Documents were found on his per-
son after death indicating ne was a
- to1 on N nj