The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-01-30
ODD NAMES OF MINES
Peculiar Titles Given to Some Of
the Black Hills Claims.
WHlMS or PIONEER MINr.T,S.

Many OF the Early Prospeetors Select.
ed the Names Of Wives or Sweet.
hearts, Which Stand Now as Remind
ers Of Romanees Of Bygone Days.
Behind the names of many Of the
mining claims and mines of every min |
Ing district In the west there lies u
wealth of roIuuuce and history, both |
pathetic aud hdicrous The ilacl |
Hills furnish as many and as good rN
nmplcs 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 IL the Holy Terror. Back |
In the early days this claim was 10
Gated 10y an old miner who had work
ed some years without success The
claim was u hard one to work When
the man went home In the evening
after locating his claim his wife asked
him what he named ii. lie smiled aud
told her. "for you. my dear" and her
further inquiry drew forth the fact
that he had called II Holy Terror. An
other man once named his ciaim Gen
| tie Annie for his wife. while still u
thiri prrpctunted the memory of Ills
wife. who was II noted rlubwomun. b,
uaming hls claim silent Julia.
The hills are dotted with the name.
Of claims recalling rcmanccs Of bygonc
/ days. Many u young, ambitious man
came here when the mining boom %,
/ the eighties was at its height. lure
! with hope of n fortune. and all that re-
mains To tell the tale Is the name Of
| Katie W. or Mabel l.. or Lula J. Many
a sweetheart or wife In the faruWa!
east was honorcd in the naming of a
claim that its owner hoped would prove
u bonanza Some few made good. Wit
uess the Annie Fraction and the Josie.
both of which were named for the
eastern wives OF their owners. They
ure In the Bald mountain district and
have produced thousands of dollars for
the locators.
In the Galena district there Is IA
small abandoned claim known as the
Widow. with which there goes story
Years ago n youth named llanley up
peared from somewhere with Il few
lubuNNuu anu WIN Ifal W
sink his money In hole in the ground
In the hope of II vast fortune. Back
I'm the old home a little widow waited
In vain for the golden wealth he said
was sure To come ana the wedding
day that would celebrate It. II tool.
nut short time for the youths small
savings to dwindle AWAY with his In
experience. and. chagrlncd and dis
hcartcncd. he put bullet through his
brain on the site of his blasted hopes
one prospector who worked dliigent
ly on claim which was staked 10y an
outsider and had difficulty In even get
ting his living expenses secured his re-
venge 10y 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-
membcred. famous generals. all Of the
states. scafarlng heroes and heroes OF
the Philippines, as Dewey and Fun
ston. Indian names bv the score are
found. ms Hawatha. Mlnnekahta and
Nanoma. These of sporting proclivi
ties chose race horses, rs Nancy llan,S
Salvador. Maud $. Red Wilkes. Jor
patchcn. TavOrite authors have beer
remembered ms Longfclow, Burns AMI
Dickens, one student named hi
group Miltiadcs. Mark Anthony. Attia
and Cleopatra.
one man of pcssimistc vein chose
what's Left and Some Left. The aver
age business man In naming claim
will choose u simple name ana use n
series of numbers. MS. for instance
Thomas No. /, Thomas 80. =. etc. On
man favored his wife 10y calling his
claim Red Headed Woman. Two ud-
joining claims are known as on Time
aud Late
An odd case was known In the nnnc
OF the Iloodlchug claim. which was 10
Gated by a German ana nm lriShmnI
and intended 10y the former 10 he called
Heidelberg. when the Irishman reach
ed town to record the location he had
forgotten his partners selection OF a
name aud said 1t was something like
lloodlcbug, which. for convenience
was the name recorded
The prodlgal Son lived up to it,
name 10y bankrupting its locator. who
returned to Iowa at the behcst 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 guches 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. Blacktall.
Whitehall. Crooked Arm. Poverty and
Prosperity. Deadwood Cor st. Louis
Republic.