Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-12-09
ODD NAMES OF MINES
Peculiar Titles Given to Some oil
the Black Hills Claims.
sMaH!Ms CT PIONEER MINERS.
ksny OF the Early Prospectors Select
ed the Names of Wives or Sweet.
hearts, Which Stand Now as Remind
e-s OF Romances of Bygone Days.


eTs OF Romances of Bygone Days.
Behind the names of many of the
aiming claims and mines of every min
:ag district in the west there lies a
wealth of romance and history, both
pathetic and ludicrous. The Black
Ellis furnish as many and as good ex-
2mples OF tie peculiar circumstances
under which many claims are named
rs 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 10
Gated by an old miner who lad work.
ed some years without success. The
claim was a 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 a
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 bygona
days. Many Il young. ambitious man
came here when the mining boom of
the eighties was at it's height, lured
with hope of u fortune, and all that re-
mains to tell the tale is the name of
Katie W. or Mabel E. or Lulu j. Many
O sweetheart or wife in the PARKWAY
east was honOred in the naming of a
claim that it's 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 a
small abandoned claim known as the
Widow. with which there goes a story
Years ago youth named Hanley ap-
peared from somewhere with few
thousand and with zeal commenced to
sink his money in hole in the ground
in the hope of a vast fortune. Back
In the old home a little widow waited
In vain for the golden wealth he said
was sure to come and the wedding
day that would celebrate it. 1t took
but short time for the youths small
savings to dwindle away with his in
experience, and. chagrined and dis.
heartened. he put bullet through his
brain on the site of his blasted hopes.
One prospector who worked diligent
ly ON a 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 Gid 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 beer
remembered, as Longfellow, Burns and
Dickens. One student named his
group Miltiades, Mark Anthony, Attils
and Cleopatra.
One man of pessimistic vein chose
What's Left and Some Left. The aver
hIJc in oir,O n10 inns
will choose a simple name and use 9
series of numbers, as. for instance
Thomas No. 1. Thomas No. 2. 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 Boodlebug claim. which was 10
Gated by a German and an IrishmaI
and intended by the former to be called
Heidelberg. When the Irishman reach
ed town to record the location he had
forgotten his partners selection Of G
name and said it was something like
was the name recorded.
Inc PrOdlgal Son lived up TO III
name by bankrupting its locator. wht
returned to Iowa at the behest of thu
father who had put up the funds fol
the venture. Among the names thai
doubtless conceal stories never known
are Old Whiskers, She Devil. Cracl
Brain and Crank.
Some Of the gulches have names
that refer to incidents. Two Bit was
named because a placer miner de
clared his first painful would yield
about two bits. Then there are Pool
Mans Gulch, Sheeptail. Blacktail
Whitehall. Crooked Arm. Poverty and
Observation-Disclosures Cor st Louis
Republic.
us that YOU, Frank?" asked Mrs.