Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-12-05
SALTWATER BILL
NOW HAS HIS
4TR WIFE
Famous Character of the
Northwest Takes Unto Him
self Another Biz Force Of
Men at Work on Great Tun-
mel Near Spokane
Especial Corrc, cndenoe 10 Morning JournolI

Ispecial Corrct pc udrnce 10 Morning Journull
Spokane. Wash.. No,. Is swift
water Hill' GHtes, whose spectacular
mining and matrimonial adventures
in Alaska. Puget Sound California
ana Nevada have been the talk OF
the northwest the last ten years, has
taken unto himself wife no 4. Tho
I bride b. Saddle Mercer, eighteen years
old. daughter OF Mrs Violet NJ. Erick-
son, manager Of Hotcl Webster in
SPOKANE. The were married at Occur
It Nlenc, Idaho, last Saturday, after q
brief courtsbip Gates and his bride
are now on the way 60 New York,
whence they viii sail for Liverpool
TO pass a year IN England. 'Btll
cleaned ny a fortune In Nevada a
short time before coming to spokane.
The bride came from New York
two months ago, about the i'm Gates
returned TO Spokane from Nevada
They met two weeks ago Ia the ho-
trl where the veteran miner was
suuRly cnscunscd 10 avoid n0toriety
BIN" was struck with the young
girls beauty and was ardent IN his
Woolug NItpu Miss Mercer Old him
shc loved another, Gates became
more Ya rslEtent and finally won the
girls heart ana hand. IT was intend
ed to keep the engagement and we'd
AiAih - RfN''Nf b'N 800
conddante was 0ver-enthtlsiastic and
told another girl friend.
Gates came into public notice a
dozen yeurs ago., when he gave Gus
sic Lahore. 81 san Francisco, her
weight iu gold to marry him. She
discard 4 him soon afterward, and he
married her sister Rose, divorcing her
after IA honeymoon OF six weeks,
Then ne eloped with Bera Bcele, six
teen years of age, at Skagway, who
committed suicide carly last month,
after separating from Gates and mar
rying Harry Cook. 'Bill' arranged
for the burial and paid the bills.
~ have helped othcrs 20 the limit
Of my ability. as God knows; J now
cry ont for aid IN the hour of my
affection"
Rev. Thomas Bell, an Episcopal
minister at clifton Heights, Pa, en-
ploys the foregoing words In O let
ter rejecting the emotions Of q heart
broken parent to his former class
mate. Right Rev Bishop Lemuel II.
Wells. Of spokane, for r.S stance in
I1catlng his son. Robert Huntington
licll, who was last heard from by his
family last February, when he was In
spokane Mrs Ben. wife Of the min
lister aud mother Of the missing man
nleO a. month ago ana til' SON bftdllt
the heir of his Etandmothrr'S estate
Bishop Wells has sent copies of the
lettcr To- Frank j. Smith, aupVrintcnd
Of Ornhava Inn, ana thu police
The missing man Is thirty-four years
81 age and vas employed IN a log
ginR camp prior to coming Ia Spo-
kane. he suffered sunstrokr while
prospecting in Death Valley. ton years
ago. aud since then he has been a
wandrrcr. The police say TINT Rell
to California last May, while
roomcrS at The Inn believe he ls m
who're in the east.
Twenty .sht mahinr drills, man
led BY exports. and three hundred
nrn are working day and night I'm th' /
zig tunnel for the Chicago, Milwaukee p,
y 80, Paul railway near the Occur
lAlcne mining district, east Of Spo- ;
zane, and If the present rate Us kept ]
up more than roo feet viii be- dug
Turing the month This VIII break [
VI records in the history OF railway
obstruction In the Pacific northwest
work is progressing fustcr than calf
Il for bv the schedule and eng neors
m the Job KAY the bore win bo com
,leted before April I, when IL was es-
mated the drillcrs working ON the {
ast and west sides of the tunnel b
would come together. TracklaytuE la $
lso proceeding at "A lively rate &