The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-03-30
Peculiar Titles Given to the
Black Hills Claims.
WHIMS OF PIONEER MINERS
Many Early Prospectors Selected Names
Of Wives or Sweethsarts, Which
Stand Nov at Reminders Of Ro-
nances Of Bygone Days.

Behind the namcs Of many Of the
mining claims and mines Of every min
Ing district in the west there lies a
wealth OF romance and history, both
pathetic and lndcrous. 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 lo
Gated by an old miner who had work
ed some years without success. The
claim was a hard one to work. When
the man went home III the evening
after locating his claim his wife asked
him what he named 1t, He smiled and
told her, "For you, my dear" and her
further inquiry drew forth the fact
that he had called 1t 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 d fortune. and all that re-
mains to tell the tale is the name Of
Katie w. or Mabel II. or Lulu j. Many
O sweetheart or wife In the PARKWAY
east was honored IN the naming Of a
claim that its owner hoped would prove
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 a youth named Hanley APP
peared from somewhere with n few
thousand and with zeal commenced to
sink his money in hole in the. ground I
ia the hope Of vast fortune. Back 1
in the old home a little widow waited
in vain for the golden wealth he said
was sure to come aud the wedding
day that would celebrate 1t. II took
but a short time for the youths small
savings to dwindle away with his in
experience, and. chagrined and dis
heartened. he put a bullet through his
brain on the site of his blasted hopes.
One prospector who worked diligent-
" on d 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
Nanona Those Of sporting proclivi-
ties chose race horses, as Nancy Hanks,
Salvador. Maud S.. Red Wilkes. Joe
Patchen. Fayorite authors have been
rememh ered. as Longfellow. Burns and
Dickens. One student named his
group Miitiades. Mark Anthony. Attila
and Cleopatra.
One man OF a pessimistic vein chose
Left and Some Left. The aver
age business man In naming claims
will choose a simple name and use a
series Of numbers, as, for instance,
No. /, Thomas No. .. etc One
man favored his wife by calling bis
claim Red Headed Woman. Two adj !
Joining claims are known as On Time
md Late
An odd case was known in the name
of the Hoodlahug claim. which was 10
Gated b. a German and an Irishman
md intended by the former 10 be called
when the Irishman reach
I'd town to record the location he had
forgotten his partners selection Of q
name and said it was something Ike
which, for convenience.
was the name recorded.
The ProdigaI Son lived up TO its
name by bankrupting its locator, who
returned to Iowa at the behest Of the
'ather who had put up the funds for
he venture. Among the names that
conceal stories never known
ire Old Whiskers. She Devil Crack
Brain and Crank
Some of the gulches have names
hat refer to incidents. Two Bit was '
named because a placer miner de-
Jared his first painful would yield
bout two bits. Then there are Poor
Mans Gulch. Sheeptail. Blacktaii. I
Whitehall. Crooked Arm. Poverty and .
-Deadwood Cor ST. Louis s
Republic.