The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-29
STORIES OF LUCKY CHANCE,
A Number of Accidents That Uncov-
cred Great Fortunes.
CAnswers.)


In 1903 the town of Cobalt consisted OF
four rough little huts inhabited by ium-
bermen. Today there are 5000 people.
fine shops. hotels. and the place will in
few years probably rank as the most
important mining center in British North
America.
Cobalt ilvertown," as some call it,
is one more page in the wonderful and
never-dying romance of the mine. The
marvellous mineral riches of the neigh
borhood were disclosed purely by chance.
Two navvies at work on an extension
of the Northern Ontario railway had
words. One lost his temper and hurled
an ak at the other. The latter sprang
aside just in time, and the missile hit
and split boulder lying just behind him.
Others interfered, and while the quar-
rel was being patched up a bystander
noticed a brilliant shining streak in the
center Of the broken boulder. 1t was pure
silver!
Now there are a dozen paying silver
mines around Cobalt, one of which has
already returned f3OO.O0O Nickel also has
more valuable than all, a>wonderful de-
posit of that very valuable mineral Co
bait.
Cobalt's chance-found treasures bring to
mind the way in which the Haemsgirk.
the great tin lode of Tasmania, was
struck man named William Mayne
farmed in a small way near Haemskirk.
and his good wife assisted by managing
the dairy. On6 morning an OpStiildlt CIV
refused to return to its pasture and IN
sisted on wandering into an orchard,
where it had no business. Mrs. Mayne
tried ''shooing'' it away, but, as the crea-
ture would not bulge, she at last picked
I'D a stone to throw at it. The stone was
not very large, but its weight was so ex-
tTaordinary that Mrs. Mayne was amazed
and carried it into the house. Analysis
proved 1t to be practically pure oxide OF
tin. The lode was sought and found,
and from its face were taken samples
which yielded "a per cent pure tin.
1t is a very curious coincidence that
the gold mine at Mokihjuni creek in New
Zealand was also discovered by an ar
rested stone throw. A ships fireman.
named Albert Winter. left his ship to
work in the mines at Grannity creek, New
Zealand One day when out for walk
he picked up a stone TO throw at wood
pigeon. The stone was not only heavy,
but had shining specks in il. Winters
at once pegged out a claim, which ne sub
sequently sold for the pleasant little sum
of 500
The greatest discovery of borax ever
made was the result of the purest chance.
Some twenty years ago a man named
Aaron Winters was prospecting for gold
and other precious metals In that Ameri-
can inferno known as Death valley. He
had his wife with him, and they two
worked together until their provisions
were at an end. Then. bitterly disap-
pointed at their i'll success. they started
DdCk toward ClNl1lZdLlOu he liISl ilSsl
they camped in Ash valley. Here they
lit fire and prepared to cook their sup
per- Mrs. Winters called her husband S
attention to the peculiar green tinge of
of the flames.
He did not speak. but with shaking
hands scratched away the earth, and sud
denly shouted:
Were rich, Rose, we're richl It's bo-
raxi'
He was right. They subsequently sold
their claim for a very large sum.
This is not the only occasion upon which
fire has proved a good friend to the pros
pectOr in search of minerals. About
eighteen months ago two women-Mrs.
Wilson and Miss Spencer-were looking
for gold i'm southern California. They
camped one night on the bank of a
creek close TO the edge of the Mojave des-
est When they had lit their fire, col
ums of sthick. suffocating black smoke
after a time began to rise, and Mrs. Will
son exclaimed. in alarm;
1.-The grounds all afire."
They had in fact. camped on top OF
rich deposit of asphalt, hidden by q
thin LAYER of sand. The lucky ladies
have made large fortune from their
find.