The Washington times., 1908-04-24
DISCOVERED MINES,
NOW A PENSIONER
Man Who Found Millions
Has Nothing For
Himself.

Bob Womack. the poor cowboy who
sank the first shaft in the Cripple Creek
district and thereby enriched the Golfers
OF the world by $50 600. is in dire
poverty in Colorado Springs. and will be
given life pension by some Of the men
he has made millionaires.
WomacIg. for several years has been a
helpless cripple from paralysis Pre-
viOus TO the paralytic Wis tatiOn he aided
his sister in running a boarding house
Nobody would have dreamed that this
bright. CHEEKY old man. some time split
ting kindlings. or again washing dishes
or waiting on table, had discovered the
great gold camp Of Cripple Creek, and,
had he hei dtO his original claims.
would have been worth S250O0G00. Yet
such Is the fact, and today Womack
would be facing the pOOrhOUse were II
not that some OF the men who have
prOfied by his faith have resolved not
70 let the old prospector CONG 70 any
such fate
Late in the eighties Bob Womack was
riding the range for u cattle outfit in a
tract OF land known al that time as
ReQua Gulch, where Cripple Creek is
now situated. Cripple Creek was first
settled on by a ranchma named Levi
| Welty Bob WOmack's rather secured
Welty's title, but the laud passed from
! his control 70 two young men named
Thompson and Anderson. and Bob did
the work of a cowboy fc~ the new own
and a real estate firm. Bennett s, Myers.
| or Denver. had TO fOreclOse a mortgage
| on what they thought a most und6sir-
able piece OF property
In January, 1881 Bob dug a prospect
/ hole OF what is now known as the RI
PaSO lode Of the Gold King Mining
| Company. one Of the richest veins in
Cripple Creek II CHANGED thar Mr.
Myers. head Of the real estate firm that
owned the cattle ranch. visited the place
while Bob was at work unCoveriug mill
hons. The foreman, Carr, remarked
that Bob had weakness for prOsucct-
/ ing, and THAI he had better be dis
charged. as every pr0sIect hole meant
JEc loss or at least one steer. MI Myers
decided 10 investigate, and ne and Carr
went up Poverty Gulcn ani found Bob
! at work on his claim. Calling him from
| the prospect mole. Mr.. Myers told him
| he would have To leave the ranch 90 He
I did not desist- Bob steadily denied that
| ms prospecting fever had caused the
1 loss Of any cattle and before the real
4 estate man had left tile scene tu- COW
/ boy haG partly converted MIN 20 the
/ theory that there was ore lU that very
| spot.
Mr.. Myers took sack OF the rocl, Z,
Denver and had il lSsIgeG- bur never
got a report on 81. Whether the ASSAY IT
/ GOhlrnptuously threw the rock into the
( alley. OF whether tie tests were not OF
| "A proper sort. viii never te known Al
] any rate Nj M-erS lost the opportunity
/ OF becoming a mining magnate, though
! - l-ttl " az NAI li-- DAl lllaL Ae lGale q
1 fortune from the discover OF Cripple
! Greek. through the valuable real esi ace
/ he possessed ga the ranch
| BOB WOrn3ck took some rock from his
! Fl Pdso claim &" two citizens Of col
ofadO Springs. The ore gave splendid
| returns. and fortune vas within the
poor cowboys grasp, buJ he flung IL
/ aside.
! Wen give you 5000 for the aIaJra %
said one OF the future mIliiCnaIreS.
/ Done said the cowboy 10 whom S9a
| looked ike big fortune
| Fne deal was made. and devel0pnent
work was begun ~ the property which
| mas paid many hundreds OF thousand,