Semi-weekly herald., 1909-10-04
RAMus HANsoN-PIoNEeR,
PRosPEcToR AND PROMOTER


ed year or more ago.
1T is not the privilege of many me
TO engrave their names In the Han o
) Fame. Most men live and die uil
known outside of their little coteri.
"f friends and acqulintances. TheI
life is simple. reclusive, secluslve an,
harmless. A few there are who ar,
destined to acquire fame and renown
by living their life in tbs best way
and by doing each duty as 1t presents
itself, they build great future and
make for themselves an imperishable
name. Others find the niche In which
they are successful and by being con.
Tented with that niche they do much
for the locality In which their lot is
cast.
such man ia Rasmus Hanson, the
empire builder of the San Juan. His
life Is part of the history of the
mines around Anlmas Forks. Eureka
snleh. Picayune guich. Hanson peak,
hurricane peak and other familiar
mountains and peaks In this section of
the San Jnsr Through the gamut of
The past thIrlyodd years he has &C.
complished much. Not so much for
himself as for the advancement and
promotion OF the mining district In
which he has lived. Through his tire.
lnla al f..i e.
new mines have been created, many
old ones revived and hundreds of thou.
saDds OF dollars have been diverted
from other industrial channels or from
lhe musty recesses of Unchecked
vaults and directed TO the development
of the inexhaustible mineral resources
OF this, the greatest of all mining dis
stricts ON earth. This has been achiev-
ed without palayer or fuss. II has been
done In quiet and unobtrusive man
ner. The groundwork of this success
has been ceaseless energy and effort
and an answering fidelity and
straightforward honesty In all his deal.
ings with his fellow men Combining
his with rare tact and acumen and
with exoep'ionable mining judgment,
he has builded better than he knew
and today stands as one of the fore.
most mining men in the state This
little booklet would be untrue 10 the
san Juan IL Ii did not give brief
sketch of this successful and beloved
mining man.
"Rasmus Hanson was born on the
island of F'yn In the kingdom OF Den.
mark. March %. lS47. His parents
were farmers and land owners. He at
tendcd the public schools until four
teen years of age. when. his father
having died. he sailed with captain
a friend of the family. and visited
many European ports during The year
he was absent. Tie next two years
after which he Obtained from the gov.
ernment the right 10 study agriculture
in all Its branches. In three years he
mad secured the coveted diploma. and
now, mt the age of twenty-one. his eyes
turned longingly toward the land of
The free across the Atlantic. He land
ed at Quebec. Canada. in 1868. and
hen went to Chicago. where he re-
main short time, after which he
journeyed westward to Cheyenne
where for eighteen months he wns
in, bn ~ h.. IL. "A
'anadian Pacific railways.
Nevada was then attracting the at.
tention of the world with It's great min
ing boom. and Hanson followed the
rush, but fortune was wary. and failed
10 bestow her smiles. Then he went
10 Denver, and finally to Central City,
in 1870, where he once more chal
lenged fortune In mining and prospect
ing. The first two years were attend
ed with but Indifferent success. and
he then, with others, secured a lease
lode. In Gilpin county and OF stamp
mill In connection herewith. These
efforts were attended with success for
Two years, and he then extended his
mining operations into Clear Greek
and Park counties; he built the first
house on the north spur of Lincoln
mountain. became interested in min
ing claims in many different camps
and In 1876 came TO the San Juan.
where he has pinned his faith and
exerted his energies ever since.
For nearly ten years he prospected
md took mining contracts throughout
he district contiguous to Eureka and
Anirnas Forks, and gradually acquired
A number of valuable properties. In
sS6 he was elected mayor of the
town of Anlmas Forks, which was then
scene OF considerable activity. For
considerable time he was connected
With the Sunnyaide Extension mine at
he head OF Mastodon gulch, as super.
ntendent, and this association with
he property convinced him that IT had
a splendid future Although 1t had
not been a paying proposition up 10
hat time, Intermittent streaks of high
srade gold ore had been encountered
| m tho Vrqat MAS of vein matter