The San Francisco call., 1909-03-07
Bits History Which Show That Precious Metals Are
Find Them That the Finding Has Usually Been Chance
Which Be Penness Man; and That by Freak of
Has Almost Invariably Been Robbed His Reward

outcrop of the now famous Mizpah
lode of Tonopah.
In August, in 1873. George Lufkin,
cowboy with headquarters at Hfllsboro,
New Mexico, was riding the range when
his saddle girth became loose. Dis
mounting to "cinch" it, he picked up
a stone intending to @cast it at
prairie dog that was barking vocifer-
ously short distance away. Surprised
at it's weight, he placed it in his pocket
and a few days later handed 1t to an
assayer at Hillsboro. When he got
the assayer's report he returned to
the place where he had found the stone.
and staked the Bridal Chamber mine.
It and the ajoining claims yielded
5500,0O0 ounces of silver.
In 1877, Frank Pitcher blew into
Hillsboro, and formed prospecting
partnership with Dan Dugan. One day
they were returning to Hillsboro when
they were startled by the whir of
rattler, coiled in a clump Of scrub oaks.
Hastily gathering up a few stones, the
two proceeded to lombard his snake
ship until satisfied that it was past
tho possibility of doing any damage.
Then-like every one else who has
ever killed a snake-they went closer
to see "how big it was They never
measured, for some of the stones they
had thrown were Clipped and broken,
and the CLINT of free gold was plainly
visible That marked the discovery of
the famous Rattlesnake lode, and slim
ulated mining excitement to formerly
unheard of proportions in that section.
In 1891 the three Dimmick brothers
went from Pennsylvania to New Mex
ico-not to dig gold, but to farm and
raise dairy cattle They took up
homestead near Pinos Altos. figuring
that the mines would afford a ready
- Nw1A IL
one of the brothers started out after
the cows, which had strayed off into
the hills. AS he was driving them
homeward, one of them, with the per-
versity natural to cows, started off on
run in the wrong direction. In no very
amiable mood Dimmick started in
pursuit, snatching up stone as he ran,
and hurting it after her. Before the
stone had left his grasp, but too late
to stay the motion, he noticed that its
weight was extraordinary. Ills aim
was true, the missile striking the an
inal on the flank. and then falling to
the ground fastening TO the spot,
Dimmick picked it up. IT was nearly
pure silver. The reealcitrant COW was
forgotten. and the Silver Cell mine was
located, which yielded several million
>dollars before the continued decline in
the price of silver made mining in
Manhattan an Accident
Equally fortutous was the discovery
of the mining wealth of Manhattan,
Nevada. In March, 1905, George Hum
phrey started on the 20 mile ride from
Tonopah to Belmont He grew weary
on the way, dismounted from his cay
use turned the animal loose to Craze,
and lay down in the shade of scrub
oak to rest. He went to sleep, and
slept until the sun was low on the
horizon. When he awakened, he
noticed a chunk of rock that had been
dislodged by his heavy boot heel, and
took it to Belmont to have it assayed.
AS a result, the mining town of Man
haitian is on the map. and Humphrey
ranks among the mining kings of
Nevada.
One of the great silver-lead. prop
critics of the Couer d'Alenes. OF
Idaho. is the Shoshone. 1t was dis
covered because Pat McGovern, PEN
niless prospector, happened to be
thirsty. and had no flask with him. He
was walking from Wallace to Wardner,
when his thirst became so insistent
that he was tempted to try even the
unaccustomed taste Of water as pal
liative, and stopped at spring that
bubbled from a hillside. The water had
a sweetish taste, which the recollections
of childhood told him never belonged
to that beverage. Hence. he shrewdly
guessed that it was lead. He had no
money. and few friends, so his efforts
to secure backing with which to hunt