The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-05-13


IN hotel-the Grand Central, it was called
and from this vantage point he kept sharp
lookout for opportunities. Also he conducted
better hotel than had ever before been found
in new mining camp. Leadville was wide
open. The click Of the poker chip. the whirr
OF the roulette wheel, the rattle OF the dice
never ceased. Miners who accumulated little
dust" scattered it quickly when they came
into town and woke up in the morning "broke"
and discouraged. They soon ascertained that
"Tom' Walsh likely angel Any reason
ably worthy prospector could get credit at the
Grand Central. Not only that, but he could get
money. Walsh would willingly grub-stake him.
That is, Walsh would furnish an outfit, grub
and tools and advance ready money for an in
terest in the prospective "strke." How many
proftless ventures he went into is not recorded.
but they were not all Of that sort. Some of his
working partners did make strikes and the
profits were enormous. Walsh appeared to have
unerring judgment when it came to buying
mine. He studied mineralogy from the alphabet
up, secured fund of information about all
branches of geology, knew more about the vari-
Gus formations in the Colorado mountains and
hills than any expert in the business at that
time, and was we'll equipped to purchase or de-
cline when property offered. One day hV
amused the mining folk by purchasing an old
mine dump" where the refuse had been thrown.
He had theory that the process of extracting
plenty of gold left behind. Applying scientific
methods to the smelling of it, he managed to
clean up million dollars out of that supposedly
valueless dump. He bought prospect" from
a discouraged miner and found number of
pockets" Of virgin gold on it. From one "pock-
ct" alone he took 100000. He was rich now
and happy. But he had another theory about
gold mining that he was anxious to test. The
carefully educated experts said that it was folly
to seek the precious metal in the tops of the
mountains near the present town of Ouray.
Walsh thought otherwise. He made personal
investigation of some territory where prospec
tors had reported outcroppings of ore AS
result Walsh quietly purchased a tract in the
San Juan district. There were old abandoned
mines there-holes that had been left because
mining was difficult in those alttudes-because
frequent snowslides destroyed the houses and
the machinery and filled up the shafts. Tie
experts warned Walsh that he would lose any
money that. he putinto the property he had pur-
chased. He paid no attention to their warnings
but moved over to Ouray and started to work
From the very first hole that he dug he struck
ore that assayed startlingly high Then he
started force of men out after more property
and another force to do additional prospecting
The result was far beyond his widest dreams
Of success. One morning friendly little bird
hoped into the tent he was occupying and
Walsh hustled around to get some bread to
feed It, The bird stayed after that and fed
We'll call this Camp Bird" Walsh an.
nounced. And from that day to this all these
mines in the San Juan district Of Colorado have
been known as the Camp Bird group-one of
the richest groups of gold mines in the world.
Wealth literally rolled in on the lucky Walsh
He piled million upon million-how many is q
matter Of dispute. Some say that he made $780,
100000 in that district alone, in addition to tho
money he had made previously in the Black
hills and in Leadville. Whatever the amount
it was sufficient for all his needs and left over
bit for spending money. From the time of the
first rich strike until 1902 Mr.. Walsh continued
to take gold from the earth. Then an English
syndicate offered him $14,000,0OO for a control.
ling interest in his properties. and, to the sur.
prise Of the mining world, he sold, and the prop.
erty passed out of his hands. There was woe
in Ouray and throughout the mining district
when the announcement was made For Of al,
the mine owners Of the west Thomas F. walsh
enjoyed the love and confidence of his emploves
more than any other. He worked in unbeardo,
ways. For instance he built a modern. first
class hotel for the accommodation of his miners
and superintendents-a hotel with baths and
clean beds and reading rooms. The food was
good and was well cooked and well served. And
the charge for the accommodations was no
greater than that of the ordinary mining-camp
boarding house. where good digestion waits
on appetite" until appetite and the food fur
n1shed put dent in good digestion.