Omaha daily bee., 1910-04-03
TIE @1EAD HoTE1s LEAD& S

- INTO existence. II Is q long cry
from the p-ocket-hunter's rocker Of thirty
years ago to the quartz mill OF today, but
tho difference between the two makes the
advancement and progress Of the goid-get-
ling business in the gold fields OF the
Back Hils.
The pocEet-hunter. the original miner
Of tho lUniatie days. is a part of a story
that las been told. He has found his last
&C loI and struck his last trace" The
event % modern-day. ~gold-getting giants,
the complete taking up of a once free
DOMAIN, has forced him to HE into the dim
and fading past. The man who. thirty years
ago, worked from sunrise tin dusk over
his crude rocker, with a pistol in his belt
and a rifle near at hand. has passed the
days Of lis usefulness. There was a time
when he was a necessity. During the
palmy days OF the age Of gold the pioneer
miner and his rocker played an important
part, and TO their credit. let II be said, they
played II we'll The pioneers shallow
aggings were indications Of ledge-ribbed
mountains. Of hidden treasures beyond his
shovel handles length. which was his limi-
tatiOn.
The traveller through the Black Hills
gets q fitting glance from the car window
Of monster quartz mills. Of long lines
OF pipes and bitches and fumes every
where. Yet, each one Of these great mines
with their laundering quartz mill had a
small, "a very small beginning. Along that
same stream, where today the giants are
rohbing the mountains Of their gold, a
griEzled pioneer led his pack pony. laden
with pick. shovel. pan and grub kit. He
followed the stream and panned the dirt.
washing each pan carefully down and
annuanar anw,H-a -. a. - -. II
gold. II a little string Of yellow followed
close at the heels Of the black sand in the
corner OF the pan the grizzled features
frightened with q mile Of happiness. for
that little string Of yellow was particles
OF gold.
The returns from this slow method OF
mining were rather disheartening. He
washed out the surface deposits and de.
ported for other fields leaving TO bis
successors his cradle and tools. Such has
ever been the history Of gold discoveries
Men have become enthusiastic over the
soy OF finding it. yet has grown weary Of
the effort necessary TO bring success
There is always the lure OF other places
the hope Of striking Il rich. But as on,
goes, another takes his place and so th'
mines Of the Black Hills we're worked
more or less spasmodically until in recent
years better facilities have richly rewarded
those who believed IN them.
sold, A curious charm lies In the word
Every one OF us in his day has been 4
treasure seeker. The thought that gold II
good 10 have and beautiful 10 look up0I
seems 70 be born With US. II remains To-
the world TO teach US how cold and hart
} u is. Hardships that would crush a MAJ
In any other walk OF life seem buN
phantoms 10 The prospector. Nothing vii
shake his belief In his luck. and. indeed
luck seems 70 have had more to do viii
the fnding Of grsat mines than anything
else. Nick CTeed's' dos. n trying
10 dig out a woodehuck, discovered n,
wonderful rich galena wn.-- resulted il
making a poor prospector, who had n
money. no credit. no friends, q millionaire
and that the discovery OF the great sHve
King mine I'm British Col-labia, In isl
was due 20 a few horses in Hairs part,
that got lost and which some boys wen
hunting. While looking for the horses IN
boys discovered some "noaL" which led {
the discovery OF the great mine, afte
] HAIRS party. consisting Of twelve men. ha