Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-10

after the agreement made, the miners came in
usual; but this time they threw the grocers
counter lump of something that showed signs.
Washburn took it to assayer, and by giving him
two dollars extra got his figures the next day. That
lump of something assayed six hundred dollars in
silver to the ton
Three men went back over the trail the next day,
instead of the usual two and they staked out most
of that side of the mountain. Tunnels were dug,
and soon packtrain of three hundred burros made
daily trips from the mine to the smelter, carrying
two hundred pounds of ore each. Enough was
taken out to build smelter the property, costing
upward of two hundred thousand dollars.
The Wheel of Fortune set the hills ahame with
prospectors, while thousands of people focked to
see the wonderful mine So numerous did visitors
become that it necessary to place guards at
every tunnel and the workings were incosed within
tight board fence. Orders were issued to admit no
one without special permit Finally, even this
concession revoked, and strict rules were en-
forced prohibiting everyone from entering the mine.
Late one afternoon John Washburn threw
saddle on fine horse as ever climbed the Rockies
and started out to the Wheel of Fortune. The day
was perfect, and the sun sank behind the great
piles of rock, now and then playing hide and seek
across the caverns and caons he thought OF his old
home in Michigan of his mother and sister, even then
awaiting his promised visit and his heart gladdened
with pride as he neared the magnificent mine that
had been chse1ed out of the towering walls and made
to give up accumulated treasures of ages upon ages
1t was deep dusk when he neared the gate and,
dismounting, started toward the entrance to the
main tunnel. In obedience to orders, the guard
called o, t. Haiti
"Washburn paid attention
81 Haiti again commanded the shr1l voice OF the
guard. Still the man kept advancing.
Three times the command, Haiti rang out over
the mountain. By this time Washburn was at the
mouth of the tunnel
"A sharp report from a rifle sent bullet to the
roof of the tunnel. 1t struck solid rock, glanced
downward and John Washburn fell forward dead.
pierced through the heart
why he disregarded the orders he himself had
given ever knew. The guard was exoner-
ated it too dark to recognize the newcomer
one of the owners of the Wheel of Fortune.
Little Benny. Who Wanted to Dig
MOT much was heard in those days about the call
~ of the wild and the like; but the call of the
mines had spread pretty much all the country.
Among others who heard the call was one quiet,
hard working fellow, timer from Illinois. The
he read of the diggings the more he wanted to
dig; and the more he tried to forget the wondrous
tales of the E1dorado the more he wanted to 60
If he could have pick and shovel and chance to
dig, he knew he could find minel
low over his workbench. When spring came he
closed his sop, took his small sayings, and joined
the innumerab1e caravan that moved on the old
California Gulch the thriving city of Leadville
He small of stature, and the first day out the
boys named him Little Benny What cared he?
Little Benny or Giant Mike it the same to
him. He on his way to seek his fortune and the
tinshop and the humdrum of life were at end for
him forever.
Through all the privations of the long, tedious
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