Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-05-17
NAMES OF FAMOUS MINES.
Wealth Of Romance and History Be-
hind Strange Titles.

Wealth Of Romance and History Be-
hind Strange Titles.
Behind the names of many Of the
mines there lies a wealth of romance
and history-pathetic and ludicrous,
grave and gay. The Black Hills, per-
haps. furnishes as many characteris-
tic examples Of the peculiar circum-
stances in which claims have been
named as any other district in the
country.
One Of the best known mines in the
Southern Hills is The Holy Terror"
In the early days this claim was loca-
ted by an old miner who had worked
for years without success. This par
ticular claim was a most difficult one.
When the man returned home the
evening Of the day that he had locat-
ed his claim 1t appears his wife asked
what he had named it. He smiled and
said: For you, my dear" and her fur
ther inquiry ELECTED the information
that he had christened 1t THE Holy
Terror" Another prospector named
his claim IGentle Annie" in lonor Of
his wife, while the third miner perpet-
uated the memory Of his wife, who
was a noted club woman, by calling
it Silent Julia"
The Black Hills are dotted with the
names of claims recalling romances Of
bygone days. Many a young man
went thither during the mining boom"
Of the eighties, lured with the hope
Of a fortune In numerous cases all
that remains to tell the tale is the
name Of Katie w." or Mabel E." or
Lulu j." Many a sweetheart or wife
in the east was honored in the naming
Of a claim that its owner hoped would
prove a bonanza" Some proved all
that was hoped for them. Witness the
Annie Fraction" and the JOSIE"
both Of which were named for the
wives Of their owners. They are In
the Bald mountains, and have produc-
ed thousands Of dollars for the loca-
tors
One prospector who worked dill
gently on a claim which was staked by
an outsider and had difficulty in get
ting his living expenses obtained his
revenge by naming his claim "Old
Persimmon." Men Of patriotic turn
Of mind have chosen names Of those
famous in history, as Washington, Lin
afn LNon oh nf hn 70 hoo O
been remembered, famous generals, all
IF the states, seafaring heroes and he
roes Of the Philippines, as Dewey and
Funston. Indian names by the score
are found, as Hiawatha, Minnehaha
and Nanoma. Favorite authors have
been remembered, as Longfellow, and
Burns, and Dickens. One student
named his group Miltiades, Marc An
tony, Atilla and Cleopatra. One man
of a pessimistic vein, chose What's
Left" and Some Left Two adjoining
claims are known as "On Time" and
Late"
An odd case is shown in the name
of the Hoodlebug claim, which was To-
Gated by an Irishman and a German
and intended by the latter to be call
ed Heidelberg. When the Irishman
reached town to record the location
he had forgotten his partners selection
of name, and said it was something
like Hoodlebug, which, for convent
ence was the name recorded. 1.-The
Prodigal Son" lived up to its name by
its locator, who returned
east at the behest Of his father, who
had furnished the funds for the ven-
ture.
Some of the gulches have names
that refer to incidents in the lives of
their prospectors. 1.-TWO Bits" was
named because a placer miner declar-
ed his first painful would yield about
two bits" (25 cents), while one gulch
the idea of its locator's mind
when he named 1t "Go To-" Then, too,
there are "Poorman's Gulch," sheep
TAIL" "Blacktail," Crooked Arm"
Poverty" and Prosperity" - New
York Press.