The Elbert County tribune., 1913-02-28


Brown University" came the answer.
How do you know?"
Because l am a Brown man"
college fellow. eh?"
The man from Brown pressed his
claim. and an appealing message was
sent to the university. Professor Hill
responded. He examined the ore and
agreed to erect smelter The min
eral wealth OF Colorado was first un-
covered by chicken. and the state
was saved by professor. afterwards
United States senator
The Last Chance.
In the spring OF 1864 there was a
stampede from Alder Gulch to the
kootenai. in British Columbia. -Four
men. named Cowan. Stanley. Miller
and Grab, started north. and while
crossing the Prickly Pear Valley in
Montana. learned there was no use in
going to the new diggings. This in
formation was given to them by Jim
Coleman and his party. who were re-
turning. They debated together and
concluded to go back to the states
They could not agree on the route
they should follow. The Cowan par
ty wanted to try a new trail over the
mountains. Coleman insisted that it
was but game trail. The other
thought not. So they parted.
Finding 1t impossible to get over
the mountains. the Cowan party re-
turned to the valley.
Lets pan this gulch.' said Cowan
IT'S the last chance before we leave"
1t was about sundown when Cowan
made that remark. He filled his pan
with gravel In the gathering dusk
his partners watched him. Idly smok-
ing.
The light was fading fast, and Cow
an was hurrying the work He had
removed the coarse gravel and was
well down to the bottom of the pan
AS he began to shake it to rid 1t of
superfiuous dirt, and take in fresh wa
ter. he shouted:
We've struck 1t bigger'n all out
doors. We can own all of Montanal"
In an instant his partners were at
his side. Four breathless men watch
ed the final operation. In the bottom
Of the pan were several fiat pieces
of gold AS the dirt was thrown out
more and more of the yellow stuff
appeared. Altogether there was about
eighteen dollars worth in that pan.
They worked by camp fire. They were
wild with Joy.
They were rich beyond their widest
dreams. They fired their revolvers
and talked half the night. as they
planned thier future. They had made
history in washing that pan. for Last
Chance Gulch was to have a popula-
ton of more than ten thousand before
the SHOWS of Christmas fell. and the
nuggets found in that pan were the
first of s140.0oO.00O that it was to
yield to the gold hunters. Helena,
Montana. now stands on the place
where that discovery was made.
A Murderer's Legacy.
A great mining camp was discover
ed because murderer escaped from
jail. While evading arrest he STUN
bled on gold in the sands of range
of black mountains. Pursued by off,
GERS of the law and hunted by warlike
Indians. hungry and weary, he gave
himself up. To the warden of the
prison where he died he gave two
quills of gold, and made a rough map
showing where he found the yellow
stuff They began an invasion of the
country. which was an Indian reser-
vation. Men died in the search for
those mines. Wild Bill organized an
expedition in 1872, and spent the win
ter in the Black Hills. fighting red
skins. He was forced out in 1873 by
the military. In spite of a Gordon Of
soldiers and hostile Indians. prospec-
tors risked their lives. for they found
ore worth 5000 a ton! The Indians
ceded their lands to the government
and the rush commenced in 1876.
Within year there were forty thous-
and people In the gulches. Deadwood
is located on the spot where the flee
ing murderer found his little nuggets.
II the keepers of the Jail had not
been lax, the half-breed Renseler
would not have escaped. And II he
had not escaped and been pursued.
the wealth of the Black Hills would
have been unknown.
Finding a Pleasant Tombstone.
A prospector left Fort Huachuca,
in Arizona.
81 am going out to find million" ("
he remarked
you will find your tombstonel The
country is alive with Indians"
"Better tombstone than poverty"
A few weeks later he uncovered one
of the greatest silver mines ever open
ed In the southwest. which he named
the Toughnut. He called 1t the Tomb
stone District. Several millions OF
dollars were taken out Just under the
grass roots. A town sprang up. A
newspaper called the Epitaph was
published daily It was the accidental
turning to the left. forced on him by