The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-05-29
RICHARD WILSON, FORMERLY OF THIS CITY,
DIES SUDDENLY IN PORTLAND, OREGON
ONE OF SUCCESSFUL OPERATORS EARLY DAYS AND MAN
HIGHLY ESTEEMED THIS DISTRICT
-LEAvEs LARGE FORTUNE

The news of the sudden death of
Richard Wilson in Portland came as
a great surprise TO his friends In this
city. 1t was known that he was not in
the most robust health, and that he
had recently returned from southern
California where he had gone in the
hope of getting free from the effects
of severe attack of grip, He re-
turned much improved, but not wholly
Well and he planned to visit this city
at no distant date, Mr.. Wilson is SUR
vived by his wife and two brothers,
one of the latter living on the farm
near Portland owned by Mr., Wilson.
Richard Wilson came to the Occur
ldAlene district in 1888 He was one
of that we'll known type of miners who
work during the winter and devote the
spring and summer to prospecting. Il
was the spirit of a prospector that led
him to this district He was working
in the mines at Butte and in the spring
of 1883 he joined the rush to the Occur
d'Alene, which was then at its height.
With wagon and team he drove from
Butte. coming over the old Mullan
road. He ca,nped at what is now Os~
burn and from there packed his blan-
lSets into Eagle. The second cabin on
Prchard creek was built by "Dch'
Wilson. He became owner. either by
location or purchase, of some of tho
best known and most promising pla-
Ger ground on Prichard creek
The gold excitement was soon fol-
lowed by the discovery of silver lead
ore on the South Fork, and among the
more prominent discoveries was the
Mammoth, which later was consoli-
dated with the Standard mine under
the ownership of the Federal company.
The Mammoth was located by John
King and Mr. Wilson acquired an in
friend Walter Mckay, who was en-
gagged in mining in Butte and who
had told Mr.. Wilson to let him in on
anything that looked good. The Mann
moth did look good to Mr.. Wilson and
he had the satisfaction of vindicating
his judgment by personally supervis-
ing it's development from a mere
prospect until it became one of the
great mines of the district and yielded
a fortune to every one offits owners.
In addition to Mr.. Wilson and Mr. Nc
Kay the owners of the Mammoth were
Charles w. O'Neil, James and William
Leonard, A. l., Scoileld OF these,
O'Neil and James Leonard are now
dead; William Leonard lives in Den
Yer and Scofield lives in Los Angeles.
The Mammoth mine occupies a
unique position among the mines Of
this district, in that it is one of the
own development. Rich carbonate ore
and galena were found near the sur
face. A wagon road was constructed
high up on The mountain which en-
abIed shipments to be made, from the
returns of which The mine was de-
veloped at depth equipped with all
modern appliances for economical op-
Grafton and concentrator erected at
Wallace for the treatment of its ores
All this was accomplished under
the personal management Of Richard
Wilson and his record earned him an
honored place among the early sue
cessful mining operators in the Occur
d'Alenes In 1901 Mr. Wilson remov-
"A 4 it,r it,r.,
management of the mine. He was
succeeded by James #, Mccarthy, now
management of the Heca mine, who
retained the management until 1908,
Federal Mr.. Wilson continued to
make Portland his home until his un
timely death, visiting this city occa-
sionally. With the exception of tb'
Alice, in which he retained an inter.
est, his last mining holdings in this
district passed from him with the sale
of the Green HilI-Cleveland property
to the Federal He Is a stockholder
in the First National bank of this city
was member Of the first board of
directors or tbdt INSTITUTION anu was
continuously member of the board
until his death
= Mr.. Wilson's estate Is conservatiyely
estimated at 81 100000 He owns o
highly improved farm Of 900 acres
near Portland and has given much
attention to raising thoroughbred
stock He also owns a large stock
farm in eastern Oregon He was a
heavy stoclShol1er in the Columbia
Life e Trust company and the DAILY
Title & Abstract company Of Portland
and the Exchange National bank Of
Spokane.
Mr. Wilson was a quiet. unpreten-
tious and approa chablc man, and all
the earlier residents of this district
will feel sense Of personal loss in
the news Of his death. Through his
own efforts he grew from the humber
walks of life to a position of great
wealth, but the change made no diff
ference in his attitude toward the
friends Of other days.
His funeral in Portland will be at :
James +. Mccarthy, manager of the
Hecla mine; t. II. MofIitt. Harry
White, president Of the First National
tx,lSI SI.r r