Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-11-16
WOMAN FAILS IN
GOLD HUNT OF
OVER 30 YEARS
Mother Well Known Figure.
in Golden West Gives
Up Search

Los Angeles, Cal, Nov. 15.--"Moth-
er" has at last explained why she
lowered like a discontinued ghost
over the Los Angeles aqueduct pro-
ject during the first two year sot
construction work--why she couteo
ahead of the surveyors in her little
spring wagon with a frayed canvas
cover, trailed after the diggers, crep.
at night into the tunnels, hung around
the camps, always looking and listen
ing.
The silent, earnest woman Of IS
years who often attracted the atten>
ton of the men in the wilderness ik
Mrs. S. A. Williams. Along the line
of the aqueduct the veteran prospect
or was af~fectionately called Mother"
by the rugged men.
Mrs. VILLAINS had a. misguided
bunch that the aqueduct builders
would uncover a rich ore body IN
some of the cuts or tunnels. Day
after day she watched the earth and
stone loosened by the picks and SHOW
els Of the hand laborers and sat on
the dumps made by the great steam
shovels that ripped and tore the
mountain sides, hoping to see a vel
low streak or a glistening nugget or
the green Of copper.
But the color that excites the blood
was not uncovered. Her two years
OF hardships were in vain an dse>-
eral thousand dollars was spent for
naught. She laughs about it now.
Her Last Adventure.
The daring woman who has pros,
pected in sever different states ana
in Mexico since she first shouldered a
pick, more than 60 years ago, says
that her experience along the aque-
duct will remain as her last adven-
tnre. ""The last and the worst" she
said.
A definite plan of procedure founo-
ed on her long experience as q miner,
was adopted by Mrs. Williams for her
operations in lnyo county. She ha.
documents showing that she filed on
" prospects along the line of the
aqueduct. Most Of the papers were
recorded in Inyo county. Sac built
a miners monument on each of the
claims, did assessment work, and otn-
VI - SoiiPllCu Will Tic .lu!IlllS
laws. Then she awaited the coming
of the diggers.
A prospect was located by, Mrs,
Williams at each OF the principal
tunnels and cuts-wherever the earth
was disturbed to a depth likely to
strike ore. If the construction gangs
had uncovered an ore body at any Of
these locations Mrs. Williams would
have pressed her claim. The precau5
ton taken BY her in filing would have
given her precedence over the city Of
Los Angeles and all other claims
ants.
When Mrs. Williams was IS years
old she went to Carson City, New, as
the governess OF Mrs. James Gale, d
noted mine operator. Her interest in
mining dates from that time. She
became a %prospector in Nevada and
located a silver mine, which she sold
to advantage. Going to Utah in 1876,
Mrs. Williams located a gold mine,
which yielded her a profit of $4,000.
IN 1875 she went to the noted Deao-
wood region in South Dakota, where
she made $4,000 in a comparatively
short time. Colorado next attracted
her attention and she located proper
ties at Silverton in 1883. She solo
a mine three for $65,000. She was
in Cripple Creek in 1898 and suggest.
Cd the name, Juanita, for the STRAIT
ton mine, for which service she re-
celyed 1000 shares Of stock.
Mrs. Williams went to Mexico ii.
1899 and made an unsuccessful a.
tempts to obtain mining concessions
from the government.