Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-02-27

He is professor of metallurgy at
Brown University came the answer.
How do you know?"
Because | 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 a smelteT. The min
eral wealth of Colorado was first I'M
covered by chicken, and the state
was saved by a 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 Crab, 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 new trail over the
mountains. Coleman insisted that it
was but a game trail The other
thought not. So they parted.
Finding it impossible to get over
tha hn rty
turned to the valley.
Let's pan this gulch.' said Cowan.
It's the last chance before we leave"
1t was about shutdown when CoWan
made that remark. He filled his pan
| with gravel = 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
we'll down to the bottom of the pan,
| AS he began to shake it to rid it of
superfuous dirt, and take in fresh wa
ter. he shouted:
We've struck it bigger'n all out
doors, We can own all of Montana .
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 fat 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 popula-
ton of more than ten thousand before
! the SHOWS of Christmas fell, and the
nuggets found in hat pan were the
! first of S140,000,000 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.
great mining camp was discover
! ed because a 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
! Quil1s 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-
walton. 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 $500 a ton! The Indians
ceded their lands to the government
and the rush commenced in 1876
and people in the gulches. Deadwood
is located on the spot where the flee
| ing murderer found his little nuggets
If the keepers of the Jail had not
! been lax, the half-breed Renseler
would not have escaped. And if he
had not escaped and been pursued
the wealth of the Black Hills would
| have been unknown.
Finding Pleasant Tombstone
A prcspector left Fort Huachuca,
| in Arizona.
81 am going out to find a million. -
| he remarked
You will find your tombstone! The
! country is alive with Indians"
Better a tombstone than poverty -
few weeks later he uncovered one
! of the greatest silver mines ever open
ed in the southwest. which he named
! the Toughnut. He called it 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. 1t was the accidental
! turning to the left, forced on him by
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