Iditarod pioneer., 1915-10-23
EARLY-DAY GOLD MINER
 CHANGED HISTORY OF WEST

The following interesting story of old times, showing how the course of history may be changed by small things, was re- gently told in an address at Denver by George J. Bancroft, as reported Tn spe- cial dispatch to the St. Louis Globe-Demo- crat
 One of the most remarkable incidents in the early history of Colorado was the loyalty and patriotism of an unhonored "sourdough prospector named James Purcell. You know, in the early days, before yeast or baking powder was available, the pioneers used to make "sourdough" bread, so they were named "sourdough' prospectors, to indicate that they lived beyond the borders of any kind of civilization.
 This prospector was ventursome as well as patriotic man. He penetrated the wllds of the West long before the government explorers such as Pike and Fremont Santa Fe was a Spanish outpost in even those early days, and Purcell had appar- ently drfted in there for supplies as early as 1902. In 1903 he went trapping and prospecting on the Platte, and finally ar rived in the South Park Eventually he discovered CDe COutl dlh pldCel9 anu 'Ni dently struck rich stream for he banned out large amount of gold.
 Now, in those early days the United States was strictly an agricultural nation. We were not gold miners. On the other hand Spain was the great gold-mlnlng na- ton of the world, and was great world power, dreaded and feared by other nations on account of her warlike reputation.
 This "sourdough" prospector must have been a man of unusually broad under standing, because he realized that the United States needed the West, but that Spain would never let go of it if it was known that rich gold deposits existed in that vast expanse of mountains and plains. So he decided not to return to Santa te, but to cross the front range and make his way across the plains to the American settle ments on the Mississippi river. An early snow prevented his doing thls, however, and he was forced to turn south to get out of the snow.
 Eventually he reached Santa Fe in 1905. He had few skins and furs, and these he disposed of, hoping to get through the win ter without showing any of the gold, but along toward spring he ran out of supplies and he produced some of the gold. The Spanish soldiers immediately de manded of him to tell where he got the gold, but Purcell refused to tell, whereupon he was thrown into prison, and there ne lay | fer months and months, persstent!y retus- l ing to divulge his secret.
 1 Now let us review the situation at thls | time to understand Purcell's sagaclty and patriotism. Spain claimed a vast lndef- mite territory, stretching out fan-shaped l from Mexico France claimed strip Of ground running northwest from Louisiana, which strip was supposed to be bounded on the west by the summit of the continental divide.
 In fact. l have seen a stone monument near the Argentine pass with faint French 1 words scratched on one side and spanish 1 words on the other side. This monument, no doubt, was erected to define the bound arv line. but the Spanish continued to claim parts of the Louisiana Purchase, even after France had sold it. The South Park was in debatable ground
 1 Spain had prospectors all over the West, finding traces of gold here and there and pockets of rich copper ore but apparently the hand of Providence kept them from | hndlng anything Of real Falue
 Purcell realized that his find of rich placer gold would excite the Spaniards and result 1 in their occupying the Rocky Mountain re zion in such numbers that they never could be dislodged, and so he lay in his dungeon, month after month, with no ray of hope, but determined that the Spanish should not learn his secret.
 Entirely unexpected Zebulon Pike of the United States army came into Santa Fe in 1906, about six months after Purcell had been thrown into prison. Pike was l under arrest himself and some say he was put in the same jail with Purcell. Pike soon secured his own release and also the release of Purcell, and here the modest, patriotic prospector disappeared from view He told his story to Pike and went his un- recorded way.
 No doubt he loved adventure more than gold, and so resumed his trapping and trad, ing life, content in the secret knowledge oi having done his country a great service.
 So the gold of Colorado remained un- heralded until spain's hold on the country had been shaken off and American pros pectors came scouting across the plalns.
 Early in 1858 the Russell brothers with a party Ot nine men, le1t Ceorgla to pros pect for gold in the Rocky Mountains. The best showings were found on Clear creek, near where the abandoned dredges now are These discoveries they called the Montana diggings.
 Returning to the Mississippi river for supplies, their tales of gold started a mad rush for the new Eldorado. In April, 1859 John H. Gregory started at the Montana diggings to follow the gold up to its source On May 6, 1859, he struck the Gregory lode.
 The first pan of dirt from the soil on top of the vein yielded S4 in gold This famous vein is still being worked under the name of the Fifty Gold Mines Company, The