The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-14
How a Mine Was
Located
By BARBARA PHlPPS

Tom Grosvenor was prospector III
Colorado In the early days when the
country was wild and the people were
as wild as the country. Tom had LETT
q wife in the east and had gone to
the gold fields to make his fortune.
Many a hole he had dug and abandon
ed, but at last, one day while working
all alone with his pick, he unearthed
some quartz that looked peculiar. He
took it to an assayer and it analysed
$500 to the ton.
1t had been arranged between Tom
and his wife that if he found any val
liable property he was to send her
description of 1t. the facts stated be-
ing certified by others, and she was to
| make an effort to get capital for Its
development. AS soon as he got the
assayer's report on his specimens he
wrote her an announcement OF the
fact, stating that he would send fur
Their information later.
Colorado In those days was full OF
claim jumpers, and Grosvenor realized
the Importance of keeping his find
secret. Unfortunately one person, the
assayer, knew that he had struck it
rich. and the knowledge that new
and valuable find had been made got
out through him. Tom saw that the
preservation Of his property could be
/ secured only by shrewd management
He alone knew where his mine was
situated, and 1t behooved him to form
a plan by which he might convey Its
location to his wife without any one
else understanding the description.
The reasons for this were several.
In the first place, if he should die he
wished his wife to inherit his find.
In the second, he felt sure that he
was being watched, and If he were
| seen going to the mine he might be
followed and, having thus revealed its
locality, be put out Of the way In order
that his murderers would the more
easily appropriate 1t. He resolved to
make one trip. tx its location, then
await means for its development.
On his arrival he looked over the
ground for the purpose of leaving
mark that would not be recognized as
such. OF course he must give bis wife
the general location; the exact spot
would be indicated by key which she
alone would recognize. He could not
give her this key " letter any more
than he could give her the exact loca-
ton of his find, for he believed his
mail would be watched and purloined.
Indeed. he had experimental in this
and found the experimental letter had
been opened.
! GrOsvenOr laid scheme to guide his
| wife to his mine. and 1t was well that
he did so, for two days later he was
arrested on trumped up charge by
conspirators. who gave him his choice
to await trial for which they had
manufactured testimony or to hand
| over his mine to them.
| Mrs. Grosvenor, who was smart
woman, on receipt of the letter an
nouncing the find went to several cap.
italists and secured from them an
! agreement that If the proofs were sat.
isfactory they would form company
for its development This done. she
went to Colorado
On her arrival she heard of her hus-
bands arrest She was permitted to
see him, but he dare not give her any
information as to the location of the
mine, for he felt sure that there would
be listeners ready to receive and avail
themselves of what he said Mrs
Grosvenor took in the situation. and
hint her husband gave her told her
that If she looked for the property she
would find It. At least she would find
| guidance. He dare only say to her.
South side of Indian gulch. mile up
from the mouth
! Mrs. GrOsvenor set out for the gulch
and on reaching it strapped pedom.
eter about her waist and walked the
mile 1t indicated. Then she began to
search for clew. In wood she
! found on the trunk of a tree the bark
Clipped off to form an arrow. which
pointed up the side of the gulch. She
set out In the direction indicated and
after proceeding few hundred yards
came to sandstone cliff. on which
had been carved tomahawk, the han
die Of which pointed along the cliff
eastward. This led her to post on
which there was cross In the post
was a hole. Ten feet from the post
was another post with two crosses on
1t, one above and another below hole.
This seemed to end the matter, for
the woman saw no further guide
mark. Presently 1t occurred to her to
look through the hole In the upper
post, and her eve caught the hole In
the lower one The second was much
larger than the FIRST. and through If
she saw stake. Pulling It up. on the
lower part that had been In the ground
were the initials of her name. ]. T. G
Jane Turner Grosvenor.
Was this the location of the mine
or were there further guides? On a
tree near by was cut finger. pointing
Mrs. GrosvenOr followed its direction
till she came to some loose earth and
stones. under which she found a nick
and shovel
She inferred that the stake indicated
the mine. and the pick and shovel
were for her use With them she re.
moved some Snaoimans of oro -