Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-09-08
FOR BIG "STRIKE"
AGED Mining Prospector Takes
Cre More Chance.
Sam Conser, Eighty-Nins Years O'C
Still in tbs Harness and Con,itent
He Will Win.

Recently news came that the OlhnS,
active mining prospector i'll the world
sam Conger. eighty-nine years old.
,y.,, going back to the Rockies. deter
mined to make his last big strike.
sam nser," tn" story said. "is
,h,. Grand Old Man of III, Mountains
III. has proSpcctcd in TIE iuc.ii;,s for
more shan seventy years. In addition
+, locating many of the best paying
gold and silver mines in the state. he
discovered tungsten, The rare metal of
Colorado. He is known to every Old
mining man and. despite his eighty
nine years. Sam Concpr. game to tn,
backbone. is going to the mountains
laden with pack. pick. pan and shovel
rrSnu,r i'll the faith that he will make
one more big strike"
II WAS in Boulder county tina, he
made his first big strike with his lis.
rnvrry of the Buckeye lead in lS.;o.
while the battle of Antieta!u was he-
i'm fought. Since then he pr0SppctrL
in California, Oregon. New Mexico.
Arizona. ANA studied leads AMI veins
and strata in every mining section of
Colorado. But it was always to Bou!-
der county that he returned to make
the big strike. One time it was the
Caribou mine, later sold to capitalists
of Holland. Then, after long pros
pecting in other sections. he came
back to Boulder and discovered the
Poor Man mine, where the ore ran
$4,000 to the ton. There were the
Fourth OF July and the Diantl,a and
many others.
Near Boulder City In the middle
'9Os he came on 4 strange black
mineral. Sam COnger did not then
know that he had discovered tungsten.
In Oregon he learned the great value
Of the mineral. He hurried back TO
Colorado and, in the streets Of Den
yer. met his old partner. who in Ari-
iona had also learned that the black
ore was tungsten.
Sam COnger's tungsten claim was
offered to the Allis company OF Mil
wnukee and turned down. There Is
not a great demand for tungsten" an
official said, land If 1t should be found
in such quantities as Conger says, the
price will fall to the lowest point"
Congers option expired. Then An
drew Carnegie took over the tungsten
claims. Each year since they have
produced their millions.
Conger was born In Ohio. AS q lad
Of seventeen he heard that the lead
mines of southwestern Wisconsin
were the places for big stakes, but in
Wisconsin all the talk was Of the rich
ness of the lead deposits Of Missouri.
And in Missouri he heard of the re-
Gently discovered gold at the junction
of Cherry creek and the Platte river,
ont where the Ute Indians lived, across
the Great American desert.
Sam Conger was one OF party to
drive across the Great Plains with
"Pike'S Peak or Bust" on the wagon
canvas and then began his 10 years Of
prospecting for the precious metals.
Later Sam Conger went to New
Mexico. He read how mutlny smoui-
dered among the Indians. how they
arose. murdered both Spanish con-
Querors and FranciS"ans and flied I'D
the mines.
Sam found one OF these mines-the
st. Lazarus. And until the body Of
gold ore was worked out 1t was a good
producing mine.
Sam has always wanted riches-nOt
thousands. but millions. Then ne could
FIX everybody up" and he has notions
Of "en-dow-ing" something.
Sam is the last of the old prospec.
tors-simple, kindly, brave. And ut
eighty-nine he is still walking over the
mountains In paths he trod when he
WIS u lad -Aiilwa ukne InI1rnal