The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-08-16

AS a boy out sixteen years OF age. he
had owned one of the richest claims in
the Black Hawk placer diggings-
where Central City. Colorado, now
stands
He had prospected in Nevada,
where he had discovered a rich gold
quartz mine on Reese creek. He had
disposed of that and returned to Colo
RADIO, where he was led to come to the
new discoveries in what is now Mon
tana.
A Born Booster.
Whitlatch was good advertiser of
himself and a great believer in the
country and a great booster of things
of a progressive nature. He was large
ly instrumental in having the Mon
tana Post removed from Virginia CITY
to Helena and he supplied Fisk Bros.
with the money necessary to get the
press and other needed equipment to
make the Herald the first paper of
consequence in the state He was one
of the men who influenced Col w. F.
Sanders to move from Virginia TO
Helena where he retained him as his
attorney
The Whitlatch building on the site
of the present Masonic temple was a
prominent Helena land mark for
many years.
With the decline in production of
the mines Whitlatch left the terri
tory. He went to New York and soon
thereafter opened a hotel in Brooklyn.
He had some qualities which go to
make a good hotel keeper. but he
lacked in that attention to the bust
ness details so essential to success in
any enterprise and he was so gener-
Gus that he was easily imposed upon.
even after his broad experience in this
western country.
He closed out his interests in the
east and struck out into what to him
was the land of enchantment, the
land of the mountains. where he be-
lieved he would again retrieve his
fallen fortunes
In the wilds of Mexico he met with
an accident whereby a thigh bone was
broken. When he recovered he found
himself a cripple for life with falling
eyesight
In the Sandia mountains of New
Mexico he eventually found a rich
gold mine and he realized a fortune
from it, This went from him very
rapidly and he was again a seeker
after wealth. / saw him last about
1885 or 1886 when he spent some
months in Montana. At that time he
was endeavoring to promote the sale
IF the Great Eastern. large body of
ow grade ore in Emigrant gulch, then
as now owned by parties in Bozeman.
His efforts were abortive and year
)r two later he was at Spokane MAX
ng a strenuous effort to accumulate
to leave for his four boys
md their mother.
Ends His Own Life.
In August. 1890. he was in San
francisco. where he was hopeful of
putting over two sales of considerable
magnitude. It was at a time when it
vas not easy to interest capital and
MS physical and mental strength had
)een severely taxed for years. with
vanning powers, his reason deserted
him temporarily and his life was end
ID in a San Francisco hotel bv a bull
ct fired by his own hand.
Whitatch was the man of the hour
or Helena. The mine he discovered
vas at the height of its productive
less when the placer mines were
bout worked out. His discovery en-
outraged prospecting that led to the
hiding of such a number of good
mines as made the city of Helena the
ichest in the United States in pro-
'Ortion to its population. The mine
which he opened has been dug oct
nd dug in again several times and il
today as in years past producing
God ore at the hands of leasers.
vithal the lead has been opened to
he shallow depth of but a few hun
red feet and the real mine has net,
] all probability been touched.
Whitiatch was genial. whole souled.
beral and generous to a fault Every
i'd timer who knew him always
PEAKS well of him with kindly mem
les. He led the way 10 a store
)use of wealth, taking for himself
It a small part of it,