davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

Another of the reputed fabulously
rich mines which was "lost" in the
early days of Arizona, was called the
'Nigger Ben" The story of this
mine as told me by George Munroe
in Phoenix about 1877, follows:
In the '60's a negro named Ben
made his headquarters at Wicken-
burg. He was known on several oc-
casions to leave Wickenburg, going
west and north from the settlement
After an absence of several days he
would return and in each instance
showed his friends remarkably rich
samples of gold ore with the native
metal plainly visible. The rock was
a decomposed quartz heavily stained
with iron oxide and hematite, the
gold occurring in the little cells of
the honeycombed quartz.
Several attempts were made to
trail Ben from Wickenburg but the
trail was lost on each occasion. The
character of the ore as described
would fit some of the ores found at
Harqua Hala, which were extremely
rich. But the route of Ben was fol-
lowed to point near where the Con-
gresS mine was afterwards discOv-
cred. That it was not the Congress
vein from which he obtained his sam
pies is shown by the fact that at
no time in it's history did the Con-
gress show any such ore as that
described as brought in by Ben.
The writer has prospected pretty
well over all Arizona and during his
various journeyings has met up with
a great number of oId-time prospec-
tors, several of whom had taken a
try at finding the Niger Ben Mine.
From composite of information re-
ceived from these various sources
I believe the Niger Ben mine, if
ever rediscovered, will be found in
the peninsula or point of country ly-
ing between the Santa Maria and Big
Sandy creeks in the southwestern
portion of Yavapai county or south
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

penitentiary.
Ehrenberg came to grief about
1882, after a span of ten years in
which was condensed more red-blood
ed life than many a city experiences
in several decades. Indian settle
ments which were stationed along
the shores Of the Colorado river be-
came restless. The Red Men rose up
against the inhabitants, and when
two or three of the citizens were
slain, the people began to move. By
1888, mist of the business men had
left, the last ones to forsake the city
being Sam Wilson, Newt Smith and
the Hecklers.
At the time Blythe began to settle
there were still three saloons in En-
renberg. For quite a while these few
remnants of the better days were the
only props in the little towns lag
ging existence, and when the state
of Arizona went dry, they too closed,
forcing the few remaining inhabit-
ants to move across the river to
Blythe
Ehrenberg's history is a represent
ative story of many a settlement in
the West, whose auspicious location
in a rich mineral field gave it quick
life and quick death.
AS one wanders through the des-
erted city today, one wonders that
a community so favorabIy regarded
for decade could be so utterly de-
serted. Every year adds to it's mea-
sure of loneliness to the place and
strips the remaining walls of some
relic of olden times. Not so long
ago the treasure seeker might have
gathered enough discarded household
articles to set UP a living place. A
short time ago one found roulette
wheel still intact, orderly rows of
seats in the old school house, and
the picturesque walls of the two Ca
tholic churches festively decorated in
palm fronds and brightly hued pic
lures of the saints.
Today as one rOams among the de.
serted walls, one finds only the yei-
lowed page of a lost account book,
the battered metal of scales, or the
rotting round of a chair. The pas
sionate town withers. At hand, the
cemetery that is filled with graves
whose weather beaten markers bear
faint Spanish inscriptions and whose
forms are piled high with stones to
barricade the coyotes prowling, Of
fers mute testimony of gay lives,
many of which were cut short by
swift and vengeful weapons.
Ehrenberg remains a sightseeing
place for the Unsuitable tourist, and
it is indeed one of the most profitable
and deeply interesting one that the
Southwest has to offer.-The Blythe,
California, Evening Review.
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

Fifty years ago there sprang up,
like a thousand mushroom towns that
characterized the west after the rail
roads linked it to the already estab-
lished east, booming mining center
that held in its daily life all the rich
ness, the depravity, the crudeness,
and the ineradicable picturesQueness
that is attached to the history of the
vanished frontier -Ehrenberg, once a
refuge for 5000 pioneer souls, now is
but Crumbling mass of adobe in the
Arizona sun.
The traveller, making a Slight de-
tour as he follows the southern high
way, glimpses it's sandy skeleton
blocked viyidly against the blue sky
But he does not always know that
once, within those same nondescript
walls, lived the church, the school.
and the homes of men and women
who formed fierce and gay little
city that died, as they themselves,
when the vivid spirit waned
To see, to feel, and to love the his
tory of such landmark of the old
West is the experience Of Jesus Dan
iels and it is from this familiar pio,
neer of the southwest that much of
the material for this account is
cleaned. Thirty years a resident of
the place, Mr. Daniels is indeed an
historian to whom one may turn for
uncolored annals of Ehrenberg's brill
liant days.
Upon the fall Of La Paz rose the
success Of Ehrenberg. La PaZ, which
was the most important Of the two
cities. was started about 1860, and
for ten years fourished with the
phenomenal growth that has attended
the entire development of the west.
At one time it was even the capital of
Arizona, but the government finally
ordered the citizens to evacuate, as
it was in the Parker, Arizona, Indian
reservation limits 1t was then that
the La Paz populace moved to Ehren-
berg, illustrating the rapidity with
which western cities took root and
bloomed. Founded in 1870 by Henry
Ehrenberg, it increased to 5000 in
habitants by 1872-73.
Some of Ehrenburg's business men
and their descendants are known to
pioneers of the Palo Verde Valley,
and there are residents of Blythe and
other valley towns who recall no
little of Ehrenberg history them
selves
The most important business men
were Goldwater Brothers, who con-
Quoted a general store, Jack Swartz,
proprietor of one of the leading sa-
looms, and Abe Frank, brother-in-Iaw
of Jesus Daniels, who conducted a
general merchandise business, ran a
boarding house and was also the
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18
Ehrenberg Has a Pioneer History.

postmaster of the town. In it's palmy
days, Ehrenberg boasted two large
blacksmith shops that fattened on the
then profitable business of the stage
coach lines.
When Abe Frank moved to Yuma
in 1883, he sent his brother-in-law,
Mr.. Daniels, to take his place in the
Ehrenberg business. For many years
Mr.. Daniels held the mail contract,
operated the general store and saloon
and was one of the school trustees,
but later he gave up these numerous
duties to go into the cattle business.
Miss Mary Phost, who was the first
teacher to come to the Ehrenberg
schools. still lives at Yuma, and still
teaches in the schools in that city.
She is very old now and draws a pen
sion for her teaching services in the
neighboring state. The Goldwaters
are now residents of Phoenix while
the Franks live in Yuma.
A city where every day and night
saw enacted scenes Of gold lust,
where the report of vengeful gun
was granted part of the days oc-
currences, where the rant of the dance
hall mingled with the chant of the
Catholic church nearby-that was
Ehrenberg. Asked to tell of one out
standing incident that made up the
florid side of Ehrenbergs past life,
Mr.. Daniels gave up the job depreca-
tingly. Those were no highly colored
and sensational farces that the Gin
ema industry grew rich upon in its
younger days The candle in the
beer bottle, the spinning roulette
wheel, the nugget thrown in exchange
for malaga-these were very part
of the genuine life upon which dis
cerning moving picture directors built
an art havin gfor its cornerstone the
intense and often ribaId life Of the
rugged West.
Ehrenberg was primarily the cen
ter of gold mining district Very
little copper was mined there, and
practically no silver. 1t is estimated
by different authorities that some II
Millions in gold was taken from the
La Paz mine, and countless wealth
has also been obtained in the region
near Ehrenberg.
The old stage line which made the
daily trips from San Bernardino to
points in New Mexico made Ehren
berg it's chief stopping place-a fac
tor greatly instrumental in the rapid
settlement of the city. The coach
was carried across the river on big
ferry rowed by several men. Many
times, true to the spirit of those pio
neer days, the stage was robbed in
approved bandit fashion, but the gov.
ernment's close vigil of desperados
resulted in the apprehension of many
of them, who were duly sent to the
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

eastern Mohave This opinion was
concurred in by A. H. Peoples, the
discoverer of Rich Hill, and by Lu1n
Gray, both of whom claimed to have
known Ben. The section mentioned
is gold bearing formation, the gran
ties and states predominating. The
hills are colored by the iron contents
and almost any little gulch in this
section shows colors in panning. At
one time l prospected for about two
months in the country between Grape
Vine on the Santa Maria and Signal
on the Big Sandy, but beyond find
ing light colors in several of the
gulches, nothing of consequence was
discovered. I have met and talked
with many oldtime prospectors who
were in the country when Niger Ben
used to bring the rich gold samples
into Wickenburg. To a man they
believed in the existence of an ex-
tremely rich vein of gold ore and
from time to time devoted their en-
ergies to it's rediscovery. SO far no
one has found it. George Munroe
told me of a party who had trailed
Ben out from Wickenburg past the
foot of Rich Hill or Antelope Hill
and thence west to the junction of
the Santa Maria and Big Sandy where
the trail was lost. These two streams
after their convergence are known
as the Bill Williams fork. There is
a strongly mineralized section west
of the head of the Bill Williams fork
and in Potts Basin and very rich
gold ore has been found there. But
it is associated with copper, in some
cases the copper showing 20 to 80
per cent
Accepting the statement of Munroe
that the trail was lost in the neigh
borhood of Inscription Spring at the
head of Bill Williams fork, where
the Santa Maria and the Big Sandy
come together, and the numerous
statements laying Niger Ben's course
north and west from Wickenburg, fol
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18
Lost E'Nigger Ben'' Mine.

lowing a knowledge Of the geology
of the surrounding country supported
by later actual discoveries would be
to place the location of the Niger
Ben mine in that section lying be-
tween Grape Vine on the Santa Maria
and Signal on the Big Sandy, where
the formation is favorable for the
discovery of gold bearing rocks.
While there have been discoveries of
rich ore north of this section, not
ably at Hillside, the ores are princi-
pa1ly silver bearing and though some
gold has been discovered to the north
the ores do not in any manner re-
semble that brought in by Niger Ben
as described to me by George Munroe
who claimed to have seen several of
the negro's samples.-Silver Belt
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

The Senior play 1.-TWO of a Kind
was given Friday evening at the Ora.
NADIA theater.
The Little Giant Mine IN Cunning.
ham Pass north of Wenden is ship
ping ore to Hayden smelter. B. L.
holland and R. R. Mcdonald are the
operators.
A trio of Phoenix physicians, as
sisted by Dr. Copeland, performed an
operation on Mrs. w. N. Ormsby at
the Wenden Copper Mine near Wen
den last week.
VIM. Reedy, wife and daughter, Ed
Thomas and Clarke Perm motored to
Phoenix early Saturday morning to
meet Mrs. Ella Winslow and to at.
tend the Tighe obseQuies.
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18
wIcKENBURe SURPRISE PARTY

A neighborhood surprise party was
planned for Mrs. L. A. White on
Wednesday afternoon by Mrs. E. c.
MallOy and Mrs. Leo Nash, assisted
by Mrs. Lee Barnette, to which a
number of friends of Mrs. White were
invited, but which had to be limited
owing to lack of room to include all
of her friends. Prizes were offered
for the best needle work, and also
for the best artist. Much amusement
was occasioned by the drawing con.
test, and the prize went to Mrs
Brooks Copeland The prize for the
finest needle work was awarded to
Mrs. A. d. Woodmansee. Judges for
the sewing were Mrs. f. x. O'Brien
and Mrs. A. N. Lane. Judges for the
best drawing were Mrs. e. G. Malloy
Mrs. Lee Barnette and Mrs. Leo
Nash. Refreshments were then serv-
ed, and Mrs. White was presented
with many useful gifts. The guests
were all unanimous in their praise OF
the hostesses of this occasion on
their ability to entertain.
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

India in three years has absorbed
over $350,000,0OO in American gold
and silver and is looking for more.
America will be called upon to pro-
duce this increased demand, and Ari-
zona expects to profit accordingly
Arizona state miner., 1925-04-18

ed, and Mrs. White was presented
with many useful gifts The guests
were all unanimous in their praise OF
the hostesses of this occasion on
their ability to entertain.
e. c. MalIoy and wife returned
from Prescott last Thursday.
Mrs. Shannon Albright visited her
sister, Mrs. Joe Colman, Wednesday,
ON her way home from Ell Paso to
her home in Winslow
Simon PoQuette and family motor
ed to Date Creek Sunday.
The Afternoon Bridge Club met at
the residence of Mrs. e. J. Dignan
this week.
Mrs. James Plat nee Leone Stages,
and little daughter arrived in Wicken-
burg to spend month with her par
ents, Mr.. and Mrs. A. D. Woodman-
see.
The Ladies Aid of the Community
Church met Thursday afternoon, and
Mesdames Woodmansee, Malloy, San
defur and Wentworth were hostesses
for the occasion of a social after
noon.
Miss Dorothy Hennig was noticed
in town last week.
A. P. Hennig, now a resident of
Kingman, was in Wickenburg Tues
day.
The new swimming pool just com
pleted by w. w. Bass on his property
eats of the river was opened Wednes-
day, April Is. Most of the children
of the town were on hand to take .
dip.
Mrs. Gladys Jones motored to Phoe
nix Sunday morning, returning the
same day.
Mrs. I. B. Wood was business Wis
itor in Phoenix the first of the week.
Simon Poquette is making some
improvements on his recently acquir
ed property on North Tegener ST.
near the school grounds, consisting of
a sun porch on the east side, and has
in contemplation a cement sidewalk
and new fence.
A. N. Lane, daughter and son, spent
Monday in Phoenix.
Rev. T. S. Hunter, A N. Lane and
James Lederer spent Monday in the
Capital City in the interest of the
National Fraternities Hospital, and
they are now in the northern part
of the state for the same purpose.
being expected to return not later
than Saturday.
Mrs. Leo Nash and Mrs. Lee Bar
nette motored to Phoenix Thursday
R. w. Bishopp and family have re-
turned to Wickenburg, and are now
living on their ranch east of town.
Mrs. Lou Charlebois and family
spent Easter Sunday in Phoenix.
Mrs. e. J. Dignan was a Phoenix
visitor the first of the week.
It is understood that there will ser
vices at the Catholic Church Sunday,
April 49,
Mrs. B. J. Witherlay has had the
interior of her home on Tegener st.
beaver boarded and made very at
tractive.
Mrs. Paul Harmon was a business
visitor in Phoenix Thursday.
Mrs Naomi Kellis expects to make
a trip to Phoenix Monday
Brooks Copeland has severed his
connection with the Tarbutton Gro
Gerry Company, and has again taken
up his craftsmanship. He has just
returned to Wickenburg after several
days spent in Phoenix.
Mrs. Gladys Jones and Miss Esther
expect to go to Phoenix Saturday,
where they will be the guests of Mr..
and Mrs. Martin at a house party at
the Komatke Indian School.
Last week Miss Esther picked her
first grape fruit, the first she had
ever seen growing, at the Mimmer
orchard on North Central Avenue,
Phoenix, last Sunday.
Ike Wood is suffering from brok-
en- rib.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02


them to the door, and they saw q
small boy In belted suit with green
cap Jump from an ancient fiivver
roadster and leap Up the steps.
"GOOd-by, JIM" he yelled at the
man. and then poured words at his
mother and Donovan. Gee, but had
Q swell time. Jim-that's the plumber
let me 60 along with him all day.
We were in some Of the SWEETEST
homes and the junk plumbing In
Them you'd never believe. We worked
Night through lunch and Jim gave me
. sandwich, but just one, and that's
al, and I'm awfully hungry. Did you
Sc Jim's cart It's eight years old
and he called her Asthma but she
can 60 Just the same. And Z helped
him all day and Jim says I'm 4 dandy
helper and next summer when he gets
bic own shop he's going to hire me
and pay me dollar day, and can
wipe joint already. What do you
think Of that, mother? / can vine 4
Joint already. and next Saturday he's
going to show me how to plug pine.
Gee. but had q swell time"
His neither held David Bailey to
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02

Redwood Falls is rightfully proud
& e the record made by the teachers of
the public schools in taking member
ships in the Red Gross. The teaching
corps went one hundred per cent, ev-
cry member paying his or her dollar
and receiving the little red and white
emblem of membership. The teach
ers have set a pace for townspeople
TO follow-and since the Roll Call is
dragging somewhat it is hoped by
those most interested in the sale of
. aese memberships that the following
nay be immediate
According to news reports from the
: ofoner's inquest it was shown by wit
nesses that "the freight train had OPP
portunities to run off the main line to
sidetrack at Sacred Heart and Mime
sofa Falls. The freight had orders to
give the Columbian the right of way
at O'Connor's siding, about a mile and
a half out of Renville. The freight
was 10 minutes late and was about
to stop to open the siding switch when
the speeding Columbian came along"
Bernard F. Donovan, fireman, who
was patient in the local hospital sew
eral days, was discharged Friday.
Harry Caldwell, brakeman, left the
hospital Thursday, the 10Th.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02
SeafOrth

Church services the coming Sun.
;an ch,,r ~ a NJ at the rresDyter'
Geo Fnhr sh;,aa
49, meo' UNI smpped carload OF
ct wal ~" Twin City market the
ss "A
mr.; and Mrs. Geo. S. Davis enter
eaineo tne Following guests at Thanks
GIVING Gunner, Mr.: and Mrs. G. B.
P 3 OF redwood Falls, Mr.. and Mrs.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02
Delhi

Miss Gertrude Mckay who teaches
| at Sacred Heart spent Thanksgiving
with the home folks.
Tom Treadwell and wife of Belview
were callers at the j. A. Lagerstrom
home Thursday afternoon.
Miss Alma Posi-, who teaches at
Hutchinson, spent Thanksgiving with
her sister, Mrs. A. H. Dorm and fam
lily.
Harry Montile and wife spent
Thanksgiving with Mr.. Montile's sis
ter and family at Sioux Falls, S. D.
The Mckay Clan was entertained
this year at the home of Mr.. and Mrs.
Neil Mckay on Thanksgiving.
Mr.. and Mrs. Earnest Samuelson
entertained Mrs. Samuelson's brothers
Earl Zorn of Redwood Falls and Otto
Zorn and family Of Danube at din
ner Sunday.
Lane Trotter and family of Daw-
son and Miss Anna Mclean, were
Sunday guests of Delhi relatives.
Miss Mclean took the night train
from here for Thanksgiving where she
is engaged in teaching.
Mr.. and Mrs. David, McCorquodale
entertained Mrs. McCorquodale's
father, George Yonetz and brother
Will of Royalton, over the week end.
Mrs. Frank Maus and daughter
Evelyn and Kenneth Lynd of Vesta,
were Sunday visitors with Mr.. and
Mrs. John Maus.
Miss Eva Mckay came home from
Minneapolis Wednesday to spend
Thanksgiving with the home folks.
r.. e
apolis accompanied by Mrs. Sweets
| father, Thomas Mckay who has been
patient in a Minneapolis hospital
for the past two months, arrived
| Wednesday to spend Thanksgiving
with Delhi relatives. Mr.. Swee.
returned home Thursday but Mrs
Sweet and the children remained un-
til Monday, when Mr.. Mckay return.
ed to Minneapolis with them for fur.
Their treatment.
Miss Sarah Judson and Miss Mar
| garet Hobart missed their train al
Minneapolis Sunday night and were
unable to be here to teach Monday
morning. Mrs. w. S. Southmayd ha:
charge of Miss Judson's room ans
Mrs. Albin Jacobson of Miss Hobart
room.
William Rogers and wife in compa
ny with Mr.. and Mrs. John Termat}
of LIE Sueur and Septer Termath ane
/ family of Mankato, spent Thanksgiv
ing with Mr.. and Mrs. Howard ORES
sell at Silver Lake.
Mr.. and Mrs. j. A. Lagerstrom hat
as Thanksgiving dinner guests, thei,
daughter Mrs. Peter Rasmussen d
Minneapolis, Mr.. and Mrs. C. o. Borf
of Redwood Falls, j. L. Borg and wife
Emil. Borg, David jacobson and fam.
lily and Victor Johnson ard family.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02
Farmers State Bank
Redwood Falls, MINI.

Republican members of the Mime
sofa delegation will have a meeting
early this week, it was stated Sat-
urday by Representative Frank Clagne
the ch irm an. Representative
Oscar E. Keller of St. Paul will be
invited to attend. Mr.. Clague said
that as Mr.. Keller was elected as q
republican, he will be asked as such
to attend the meeting. The question
of what the committee on committees
will do with Mr.. Keller has not been
decided. He was not invited to at
tend the republican caucas last Feb
ruary, and some Of the house leaders
are disposed to read him out of the
party, along with the supporters Of
Senator La Toilette from Wisconsin.
The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-12-02
Kintire

Miss Helene Arndt and pupils gave
a successful program and basket so.
cial at the Grand View school last
Tuesday evening.
Miss Selma Anderson returned
home from assisting Mrs. Arnold
Anderson for week last Saturday.
Mrs. Art Anderson received the
sad news one night last week that
her mother had suffered. severe
stroke of paralysis Mr., and Mrs.
Anderson left for Gibbon, at once ar
irving shortly before her mother pass
ed away. Her many friends are sor-
ry to hear of her bereavement.
Mr.. and Mrs. H. Evenson and son
and Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. Mack spent
Thursday evening at the 'Sacmary
home. go
Miss Hattie Muetzel and pupils are
preparing an interesting program
in connection with basket social to
be given at the Cahoon school, near
Vesta Friday evening December 4th.
Mr.. and Mrs. August Goelz of
Franklin spent Thanksgiving with
her parents, Mr.. and Mrs. n. Sac
mary.
Misses Bertha and Oleda Mack and
brother Will motored to New Ulm
Sunday to spend the day with rela-
tives. The former remained there
where she will be employed for a
while.
George and Robert johnson and
Lucien Payne enjoyed wolf hunt
Sunday.
The hunters of Belview and vicini-
ty will have their annual rabbit hunt
Tuesday of this week.
Mr.. and Mrs. w. Otto spent Tues
day evening at the Art Kissner home.
Friends of the A. G. STAN and Carl
Swanson families of Belview will be
sorry to hear they intend leaving
there soon to make their home IN
Sacred Heart.