Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1941-02-22
Sudden Riches Often Led to Madness and
Death; Tabor Lost Fortune, Died i'm Year

I Sudden riches often lead 30 mad
ness, say old Montana pr0SpectOrs.
Often the mere idea that he has
acquired q vast fortune unsettlcs a
mans mind. Also, tragedy in some
dreadful form stalks often at the
elbow of those searcheFs for wealth
in the hills whose picks have tap
ped deposits Of extraordinary rich
ness.
One Of the most striking instances
Of this kind-but only one OF hundreds
was the story OF Tabor Of Denver
told some 20 years ago. who became
immensely wealthy overnight from a
gold strike in the Cripple Greek dis
trict. He bought a seat In the United
States senate and spent money like
water He built a magnificent theater
In Denver, which he called the Tabor
Grand. On the night OF the opening it
is related. Tabor was entering the
theater to the private box that had
been prepared for him. He had with
him a gay company Of men and women
boon companions.
So Pass Works Of Men
Suddenly his arm was seized by 6
witch-like old woman. who chung to
him while she cursed him shrtlly for
helped him bear the burdens OF pow
erty-when he became wealthy. Look
there" snrieked the hag pointing to
the splendid curtain before the stage,
on which was painted the ruin Of an
ancient temple with the motto be-
meath:
$50 pass the works OF men;
Back to the Earth again.
Ancient and Hold Things
Fade like dream"
Back TO the earth again. shrilled
the old woman. "a year from today
you will be dead-in pauper's grave
Her prophecy was a true one. TABOR
lost his wealth nearly as fast as ne
made it, and within q year dled III
poverty and misery.
Finders In Warm Springs
A Boston syndicate took over the
great Silver Dyke property at Neihart,
a deposit of silver ore 200 feet in width.
From it they expect to make q Tor
tune. But the two men who prospected
the mine and bonded 1t were both In
mates Of the state insane asylum AT
Warm Springs.
There is a wel-grounded supersti-
ton, according to miners that in-lucK
or violent death Is the legacy OF all
discoveries OF hidden treasures. Inc
original locators Of some IS or 40 OF
the richest mines in the west are
known to have come to tragic ends.
Thomas Paige Comstock, one OF the
first discoveries OF the famous Com
stock lode. committed suicide at Boze-
man in 1870 by shooting himself. Com
stock, after he left Virginia City, LED
the famous Big Horn expedition that
was sent out by Nevada capitalists In
search of the Lost Cabin mine. The
expedition was q failure and Comstock.
whether from disappointment or some
other cause, while encamped near
Bozeman sent a pistol ball through
his head He was buried near the spot
md later his grave was marked and
made known as that of one Of the dis
.overers of the famous Comstock lode.
by Spirits
One OF the most tragic ends that
anne 10 any proSpector was that OF
William Farrell, the discoverer OF the |
Meadow Lake, who died a victim OF
emorse in a San Francisco hospital,
haunted by the spirits Of other de-
uded prospectors passing and repass-
ng his deathbed."
Prospectors from all parts OF the
rest have sought the famous Lost
,abin" mine situated in the Big Horn
Mountains of Wyoming and Montana.
The story Of this bonanza deposit
tates the lode was found by three
hen who we're prospecting for gold IN
he early days when the country was
he habitat Of hostile Indians. Near
ne headwaters Of an unknown stream
ne pioneers ran across a body OF ore
, rich that they could hardly believe (