Memory's Storehouse Unlocked, True Stories: Pioneer Days In Wetmore and Northeast Kansas — John Locke — John Shaqi
Memory's Storehouse Unlocked, True Stories: Pioneer Days In Wetmore and Northeast Kansas
John Locke · en
This, I believe, is noteworthy. Besides the single claim purchased by
Frank and me from S. C. Root, operator on Bonanza Hill, one mile south
of our holdings, Frank Williams located three more adjoining claims,
taking in practically all the surface ore croppings on this mountain—and
recorded them in one group, which meant that the work done on any one
claim of the group, if extensive enough, would satisfy the $100 annual
assessment for each claim.
There was, however, a small showing of ore apparently like the zinc at
the Hoosier mine just outside those claims, on the west, close to the
wagon road Frank had blasted out, at considerable expense, to get up
to the tunnel he was driving. There were no other operators on that
mountain. Frank was lonesome. He wanted neighbors. Old man Ewing and son
Rex, nomad sojourners in Goodsprings, were invited to come out and try
their luck on that small cropping.
The Ewings struck pay ore almost from the start, and began shipments,
while Frank was still driving his tunnel — with ever increasing high
hope. Frank’s wagon road proved to be a big asset for his new neighbors.
Rex Ewing also mined commercial lead ore back on the high end of his
claims, which was brought down to the wagon road by burro pack. Large
trucks now travel that wagon road right up to Frank’s ore bin, at the
mouth of the tunnel, and take off with five tons to the load.
At this juncture I might say that though Frank has spent fifty-five of
his seventy-six years—as of this date, 1947—in the Nevada mines, he has
met with only two accidents, and neither of them was actually in the
mines. He was working alone at our Crescent claims, and by way of
a little deviation from routine work, undertook to blow open a big
boulder—just curious to see what was inside. It was not in the way—and
it would have told him nothing of advantage had he proved his suspicion
that it contained gold, for gold was showing in the ledge up slope from
which the boulder had been dislodged. What I said to Frank when he told
me he meant to waste a day in blowing open that big rock does not matter
now. Nor did it matter then.
Even before Frank had started to drill the boulder, while clearing away
some loose rock, it rolled half-over, pinning him underneath. I judged
the boulder would weigh two tons, maybe more—but a smaller rock had
prevented it from crushing the life out of Frank. Two miners were
working, in sight, across the canyon about a quarter mile away—and Frank
called and hollered for seven hours without attracting them.
Now, here is something that, from my power of reasoning, is
inexplicable. There are, however, people who would have a ready
explanation for it. Elwood Thomas, Frank’s uncle, had driven his team of
ponies from Goodsprings over to Searchlight, ten miles beyond Crescent,
and was returning late in the afternoon, aiming to go by way of
Crescent, as it was shorter and a better road.