Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1901 — HUNTING FOR A BONANZA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HUNTING FOR A BONANZA.

Millions Belne Sunk in Search for the Cripple Creek Mother Lode. W. S. Stratton, who attained to fame as the owner of the celebrated Independence mine at Cripple Creek, which he discovered and developed, from which he took millions, and which he finally sold for $11,000,000 in cash, is now at work on a project at Cripple Creek which, if successful, will make him the richest man in the world.

He Is hunting for the mother lnde, K From which all the millions of gold that have been taken out of the Cripple Creek district have come. If he finds it, the word millious will be inadequate to describe bis wealth, and nothing less than billions, and possibly eveta a greater term, will do to describe his treasure.

Mr. Stratton’s theory Is that all the veins of gold that underlie Cripple Creek, and which Constitute the great mines from which over 100 millions in gold have been taken in a few years, converge toward one point. This theory is borne out by the maps of the district, which show a general dip or trend of the veins of gold toward a common center. Mr. Stratton has located the spot where these veins should meet, and has bought all the land over and about it, GOO acres in all. Now he has a big force of men at work sinking shafts, and is spend from $35,000 to $50,000 a month on this work.

It is a fact beyond dispute, as all the mining men of Cripple Creek know, that practically all the big veins of the Cripple Creek district run into Mr. Stratton’s territory. The indications are that many of these veins converge to a common point within his ground. This would indicate that the great mother vein, the center from which the great veins and ore shoots of the district radiate, is directly under the ground owned by Mr. Stratton. From the shafts being sunk good ore is being taken, the.different veins being followed up as they show* themselves.

W. S. STRATTON.