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become more convinced they had struck the greatest copper mine in the world. The first of Oct. 1899 they stopped work although they had two month's provisions and Mr. Hinton had to go up to Battle to see the Sovereign mine he was looking after and see it was alright for the winter. He agreed to meet Harrison at Dixon Colo and they would drive in a Buckboard to Rifle Colo and each go home for the winter. Hinton went to Battle and it at once started in and snowed steady for 10 days until snow in canyons was 40 ft deep and on level 6 feet through the Pine trees. It was the biggest storm country ever had.

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Now the supposition is that when it stopped snowing Hy Harrison and a prospector named Jacobs from below had decided to go up the trail to Battle about 8 miles. They started with 5 horses and got about 1 ½ from camp and horses got stuck in a canyon and they left them and started back to the cabin. Jacobs got about a ½ mile and died and Harrison got a half mile further within ½ mile of cabin.
Hinton of course believed Harrison had either stayed at cabin or got to Dixon Colo before the storm as there was no occasion for him to go to Battle.

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so Mr. Hinton made him a pair of snow shoes at Battle and came across to the cabin. Everything was in perfect order and he supposed he had gone on to Dixon and he hurried along. Found none of the settlers had heard of him and at Dixon found he had not reached there so at once decided he was either lost or back in Battle. Hinton wrote a letter to friends in Battle that Harrison was not there and started back for the mine. The same day, his letter reached Battle some hunters came in and reported they had found 5 horses frozen to death.

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A party at once started out from Battle and 2 were identified as Jacob's horses. As soon as Hinton got there he identified the others as Harrison's and his. They then knew they were lost in the snow and nothing to do but wait until spring for snow to melt. Late in May Hinton started in hunting for the bodies as he was anxious to get the proof of Harrison's death so property could be handled. Not until the 24th of June did he find Harrison's body. It was only a few feet off the trail where he had crawled under the roots of

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A tree that had fallen down and the snow had covered him and he was perfectly preserved. 2 days later Jacob's body was found back a half a mile but as he was on the south side of a stump the snow had been melted a long time and it was very much decomposed. Both bodies were buried near where they were found-and some now call that canyon "Dead Man's Gulch."
Harrison left 9 brothers but a year before had written W.B. Harrison, his favorite brother that he had now

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struck something good and if he did not live to enjoy it he wanted him to have it. When he showed that letter to the others they all deeded him their shares for nothing and he became the half owner with Hinton. Arthur Crow saw the prospect and thought it was something big. Wrote Jaques at Lincoln about it and Hinton went to Denver to see Harrison and Crow found it out and had Jaques there and on Aug 14th 1900 the Verde Company was planned.

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Capital stock was $1,500 000 of which Mr Jaques had about $500,000
Hinton 500,000
Harrison 300,000
Treasury stock 300,000
Arthur Crow 50,000
Lyons
Ferguson
Since the organization of the Co. work has been continuous up to this time. Assays have run from 15 to 45%. If it is ever fully developed Mr. Hinton says every share will be worth a dollar and it will be one of the biggest dividend payers in America. So far about $3000.00 have been expended on it this

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first year.
Chas. Twilleger and another left me at the Verde and went to look at Beardsley's claim which is on the same lead just 6 miles east of the verde. They got back at 6.30, ate supper and started out by moonlight for Battle. It was rough and exciting by daylight but by moonlight, after the heavy rain at noon, it was "delightful." Arthur ran over one big rock and had to make a flying leap to keep from falling out to wagon.