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Show I. i I W. S. STRATTON DEAD. if - : s 1 former Owner of Independence Mine at Cripple Creek. Colorado Springs, Colo., Sept. 14. W. i f. Stratton, the multi-millionaire of y this city, owner of the famous Inde- jx-ndence mine in the Cripple Creek district, died at his home in this city 8t i:35 o'clock tonight, after an illness of several months. He had been in a critical condition for several weeks and his death was expected at any time today. He had k tPn unconscious throughout the day, , snd the relatives, including a sister' e Mrs. Jennie Cobb of San Jose. Cal.,' ho is the only near relative who sur-3 sur-3 vivos Mr. Stratton. did not leave his ' J iipdside at any time. Mr. Stratton was born in Jefferson-vine. Jefferson-vine. nd.. July 22, 1848. He was edu- (cated in the schools of that city and at the age of 17 took up the carpenter's carpen-ter's and draughtsman's trade, which lie mastered. He has resided in Colo-p Colo-p rat springs for thirty years, having IV con.' here in 1872. During all this a time nas been rnore or less inter- ested in mining, being a prospector in 1 various camps of Colorado as long as II fifteen years before he opened the fa ll, incus Independence bonanza. . . V; In April, 1891, having seen some specimens of gold ore from the Cripple 1 Creek district that impressed him fa vorably, he went to that camp to prospect. On the 3d of July, after weeks of fruitless prospecting, a man who agreed to grub stake him having disappointed him, Stratton decided to go to Cripple Creek and stake out a I claim on his own account. He rode I the thirty-five miles from this city to J the camp on horseback and on the morning of July 4, 1891, staked out the Independence and Washington claims, in honor of the day and the Father of His Country. " The Independence Independ-ence gave original assays of $380 to the ton, and in 1892 he leased and bonded the "Washington for $80,000. The Independence yielded Stratton millions and in 189S was sold by him j for $10,000,000, he retaining, however, a ! very considerable interest, even after I receiving that sum of money. He was a man whose private chari- ties were boundless and his Interest I in the public welfare was without lim- I it. He was the owner of the Colorado I Springs street railway system, on 1 which he has spent $1,500,000 in the V past two years. His wealth is esti- ' mated at anywhere from $15,000,000 to $50,000,000. Colorado Mourns For Stratton. Colorado Springs, Sept, 17. The remains re-mains of the late "Winfield Scott Stratton Strat-ton were lying in state this afternoon at the Mining Exchange building and were viewed by fully 10,000 people. The line of people was constant from 1 until 6 o'clock, and there were so many people peo-ple still in line v-hen that hour -arrived that the remains were allowed to stay until 7:15, at which time the doors were closed and the casket was removed to the home in North Webster street. The floral tributes to Mr. Stratton were the most elaborate ever seen in Qilorado Springs. The funeral serv- tice at the Stratton residence will take place tomorrow morning and the burial will occur in the afternoon. |