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Show nOHEER MINER HEAHTY AT EIGHTYs MINED FIRST GOLD IN MOWING HOCK SPHINGS, Wjo., Nov. 20. Archibald Hlair, who mined the first gold and first coal taken from the ground in Woming within historic times, last Friday celebrated his eightieth birthday birth-day at his home here. Scores of friends called to pay their le-spects le-spects and many congratulatory telegrams were received. Hlalr, despite his age, Is hale and hearty and still takes a keen inteicst in industrial affairs. It was in the spiing of 1865, l South Pass, that Hlair and his brother made Wyoming's first gold discovery and, with a ciude cradle constructed from split logs, washed gold dust from a gravel bar half a mile from Willow Creek, the nearest water. Subsequently Subse-quently a million dollais in gold was taken from the placers In that vicinity. In 1867, at Hock Springs, tho Blair brothers again pioneered pio-neered in the state's mineral industiy, mining the first coal ever dug by white men in the state. In the Intervening forty-eight years, Archibald Blair has seen the conl industry in the state glow to an annual production of seven million tons, while Rock Spriiu's, where he first broke ground, has become the largest exclusive coal camp In the world. Archibald Blair was born at Rothesay, Scotland, November 15, 1835. When he was 9 ears of age his parents emigrated to Canada Can-ada and he grew to manhood in the Dominion. In 1860 he was lured to Calif ornia by tho gold excitement, making the tiip by way of Panama. In 1863 he and his brother, his inseparable companion, com-panion, were in Oregon, and the following year they made a small fortune In mining near Pocatello, Ida. In 1865 their seaich for more gold took them to South Pass, Wyo , nnd two years later they arrived at the pony express station at which now is Rock Springs, where Archibald's wanderings ceased, for he since has made his home heie. Tho Bluir boys built n shack near the pony express station maintained by Wells Faigo Express company, this station being where the No. 6 mine of the Union Pacific Coal compnny subsequently subse-quently was sunk. Archibald Blair quickly observed the indications indica-tions of coal which abounded In this district nnd before the end of 1867 had begun the first coal mining in the state at a point now known ns Blalrtown. In 1868 the Union Pacific railroad reached Rock Springs and over it Blair sent to Cheyenne the first shipment of Western coal ever handled by tho rond. Tor three yeais thereafter there-after his mine supplied nil the coal used by the Union Pacific. Blair niso was the pioneer ranchman of this section, In 1867 filing on what is known as "Tho Cucle" ranch, twenty miles south of Rock Springs. The cuttlq nnd sheep which he bred there were among the first raised in Wyoming. In 1870 Blair was married to Miss Jane Macready in Canada nnd they since have resided here. They have but one child, Mrs. John W. Hay, wife of a prominent banker. |