Talk:George W. Peirce

Various George W. Peirce
George W. Peirce: In some publications his surname is given as Peirce. The following George W. Peirce are "Mr. Right". His full name was George Washington Peirce.


 * George W. Peirce, president and senior manager of OATMAN CRESCENT MINING CO, Arizona?. This person sounds good for being the true and right Mr. Peirce, but the company was established in 1915, nearly 15 years after his announced death on December 4, 1899. Source: Mines register: successor to the Mines handbook and the Copper handbook, describing the non-ferrous metal mining companies in the Western Hemisphere, Vol. 14, Mines Publications, Inc., 1920. This source reports for: "OATMAN CRESCENT MINING CO, ARIZONA. Office: 25 Broad St.. New York. Mine office: Oatman, Ariz. Officers: Geo. W. Peirce, pres.-sen. mgr.; W. T. Esser, vice president; Gowen Peirce, secretary-treasurer; with A.G. Reynolds, directors. INC. 1915, $1,000,000 shares. 10cent par, 650,000 issued." The person give as secretary-treasurer Gowen Peirce in that source should correctly read Geo. W. Peirce


 * George W. Peirce, manager of The Colorado Ore Sampling Company. Source: Colorado mining directory : containing an accurate description of the mines, mining properties and mills, ... Denver: Colo., Colorado Mining Directory Co., 1883, p. 37 [908 pp.]. This supports strongly that Mr. Peirce was into metallurgy, a metallurgist, at least he was an engineer. Very probably this is the same "Mr. Right".

Here's an excerpt of Factory and Industrial Management, Vol. 3, McGraw-Hill, 1892, p. 36, for everybody, who wants to know more on the system known as “public” sampling works: ''... and bit upon the lot of ore thus represented, the highest bidder taking the ore if the bid was acceptable to the offerers, who, of course, usually had other samples assayed for their own guidance. This was a step in advance, as it placed the sampling in the hands of disinterested third parties, who naturally would take pains to furnish reliable samples, since their business depended on their reputation, and any error would be detected on resampling and reassaying. But the system in this form was still far from satisfactory to either seller or buyer. The former had bother in personally conducting the transaction, and the smelters disliked assuming the trouble of assaying and bidding when there was no assurance that the highest bidder would secure the lot. Besides, samples so handled were sometimes “salted”, and though any falsification would be discovered when the lot came resampled at the smelting works, it was still a possible thing. So about eleven years ago a further advance was made when Mr. George W. Peirce and Mr. Robert Campbell, then of Blackhawk, Col., introduced the system known as that of “public” sampling works. This system has been developed until it is in a most efficient state. There are now in Colorado three public sampling works Leadville, Aspen, Silverton, Denver, etc., which usually buy ores for their own account, but at times, on order of the owners, conduct business in much the same way as the regular public sampling works, and the plan will doubtless spread to other States.'' Source: The system was a kind of Quality assurance system for the gold assay of the ore, acting as an independent valuator for the benefit of seller and buyer of the ore.
 * George W. Peirce, who helped installing the system known as that of “public” sampling works for precious metal assay determination? This is very probably same Mr. "Right", a metallugist from Davenport?, but it may also refer to Mr. Peirce, who was superintendent of the Stamford Street Railroad Company. For installing of the system known as “public” sampling works, expert knowledge was needed in transportation systems, like tramways and railroads for freighting, storage and transportation of gold and silver ore from the mines to the smelters.


 * Finally, the following George W. Peirce was "Mr. Right": George Peirce had been shareholder of the Maricopa Mining & Milling Company of Arizona in 1881, owing at least 500 shares. The certificate was on sell at Holabird Associates in 2002:.

The following George W. Peirce are probably NOT "Mr. Right":
 * George W. Peirce, a metallurgist from Davenport, Iowa area? Possible source: White, James Terry The National cyclopaedia of American biography: being the history of the United States as illustrated in the lives of the founders, builders, and defenders of the republic, and of the men and women who are doing the work and moulding the thought of the present time, Vol. 37, 1967, page 420: On that page is referred to another person, who "''was married in Davenport, Iowa, Aug. 14, 1924, to Edith M., a daughter of George W. Peirce, a metallurgist of that city, ..." More infos needed!


 * George W. Peirce, superintendent of the Stamford Street Railroad Company, formerly the Stamford Horse Railroad Company ? Source: Annual Report of the Railroad Commissioners‎, New Hampshire. Railroad Commissioners, 1891, page 279.


 * George W. Peirce, Republican; born in Winchester, April 24, 1833; educated in public schools and academies of New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and New York and Berkshire Medical College, Pittsfield, Mass.; physician and surgeon; religious belief, Liberal; widower, four children; surgeon of the First New Hampshire Cavalry in the Civil War and surgeon general on the staff of Governor Moody Currier; member of the G. A. R., Grange and American Red Cross; has served in the House of Representatives and State Senate, many years trustee of State Hospital and has held all town offices. Source: . Very probably NOT "Mr. Right".


 * Peirce, George W., born 1869, died 1933, husband of Mathilda F.; Source: . Very probably NOT Mr. Right.


 * Was George W. Peirce married to Mary Noonan? Source: The Butler family (1901), author: Rook, Albert Wilmot, Publ. Chicago : Lakeside Press; Online:.


 * George W. Peirce, one of the many family persons from the Solomon Peirce family genealogy : containing a record of his descendants, also an Appendix containing the ancestry of Solomon Peirce and his wife Amity Fessenden (1912), author: Bailey, Marietta Peirce, Publisher: Arlington, Mass. : G. H. Ellis Co., Subject: Peirce family; Peirce, Solomon, 1742-1821, Online:.

Thanks in advance for your contribution! --Steven69 (talk) 03:04, 28 October 2009 (UTC)

Mr. George W. Peirce, dead or alive after Dec. 5, 1899?
Although serveral newspaper reports on the death of George W. Peirce had been published, it is not clear if he died as a result of the railroad accident in December 1899.

The reports on the railroad accident on December 4, 1899, in details, reads:

'''The Washington Weekly Post, December 5, 1899, page 2: CRASHED INTO A PULLMAN Six Killed and Three Seriously Injured in Collision on Rio Grande.'''

Denver Colo., Dec 4, 1899

A rear-end collision occurred between two passenger trains on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad this morning in which six persons were killed outright and several others were severely injured. The accident happened at English Switch about about six miles east of Salida at 6 a. m.

The killed:

C. E. Osgood, Denver

H. R. MATTHEWS, Denver

PETER BARNE, Denver

Mr. GEORGE R. PORTER, Gran Junction

A. H. JOHNSTON, Oberlin Ohio

An unknown man.

Seriously injured were:

George W. Peirce, Denver

Thomas R. German, Denver

A. M. Johnston, Oberlin, Ohio

Train No 5, the narrow-gauge train for Grand Junction Durango and New Mexico points, which left Denver last night, had been flagged at that switch and had stopped, owing to an obstruction at a bridge. Standard gauge train No. 15 for Glenwood Springs was following and failing to get a signal to slow up, plunged into the rear of the narrow-gauge sleeper for Durango which was filled with passengers. The Pullman was thoroughly splintered up and the coach ahead was also wrecked. Those killed and injured were in those cars.

A. H. Johnston, who was killed, was president of the Arkansas Midland Railway, had large business interests in Cleveland and was one of the trustees of Oberlin College. His son A. M. Johnston, who was traveling with him, had his back broken and will probably die. George W. Peirce, who was killed, was a well-known mining man and was secretary of the Golden Fleece Mining Company, which owns valuable mines at Lake City.

'''The New York Times, December 5, 1899, page 1: SEVEN KILLED IN COLLISION. Accident Near Salida, Col., Caused by Train Failing to Get Signal—Rail­way President Among the Dead'''.

DENVER, Dec. 4.—A rear-end collision occurred between two passenger trains on the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad this morning, in which seven persons were killed outright and several others were severely injured. The accident happened at English Switch, about six miles east of Salida, at 6 A. M.

The killed are C. E. Osgood, Denver; H. R. Matthews, Denver; Peter Barries, Denver; George W. Peirce, Denver; Mrs. George R. Porter, Grand Junction; A. H. Johnston, Oberlin, Ohio, and an unknown man.

Among the seriously injured are Thomas M. Gorman, Denver, and A. M. Johnston, Oberlin, Ohio. A. H. Johnston, who was killed, was President of the Arkansas Midland Rail­way, had large business interests in Cleve­land, and was one of the Trustees of Ober­lin College His son, A. AI. Johnston, who was traveling with him, had his back bro­ken, and will probably die.

George W. Peirce, who was killed, was a well-known mining man, and was secretary of the Golden Fleece Mining Company, which owns valuable mines at Lake City, Col.

Train No. 5, the narrow-gauge train for Grand Junction, Durango, and New Mexico points, which left Denver last night, had been flagged at English Switch and had stopped owing to an obstruction at a bridge. Standard Gauge Train No. 15, for Glenwood Springs, was following, and. failing to get a signal to slow up. plunged into the rear of the narrow-gauge sleeper for Durango, which was tilled with passengers. The Pull­man was thoroughly splintered up, and the coach ahead was also wrecked. The killed and injured were in those cars.

In the first report, Washington Weekly Post, it is stated that Mr. Peirce was injured, and that another man, the son of A. H. Johnston, A. M. Johnston, had his back broken and will probably die. In the last part of the same article it is stated that Mr. George W. Peirce had died, also he was only injured before.

The second newspaper article from the NY Times probably is only an extract from the first in The Washington Weekly Post, without any further verification by the reporter.

Taking into account, that Thomas Arthur Rickard made a journey across the San Juan Mountains in 1902 (in the preface the date of his journey is given 1902!, for sources see the article), and that he met Mr. George Peirce in person, who showed him around the Golden Fleece Mine (Colorado), consequently there is raised considerable doubt, that George W. Peirce died as a consequence of the accident. Maybe it was A. M. Johnston, the son of A. H. Johnston, who died as a result of his injuries he suffered from the railroad accident, but it was confounded by the newspaper reporter?

Hence, the possible death of George W. Peirce as a result of the railroad accident needs confirmation. It might be possible, that he recovered from his injuries, and maybe died many years later. This would also support the theory given above, that Mr. George W. Peirce was the same person and president and senior manager of OATMAN CRESCENT MINING CO, Arizona, established in 1915, nearly 15 years after his announced death on December 4, 1899. --Steven69 (talk) 09:01, 29 October 2009 (UTC)

Note added August 20, 2012: The Miner George W. Peirce probably did not die at that train accident in 1899, since there are several sources, that he is alive after 1899. The newspapers probably reported his death without confirmation of his recovery after he was injured. George W. Peirce lived until 1938 according to sources cited in the article. --Steven69 (talk) 23:21, 19 August 2012 (UTC)

Talk page reference in article
I hid reference to see this talk page in the article. The article is for the general reader and this talk page is for building the article. If there is controversy concerning when Peirce died this needs to be covered in the article with references and not a reference to this talk page. Otr500 (talk) 07:37, 25 April 2015 (UTC)