Individual Details
Henry Tompkins Paige Comstock
(1820 - 27 Sep 1870)
Henry was one of the "discoverers" of the Comstock Lode Silver Mine which bore his name. Unfortunately he never fully understood the value of his find; thought the ugly gray rock was worthless - he was looking for GOLD. An article about him is in the Appendix of the Comstock book.
The book A History of the Comstock Silver Lode & Mines, by Dan DeQuille, 1889, states that the discovery of silver, and the Comstock mine, belongs to Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin. Comstock tried to jump their claim, saying he had located it some time before. He appeared to be causing so much trouble, they agreed to give him a share. He was such a braggert he soon convinced others it was "his" mine; the original was the Ophir Mine. He was primarily interested in the gold which was also present. He sold his interest for $10,000 with which he opened a store in Carson City, but soon went broke. He went to Idaho and Montana where he prospected for some years. In September of 1870, while camped near Bozeman, Montana, he committed suicide, blowing out his brains with his six-shooter. Patrick McLaughlin sold his interest for $3,500 which he soon lost. He worked as a cook at the Green mine in southern California. McLaughlin died while wandering from place to place and odd job to odd job. Peter O'Riley held onto his interest until he received about $50,000, part in dividends. He built a hotel in Virginia City and then began speculating in mining stocks, soon losing everything. He was a Spiritualist, the spirits guiding him into running various tunnel; eventually talking to him so much about caverns of gold and silver that he was sent to a private asylum in California where he died. The men who made millions were those who came after the mines had been prospected.
Events
| Birth | 1820 | Trenton, Ontario, Canada |  | ||
| Death | 27 Sep 1870 | Bozeman, Gallatin County, Montana | |
Families
| Father | Noah Bird Comstock (1792 - 1853) |
| Mother | Catherine Tompkins ( - 1850) |
| Sibling | Noah Bird Comstock (1815 - 1869) |
| Sibling | Daniel Comstock (1816 - 1867) |
| Sibling | John Comstock (1818 - 1867) |
| Sibling | Sylvia Ann Comstock (1819 - 1887) |
| Sibling | Malvina Comstock (1827 - 1886) |
| Sibling | Amelia Comstock ( - ) |
| Sibling | Mortimer Comstock ( - ) |
| Sibling | Mary A. Comstock ( - ) |
| Sibling | Harrison Comstock ( - ) |
| Sibling | Eliza Comstock (1829 - ) |
| Sibling | Claricy Comstock ( - 1840) |
Endnotes
1. John Adams Comstock of Del Mar, California, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America, (Los Angeles, CA: The Commonwealth Press, Inc., 1949), Family 723. Noah Bird Comstock. (7th Generation).
2. John Adams Comstock of Del Mar, California, A History and Genealogy of the Comstock Family in America, (Los Angeles, CA: The Commonwealth Press, Inc., 1949), Family 723. Noah Bird Comstock. (7th Generation).